"Very giving to me in that match" - Randy Orton recalls how WWE Hall of Famer put him over in SmackDown encounter
WWE Superstar Randy Orton recently spoke about his first match with The Undertaker on SmackDown.
Orton debuted in WWE on April 25, 2002. Since then, The Apex Predator has been a dominant force in the company, as he has won 14 World Championships. Orton has also won two Royal Rumble Matches, three Tag Team Championships, and a Money in the Bank ladder match during his illustrious career.
WWE released an exclusive interview with The Viper on The Bump to celebrate Orton's 20 years in WWE. The Apex Predator recalled his first encounter with The Deadman inside the squared circle. Orton mentioned that The Undertaker was very giving in that bout and did his best to put him over with the fans.
"Yeah, that really was amazing. That was during the American Badass days," Orton said. "Undertaker was very giving to me in that match. I like looking back at that and it reminds me of how a guy of his stature put it all out there and did everything he could for me on that SmackDown that night. And he didn't have to do that, is my point. He did not have to take a hip toss and an arm drag from Randy Orton. He was The Undertaker, the American Badass. He was the man and still is the man. And the fact that he left me to bounce around that ring like that, that spoke a lot, that said a lot about his respect for me as a performer, his respect for my father as a performer, it goes all the way back to that." (From 6:19 - 7:17)
You can watch the full interview here:
Randy Orton expressed his gratitude to the fans on social media
The third-generation superstar recently took to Twitter to express his gratitude for the outporing of support from the WWE Universe. In the tweet, Orton mentioned that he was humbled by the posts and messages.
Feels weird to “celebrate” myself, but throughout the week I’ve read your messages and posts and am truly humbled.
A wild 20-year ride with much, much more to come. #WWERaw #OrtonWeek twitter.com/wwe/status/151…
This week on RAW, WWE will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of Randy Orton's debut. RK-Bro will look to continue their celebrations next month when they take on The Usos in a Tag Team Championship Unification Match at WrestleMania Backlash.
Will The Viper add another accolade to his glorious career? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
While using the quotes from this article, please credit The Bump and add a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling.