Few WWE stars have a CV quite like that of veteran Randy Orton, who is now back to his best in the ringCredit: WWE

Since then, the former King of Kings has overseen a boom period of sorts for the company, with thrilling events and record-busting revenues.

Triple H and Orton are, of course, no strangers to one another; they were on-screen teammates as part of the iconic Evolution Stable around two decades ago.

The Game’s in-ring career be very much done and dusted, but The Viper remains one of the company’s top performers.

He’s in the form of his life, too, thanks to spinal fusion surgery that effectively saved his career.

The one-time Legend Killer has revealed he was close to calling it quits when the back issue flared up, forcing him to take an extended period away from the squared circle.

In the interim, it’s been all change behind the scenes in WWE – and Orton says it’s for the better.

In a new interview, the chiselled veteran, who enjoyed a hero’s welcome at the recent Backlash: France Premium Live Event, says he’s feeling ‘so great’, and now has no plans to cut short his tenure.

That’s quite the contrast to the fears he had when initially requesting time off from his previous boss, who hit back with a less-than-sympathetic response.

Randy Orton has ambitions to wrestle for several years more following successful, major surgeryCredit: WWE

“If you would’ve asked me two years ago, I would have thought it would’ve been close to the end,” Orton explained.

“But I had a spinal fusion a year-and-a-half ago and that changed the game. I’d been in pain through my entire 30s. I was hurting.

“I was begging for time off when I was 35 and I think Vince’s [reply] to me was: ‘Mother nature gets us all.’

“That’s hard to hear when you’re 35 and your back hurts and you’re busting your a** for this company.”

Despite a legendary career that already boasts 14 world championship reigns with WWE, Orton still has his eyes firmly fixed on the future.

Having just turned 44, he’s keen to still be in the thick of it for a number of years yet.

He added: “There’s been some changes and now, I think instead of pushing guys and running their d**** into the ground until they fall apart, and they can’t do it anymore, there’s [a] great atmosphere to go: ‘okay, how can we make this guy last?’

And the beauty of it is-is I’m not even there yet. I feel so great after my surgery. I’m a full-time guy.

Orton credits Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque with a change of cultures in WWECredit: WWE

“I don’t want to work the part-time schedule; I want to be on the road every week, make all the TVs [television tapings], and PLEs.

“I would love to be able to go into my 50s. Maybe I’ll wrestle until I’m 50 and then call it, and that’s 30 years with the same company on top.”