"He could tell that I had those nerves" - Randy Orton speaks on former WWE star that helped him during his early days
One-half of the WWE RAW Tag Team Champions Randy Orton recently spoke about how Hardcore Holly groomed him during his early days in the business.
Orton debuted in WWE against Bob Holly on April 25, 2002 on an episode of SmackDown. The Viper picked up a win in that match and continued to feud with the WWE veteran over the next few months on the blue brand.
Speaking on a special episode of The Bump commemorating Orton week, the third-generation superstar recalled how Hardcore Holly helped him become a better performer in his early years. He noted that Holly picked up on his nervousness and tried to help him.
"Well, with Bob, I think the main thing I learned was just kind of how to carry myself in the ring," said Orton. "He was a tough customer, right? So when he came down to the ring, you knew that your hands were going to be full with this guy," Randy said. "When I would come down to the ring, he could tell that I had those nerves. He could see in my eyes that maybe I wasn't as confident myself as I needed to be for the job at hand." (From 4:45 - 5:17)
Orton also shed light on how Holly also coached him on in-ring psychology.
"When you got a green guy, brand new guy coming to the ring and he's a little nervous and if the camera gets a hint of that, the fans pick up on that," Orton continued. "Bob let me in on that little secret." (From 5:49 - 6:00)
You can watch the full interview here:
Randy Orton celebrated 20 years in WWE this week on RAW
Riddle kicked off this week's RAW marking the 20-year anniversary of Randy Orton in the company. The Viper delivered an emotional speech and shared a moment of mutual respect with Cody Rhodes.
However, the celebrations broke down into chaos as Seth Rollins, Ezekiel, Kevin Owens and The Usos crowded the ring. WWE Official Adam Pearce subsequently made a huge eight-man Tag Team match for the main event. Orton and his team emerged victorious after The Viper delivered a series of RKOs on his opponents.
There's no legacy quite like @RandyOrton's.
20 unforgettable years and counting. #ThankYouOrton
#WWERaw https://t.co/srEXEhlbzZ
RK-Bro is now focused on defeating The Usos in the Tag Team Championship Unification match at WrestleMania Backlash.
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