What was Vince McMahon's unbelievable reaction to Randy Orton's serious request? Exploring what happened
Vince McMahon has had the pleasure of working with many wrestlers, and he has a mutual respect for a fair few of them, including Randy Orton. The Viper made his debut under the leadership of Vince McMahon and earned the latter's respect through his stellar work. However, there was a time when Randy made a serious request to him but received an unbelievable reaction.
At the age of 44, Randy Orton is no spring chicken. He has had his fair share of bumps and bruises, and there have been stretches during his storied career when he has not stepped into the ring. The Viper has struggled with back issues during the past decade, and nearly nine years ago, he requested Vince McMahon for a relaxed schedule. In response, McMahon told him that ''Mother Nature gets us all!''
Speaking to Sportskeeda Wrestling's Senior Editor Bill Apter, Randy Orton revealed that McMahon shot down his request for a break and told him, ''I need you on those shows!''
"I came to him [Vince McMahon] when I was 35, and my back really started going, and I pleaded with him, like, 'Man, I gotta not do as many shows. Maybe do half the tour and be able to recover!' And he just looked at me and was like, 'I need you on those shows, Randy! Mother Nature gets us all!'" Randy revealed. [3:51 – 4:08]
Randy Orton is happy to have Vince McMahon out of WWE
While Randy Orton does have a lot of respect for Vince McMahon, he was happy to be entering the new era without him. In the same interview with Bill Apter, The Viper gave his thoughts on the new era led by Triple H and what life was like without the former WWE Chairman.
The Apex Predator stated that he was grateful for all the opportunities he was handed, but it was nice having Mr. McMahon out of the hot seat. The former WWE Champion also heaped high praise on Chief Content Officer and former rival Triple H for running things smoothly. Additionally, Randy praised the work of WWE President Nick Khan.
Meanwhile, Randy suffered an unfortunate defeat at the hands of Gunther in the final of the 2024 King of the Ring tournament. It will be interesting to see if The Viper confronts The Ring General in the coming weeks.