Robert Roode Undergoes Major Surgery

Veteran WWE superstar Robert Roode underwent neck fusion surgery this week and is now on the road to recovery toward his potential in-ring return.

Roode took to Instagram to share an uplifting post-surgery update, through which he thanked his doctors and his wife while stressing that was "looking forward to the challenge" of resuming his pro wrestling career.

"Big thank you to Dr. Andy Cordover and his amazing staff at @andrews_sports_medicine and St Vincent's Hospital in Birmingham Alabama," Roode wrote. "C5/6 fusion is complete. Now the work begins. Recovery and Rehabilitation. Looking forward to the challenge 💪Thanks @deneane__17 😘❤️ You're the best."

While responding to the post, scores of WWE superstars and other wrestlers from around the world sent out their best wishes to Roode. 

Back in September, Roode revealed he underwent a medical procedure at the same hospital in Birmingham, Alabama, but didn't provide any further details on the procedure. Subsequently, Roode was backstage for the November 11 episode of "WWE SmackDown" in Indianapolis, and a follow-up report from Fightful Select noted that Roode was getting closer to an in-ring return. Furthermore, Roode also participated in a photoshoot featuring WWE superstars supporting their teams in the ongoing FIFA World Cup, which led many to believe that the veteran wrestler was nearing a comeback to the squared circle. 

One can assume that Roode's issues flared up again, which required him to undergo neck fusion surgery. The typical recovery time for a pro wrestler to return from said surgery is between 9-12 months depending on several factors. In the past, the likes of Steve Austin (2000), Chris Benoit (2001), Edge (2002), Tyson Kidd (2015), Nikki Bella (2016), Tomasso Ciampa (2019) and Trent Beretta (2021) underwent neck/spinal fusion surgeries and were sidelined for significant periods of time. Kidd was forced to retire following his surgery.