"I hugged that grown man as hard as I could"- Randy Orton on meeting former rival before WrestleMania 38
Randy Orton had an emotional reunion with former on-screen rival Triple H at the 2022 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony.
Randy Orton and Triple H are two of the biggest stars in WWE history. The duo have faced each other on multiple occasions, even headlining WrestleMania once.
Triple H announced his retirement from pro-wrestling mere days before WrestleMania 38. At the 2022 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony, Orton and Triple H were both in attendance. While speaking on Out Of Character, The Viper recalled meeting The Game at the Hall of Fame ceremony.
“I got to see Triple H last night and I hugged that grown man as hard as I could, and I got emotional just because of this announcement last week. We had just a few words between one another, but you don’t have forever. This is a really special close-knit group of guys and girls and this is where it’s at. To us, this is everything and you never know when it’s going to be taken away from you," said Orton. [H/T WrestlingInc]
Randy Orton made a name for himself in Triple H's Evolution stable
The Legend Killer made his main roster debut in mid-2002, but he didn't do much of note in his first few months on RAW. In early 2003, Orton became a member of Triple H's Evolution stable on WWE RAW. The faction already consisted of Triple H, Ric Flair, and Batista.
Over the next two years, Orton steadily rose through the ranks to become one of the biggest heels on the red brand. He was kicked out of Evolution after SummerSlam 2004, where he defeated Chris Benoit for the World Heavyweight title.
Orton and Triple H went on to engage in a series of heated rivalries over the next decade or so. Their most notable rivalry came on the road to WrestleMania 25 in 2009. Orton had turned into a psychotic, deranged madman by this point, and was attacking the McMahon family members one after the other.
Triple H defeated Orton in the main event of WrestleMania 25 to avenge his family and retain the WWE title.