In the world of pro wrestling, opinions about Vince McMahon are often divided. But Randy Orton has made it clear that he won’t criticize him.
Vince McMahon’s legacy is complicated. He has faced many controversies over the years, including serious allegations and legal issues that forced his departure from WWE in 2024.
However, Orton recently explained why he still respects his former boss.
Randy Orton explains his stance on Vince McMahon
Before WrestleMania 42, Orton spoke in an interview with The Schmo. The topic came up during a discussion about wrestling’s “Mount Rushmore” of father-son duos. Names like Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio, Ric Flair and Charlotte Flair, and Dusty Rhodes with his sons were mentioned.
When someone in the crowd brought up Vince and Shane McMahon, Orton didn’t say anything negative. Instead, he talked about how much Vince helped his career. Orton said he wouldn’t be where he is today if Vince hadn’t given him multiple chances early on.
“Vince and Shane? I can’t say anything bad about either one of those guys, man. I would not be here today if Vince wouldn’t give me a second, third, fourth, and fifth chance,” Orton said.
A big reason for that respect is Vince’s role in protecting Orton’s finisher, the RKO. At first, the Viper used a move called the O-Zone, but it didn’t stand out. Things changed when he started using the RKO, which became his signature. Orton said Vince made sure the RKO stayed special.
“It’s funny because that RKO is everything. Vince had a huge hand to play because when I would be wrestling somebody, and I was younger, they would want to kick out of my finish. Vince would pull me aside and say, ‘We’re not going to do that. We’re not going to let that happen.’ I’ll never hit a guy with three RKOs to cover him and pin him. I’m not going to dilute my finish. That is always going to be a kill shot, and I can hit it out of nowhere. And Vince has a huge part to play when it comes to my finish, and that’s a huge part of being a WWE superstar. What’s your finishing move?” Orton revealed.
That approach helped the RKO become one of the most famous moves in wrestling. Its sudden “outta nowhere” style became a huge part of Orton’s character.
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