Randy Orton Speaks - WWE PG, Travel, Heel, & More
In a recent interview with MSN TV, Randy Orton discussed travel, WWE PG, the RKO and more. Some highlights:
On WWE's travel schedule: It's hard. Any of us with family, it's hard to be away so much. But the toughest part of travel is that it's harder on your body than performing in the ring. Renting cars, driving 1,000 miles a week — which is what we average — the airports, which is five or six times a week ... it's tough. If you have a couple of good books and a computer, you can get through it. But with us taking all of the falls we do in the ring and landing on our back, dozens of times a night, all year round, and then sitting in a rental car or an airplane after a show, that is really the hardest part. You aren't really able to wind down and get flat. There is no time to recover. The most important things when taking care of yourself, if you're a body-builder or anybody in fitness, is diet, training and recovery. We have the diet down. We can make do with McDonald's all day and figure out what's healthy and get by. We all get to the gym. But we can't recover, so we're missing one of the key elements to keep your body in tip-top condition, and that is why we get hurt.
On being a heel: I am one of those guys, too, like Edge and Hunter, who wanted to be a heel forever. In my mind, as far as how I act, I still am and always will be. It doesn't matter whether I am heel or babyface, I'll still be the same character ... unless they put a mask on me [Laughs]. I've kind of worked myself into a corner, but I see it as a good thing. I got lucky. I am myself, I am Randy Orton. The only downfall is people see me on the street and think I'm a prick. [Laughs]. I'm not! I swear! For some reason, I'm able to come across as screwed-up in the head. It's turned out to be what I'm good at. But as a babyface, I'm still that same guy. It's weird to even say that, because I don't even feel like a babyface.
On how much input wrestlers have in storylines: Well, it's no secret that we have writers. Those writers have to get with us, and they want feedback. Anything that we come up with, they will twist it so it comes off as their original idea, just like any good writer would want to do. From A-Z, as far a story goes, you can say whatever you want, any ideas you have. You can help as much or as little as you want. Whether or not they respond or it goes the way you want it to go, that's not up to you at all.
On WWE PG: At first, I wasn't very happy with the idea. I had just gotten used to that style and the way the story lines were going. But now being a father and keeping an eye on what is on the television, I can totally understand that it's better for business and better for our fans, too. We have a lot of young viewers, and it's better all across the board to be PG. There are going to be some people, some older fans, that are upset with that. Well, they can go somewhere else and get their blood. They can watch a 60-year-old man bleed all over each other, if they want. That's fine. We'll be displaying other things on our show. You don't need to bleed on somebody to have a good match. We've proven that.
On where he came up with the RKO: Well, if you ask Diamond Dallas Page that, he'd say I called him for permission and he granted me permission to use that. Because, you know, you got to ask "permission" from old-timers before you use their move, for Christ's sakes. Anyway, that's not what happened ... I wanted a move that I could hit anybody with, no matter how short, how tall, how fat, whatever. I can hit the Big Show with the RKO. I can hit Rey Mysterio with the RKO. John Laurinaitis, Johnny Ace, used to use the Ace Crusher, which was pretty much the Diamond Cutter, which is where DDP got it. So Johnny Ace is pretty much my boss, besides Vince, and he was helping me out six or seven years ago. He said, "Hell, Randy, why don't you just use the Ace Crusher?" I said, "What in the hell is that?" And I started playing with it. It's a variation of a cutter, but I think the key is I can do it to everybody. With the injuries I had sustained so early in my career, this didn't involve power-bombing a guy after a 30-minute match, you know, having to get a 300-pound guy up on my shoulders. I just jump up, grab his neck and fall. The only time it sucks is when I have to do it on the concrete or the steel grate. That's not a lot of fun.