Randy Orton Says His Body Is "Starting To Feel It" After Years Of RKOs
2022 will mark the 20th anniversary of Randy Orton's first match in WWE. Since that debut two decades ago, Orton has collected over a dozen world championships, two Royal Rumble match victories, and has main-evented a duo of WrestleManias.
As one of WWE's most reliable performers, Orton has rarely missed significant time due to injury. That said, he has begun to feel the 20 years of RKOs on his back.
"I jump up as high as I can, grab the guy's neck, and come crashing down to the mat. I've been doing it for a very long time and I kind of wish I could go back in time and create a finishing move that didn't entail me jumping up as high as I can and landing on my back," Orton told FOX2 Now. "After doing that a couple of thousand times over the last few decades, I'm starting to feel it."
The Apex Predator revealed maintaining his health all boils down to his conditioning.
"I'm not lifting a lot of heavy weights or anything. It's about conditioning. It's about keeping track of all the other injuries and past injuries that I have and that I'm also always kind of working through. WWE Superstars are all banged, bruised up, and working through injuries," Orton said. "I think that's one of the reasons we take so much pride in what we do. It's definitely very hard and I think sometimes our performers make it look very easy."
As one of WWE's rare third-generation performers, Randy Orton noted he's felt his family's wrestling legacy throughout his career. While he isn't making any guarantees, the Viper teased that there could be a fourth-generation Orton in a squared circle one day.
"I'm blessed. I'm 41 years old. I've been doing this for 20 years. Growing up in St. Louis, which is historically a wrestling town, being a part of the Orton family, there's a legacy there," Orton said. "And I'm in control of that legacy now. I look to my five children and their future and you know, who knows? There might be some little Ortons in the ring, you know, fourth-generation superstars in the future. Who knows?"
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit FOX2 Now with an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
Wrestling Inc.'s Dakota Cohen contributed to this article.