WWE Legend Reveals Why Randy Orton Was Disliked Earlier In His Career
Randy Orton has grown into somewhat of an enigma in WWE.
A loyalist of the Stamford promotion, Orton was brought on the company’s main roster in 2002, briefly serving as a babyface on SmackDown.
He joined the Evolution stable, comprising Triple H, Ric Flair, and Batista, after being drafted to Raw. The group was a menace, known for producing some of the best heel works at the time.
Orton himself became a self-centered and narcissistic character, picking up some of the biggest rivalries along the way.
He is also the youngest male wrestler to win a WWE World Championship when he defeated Chris Benoit at the 2004 SummerSlam as a 24-year-old.
The highest point in Randy Orton’s life also brought him notoriety for his backstage shenanigans. Soon, he became disliked by many behind the scenes.
On a recent episode of the Road Trip AFTER HOURS podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long revealed why Orton was not liked early on in his career.
Maven Huffman: People give Randy a hard time for how he was back in the day.
Teddy Long: Well, he just spoke the truth. That’s why they didn’t like him, because he spoke the truth. [20:11 onwards]
Randy Orton Feels Lucky To Have A Job In WWE
Since making his WWE debut in 2002, Randy Orton has emerged as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.
He is a 14-time World Champion and one of the several Grand Slam Champions in the company.
While appearing on the What’s Your Story? With Stephanie McMahon podcast, the 45-year-old revisited his early days in the promotion, admitting that he feels lucky to still have a job.
I think that, like I said, I feel like I’m lucky to be here. There were so many times where I feel like if it could have been any other day of the week that would have been it, you know what I mean? As far as my career goes…I was an a**hole back in the day, and still can be.