WWE legend confirms he was responsible for convincing Vince McMahon to sign Randy Orton
A WWE legend recently praised Randy Orton and revealed how he convinced Vince McMahon to sign the third-generation star. The legend in question is none other than Jim Ross.
Randy Orton was brought into WWE as part of Ohio Valley Wrestling. He trained alongside top names like John Cena, Brock Lesnar, Batista, and Shelton Benjamin. Orton later joined the Evolution faction, which gave him the boost he needed to succeed in the Stamford-based promotion. The Legend Killer is now a 14-time WWE World Champion and is still performing at a high level.
On his Grilling JR podcast, the AEW commentator revealed that he had a hard time convincing McMahon to sign Randy Orton because of his history with the Marines. He also praised The Viper for being consistent and thriving in the global juggernaut.
"Randy has been around long enough now to where it's hard for him to do things or not. That's not surprising. He's just consistent as hell, you know. I had to really talk long and hard to get Vince to sign him because he was dishonorably discharged from the Marines back in the day. So he's had a wonderful career. And he's made a lot of money, which I'm very happy for. [He’s] done a great job. So we'll see."
JR further speculated that Randy Orton would stay with WWE till the end of his career and praised how the promotion had booked him thus far.
"He's a lifer there. WWE is lucky to have him because he can still go out and have that great match when he wants to. And I love his game. He's over. And when you get somebody over, all you want to do is build on that. And I think they're doing a nice job of not overexposing Randy." [H/T: Wrestling News.co]
WWE Champion Cody Rhodes wants to renew his rivalry with Randy Orton
Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton share a storied history. In 2009, The Viper led the Legacy faction, which consisted of Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr. Orton and Rhodes also engaged in a brief feud in WWE after the group disbanded.
At the post-Backlash France press conference, The American Nightmare revealed that he would like to face Randy Orton again. Rhodes said he wanted to see who would prevail in his potential showdown against the veteran.
"One of the gentlemen who was in the ring with me was a huge part of me even being here today. There are multiple who were part of me being here today but somebody who legitimately took me under his wing, put me in his faction and again, you kinda want to find out. I know 10 years ago Randy Orton could wipe the floor with me but I wonder what it looks like today. Feels like it's a first-time-ever [match] today and I mean that with the utmost respect to somebody who got me to where I am today." [23:19 - 23:50]
Randy Orton has seemingly been eyeing the Undisputed WWE Title. He attempted to secure a shot at the gold by participating in the 2024 King of the Ring Tournament. However, he lost to Gunther in the final. It will be interesting to see when The Legend Killer finally locks horns with The American Nightmare.