Randy Orton was pulled out in his match against Bray Wyatt at Backlash due to health concerns. The latest rumors suggest that Orton still has a concussion he suffered during his match against Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam.
Several hours before Backlash on Sunday, reports surfaced that The Viper will not be facing Wyatt. It was later confirmed by the WWE when The Eater of Worlds attacked Orton backstage to write him off their match.
According to Cageside Seats, Orton was not cleared for his match that is why he got pulled from the event. It is also noted that he could miss his rematch against Lesnar later this month at a live event in Chicago, Illinois.
However, it is very baffling that Orton got physical backstage while taking a beating from Wyatt. He also executed the RKO, his finisher that requires the back and the head to hit the mat. It might not be the best way to heal from a concussion.
The WWE has been really cautious about head injuries ever since the Chris Benoit tragedy and they formed a partnership with Chris Nowinski's Concussion Legacy Foundation. They have also introduced imPACT testing that measures the effects of a concussion.
If a WWE superstar does not pass the test, he or she will not get cleared to wrestle. Several reports indicated after SummerSlam that Orton passed his imPACT testing which made WWE schedule and advertise his match against Wyatt.
In the latest episode of the Wrestling Observer Radio (subscription required), Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez think that Orton was not suffering from a concussion. They added that the WWE doctors probably did not clear him to wrestler due to the staples in his head.
Orton was busted open the hard way at SummerSlam in his match against Lesnar. The finish of the match was very controversial since many fans did not know if it was planned or The Beast went real against his opponent.
Lesnar used a nasty, hard elbow shot to Orton's head to bust him open. The cut was really huge and it needed ten staples to close the cut. It is still visible in the past couple of weeks and on Sunday so it might be the reason why he did not get clearance.
Nevertheless, the WWE will not let their superstars wrestle injured which means Orton is cleared for physical contact. It is expected that The Viper will continue his feud against Wyatt. Check out the video below to see Wyatt's attack on Orton before Backlash.