Randy Orton On What Vince McMahon Called His “Oscar-Winning Moment”

Randy Orton recently made an appearance on The Ringer Wrestling Podcast to discuss his career, longevity, and what the future holds for him in the business.

The 14-time WWE World Champion delved into promos that he delivered throughout his career and how he felt, initially, that he wasn't a promo guy.

"I was never a promo guy," Orton stated. "I think I knew I was never a promo guy, and I just kind of coasted through my promos. The fact that I did that for so long like it's a little embarrassing that I didn't have more pride in my body of work. I used to get offended, like I'd hear Stone Cold Steve Austin say that I had a bad promo, you know, like 'what the hell? no, I don't,' They were passable but I think he could tell I wasn't giving it my all, and I wasn't, and I almost don't even know why. It was like I had a mental block because I knew I couldn't be as entertaining as The Rock, or I had a mental block because I knew I couldn't be as believable as an ass-kicker as Stone Cold Steve Austin."

Randy Orton explained that something clicked for him when he worked with Edge and Beth Phoenix, following the Rated R Superstar's return to the ring in 2020, and a particular promo that changed everything for him.

"I was able to make the story real," Randy Orton explained. "I was able to change some things at the Barclays Center before I had a promo with Beth Phoenix during the Edge storyline where the writers wanted me to say some stuff about how, like, it was written in Beth and Edge's will that if something happened to them, Kim, my wife Kim and I would take their children, and vice versa if something happened to Kim and myself.

"Me and him were that close that we were written into each other's will to accept responsibility for each other's children. Like, that was so far-fetched and stupid and yeah I worked with Edge, but to believe that and make that real and make those people believe that I'm really in this guy's will, like, it's bullsh*t and you know it.

"So, in ten minutes, I took a story that I hadn't thought about in fifteen, twenty years, that was true about when I first met Edge. I turned up the volume on that story just a little bit, then I went out there without anything written down, without anything memorized, and I was able to talk to Beth before we went out there, briefly, to let her know the direction I was going to make sure it didn't mess her up, or she was gonna be, because she was gonna try and get emotional I think out there if I remember correctly.

"But it was this really intense promo, and it was the best promo I ever cut. The best promo I ever cut, and when I came backstage Vince said 'that was your Oscar-winning moment' and from then on, I feel like, a lightbulb went off, and almost, each and every promo I had since then I had a little bit of confidence that I didn't have before, and it was just organically that happened."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit The Ringer Wrestling Podcast and provide an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription