Amidst rumors of him leaving to join AEW when his contract expires, WWE was able to lock up one of their major stars.

There was a great deal of speculation Randy Orton was potentially ready to jump ship from WWE and head to AEW. But, despite rumors WWE might lose a major star, according to a PWInsider report, Orton has signed a new multi-year contract with WWE.

Locking the 39-year-old into a new deal had to be considered a big priority for WWE. And, doing so amidst some controversy WWE was having issues with current talent after Crown Jewel is ideal timing. To many, Orton was being viewed as a huge loss for Vince McMahon's sports entertainment brand as Orton had been using social media to tease the idea of a jump to the competition.

As recently as two weeks ago, Orton was posting photos on Instagram standing next to an"Elite" sign. Fans immediately took that to mean he was thinking about leaving. Not long after, Orton and The Revival had back-and-forth social media interactions that they might be ready to jump ship when their contracts came due, likely with the expectations they’d get a chance to work together if they had their choice. Finally, recent reports suggested Orton had been very open with WWE about potentially leaving for AEW.

Instead, Orton is sticking it out with WWE and the only speculation left will be if The Revival follow suit.

WWE Avoids A Big Free Agent Loss

Having Orton head to AEW wasn’t something WWE would have wanted. And, whether all these teases was Orton just gaining leverage during negotiations or he was actually thinking about leaving the only wrestling promotion he's ever known, may never be revealed. Fortunately, WWE won't have to hear about a huge star leaving anytime soon.

This is also likely a big win for WWE in terms of how other stars may view the company. If Orton was thinking about leaving and chose to stay, talent on the fence may follow by example.

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