Randy Orton was the guest on E&C’s Pod of Awesomeness this week. Orton is a good friend of both Edge and Christian and rarely makes media appearances. This set the groundwork for an insightful listen.
On maintaining the physique traditionally required of a professional wrestler:
“It’s a chore to go to the gym anymore and to watch what I’m eating. When I was younger, I could eat whatever I wanted; it didn’t matter. Now that I’m getting close to 40, I can tell my metabolism is slowing down, and I have to try a little harder. We all know how that goes for me, trying hard (laughs), I don’t want to do that too much. But I’ve got to, because I’m stuck wearing the Randy Orton outfit that I started wearing fifteen years ago with the little trunks, the traditional trunks. I would have loved nothing more to have just joined the Wyatt’s for the rest of my career and wear blue jeans and a dirty tank top, that would’ve been great.
“I’m always yo-yoing up and down. You can tell when I’ve been on a two week overseas tour and I’ve lost, like, 20 lbs., or if I’ve been off for a couple weeks and I’ve gained 20 lbs. It’s stressful. I guess Kevin Owens has it figured out. He started fat and he’ll finish fat. He’s trying to get himself over as the fat guy who can fight. Bless his heart. That’s great. I’m jealous.
“With this last injury, I was out for almost nine months and I didn’t tan, I didn’t shave, I didn’t train, I ate like s**t. When I came back, I don’t think it’s as bad as it really is, but when I put on my gear and it’s busting at the seams and I haven’t had it on in nine months and I’m pale as a ghost. It’s nerve-racking. It’s the s**t nightmares are made of, seriously. It takes a second to get back into the groove and realize ‘This is what I do for a living, I wrestle other men half-naked on live television,’ so we just gotta suck it up and do it because I’ve got bills to pay.”
On his program with Christian in 2011:
“I’ll tell you what, dude, one of my favorite f**king runs with a guy. The story was so cool. The way that the title changed hands back and forth, the amount of time we were able to have for each match. I’ve got to give credit where credit’s due. I don’t know what it is with you Canadians, but you guys can put together some f**king stuff man. It’s amazing. Making me do things in and out of my own maneuvers, making me work for it; the RKO on the stairs that we did during that group of matches. Just all those little spots, man. Eighty to ninety percent of the ideas were (Christian’s) and I will always admit that. If it wasn’t for (Christian), I wouldn’t be here. That run in 2011 really, really helped me out in many aspects. Confidence in the ring, just everything. Even in that period late in my career, I didn’t have the most confidence, I’d be down on myself sometimes. You guys were always really good about talking me up. I appreciate everything you guys have done for me, but especially (Christian) in 2011. That was just some of the most fun I’ve had in the ring.”
In regards to working with and receiving advice from veterans like Edge and Christian in the early stages of his career:
“You (guys) being like that with me, it’s helped me now later in my career where I’m in that position you guys were in where I can help guys. Like, Aiden English. I got a chance a month or two ago to do a real small thing with him. I won with the RKO. It wasn’t the main story and it was leading into something else, but he got a nice little rub from that match because of how I sold for him. Then this past week, I got to work with him again, and again it wasn’t about me and him, it was about me and Rusev. But I was able to give him a great set of heat on me, have him reverse out of some stuff that no one’s ever seen anyone do to me before, and he got his s**t in, basically. He was very appreciative and thankful, and I could tell he knew that I was trying my best to give him as much as I could given the circumstances. I’m only like that because of guys like (Edge & Christian).
“It’s like being bullied when you’re in school. You know what’s right, you know what’s wrong, you know how to treat people when you’re put in that same position. Instead of being a bully, you have open arms and you talk to them, you’re kind. It was the same kind of thing where I saw how I needed to be later in my career when I had the power to help guys, and I find myself in those shoes now. It’s very rewarding to work with newer guys.
“By the time my contract is up in 3 or 4 years, and I resign, I can say ‘Ok, I’ve made this guy, and this guy, and this guy. So Instead of taking me to Europe for two weeks away from my family on this tour, I’m going to stay home, and you can take them.’ That’s my goal. To get up enough guys that are over that can travel the world while I sit at home, and I can come in and do TV’s, do PPV’s and just continue to help the business.”
To listen to the full episode, check out E&C’s Pod of Awesomeness.
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