Randy Orton has reached a point in his career where he’s just grateful to still be able to compete.
In 2022, Orton’s wrestling career was put in serious jeopardy when he was forced to undergo double fusion surgery. He was sidelined for 18 months before finally returning in November 2023. That experience has helped Orton gain perspective and appreciate every moment that he gets to spend in the ring.
Orton stopped by The Pat McAfee Show today and addressed the remark he made this week where he said he wanted to give Tom Brady an RKO after the football legend called pro wrestling “cute.” A while ago, Orton would have allowed something like that to legitimately upset him. But now he’s just having fun and joking around.
“I’m just having fun at this stage in my career, man,” Orton said. “Especially after the injuries and the spinal fusion. There’s no one on the roster — that I’m aware of anyway — that’s had a lower lumbar fusion, let alone a double fusion. So the fact that I’m doing [anything], like, every second I’m in that ring, I am soaking it up. I’ve been doing this longer than damn near anybody. Gosh, I feel so grateful to be around. So hearing him call it ‘cute,’ like, I’m having fun. Ten, 15, 20 years ago? I would have been hot. I would have had choice words to say for Tom Brady.”
Orton said he treated his body terribly early in his career but has now become smarter about taking care of himself. He’s had a couple of conversations with rising WWE star Je’Von Evans about preserving his body. The 21-year-old Evans is capable of doing so many things, but Orton advised him not to perform all of those moves every single night.
“The in-ring work that we talked about earlier, I make sure that everything I’m doing, there’s a reason that I’m doing it. I’m not just throwing myself around,” Orton said. “I see young guys come up, and you know, they don’t hurt. Je’Von Evans, he is incredible. But I’ve had a couple talks with him, because he’s doing so many things that nobody else can do. And he just — he doesn’t need to do them all every night.”
Orton, Evans, Cody Rhodes, Trick Williams, LA Knight, and Jey Uso are competing in the men’s Elimination Chamber match this Saturday. The winner earns a WWE Championship shot against Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 42. Becoming World Champion at least one more time is a huge goal for the 45-year-old Orton.
