WWE superstar Randy Orton recently sat down with Bill Apter at a Southern Illinois Championship Wrestling (SICW) event, where he shared insightful stories about his journey to becoming one of WWE’s all-time greats. Orton’s conversation with Apter was a nostalgic trip down memory lane, as he spoke about the significant influence his father, Bob Orton Jr., had on his in-ring style and career.
As a third-generation wrestler, Orton’s roots in the wrestling business run deep. His father, Bob Orton Jr., was a renowned wrestler who competed in various promotions, including the AWA, NJPW, NWA, and WWE (then known as WWF). The elder Orton’s impressive career was capped off with an induction into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005. Randy Orton credits his father’s guidance and watching old tapes of his matches as instrumental in shaping his own wrestling style.
Orton revealed that his father’s advice to him when he started his wrestling career was simple yet profound. “He told me, ‘Just be yourself, kid,'” Orton recalled. This advice, combined with watching his father’s matches and studying legendary wrestlers like Harley Race, Ric Flair, and Tito Santana, helped Orton develop his unique in-ring style.
The SmackDown star praised his father’s exceptional ability to sell offense from his opponents, a skill that Orton believes remains unmatched even today. “His selling was better than everybody’s, and even to this day is better than everybody’s,” Orton said. Orton’s own career has been marked by 14 world title wins, cementing his status as one of WWE’s all-time greats.
In addition to sharing stories about his father’s influence, Orton also reflected on the challenges he faced in his own career, including a career-threatening back injury in 2022 that almost led to his retirement. However, Orton’s perseverance and dedication to the sport have allowed him to continue entertaining WWE fans around the world.
As Bob Orton Jr. was recently inducted into the St. Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame, Randy Orton’s conversation with Bill Apter serves as a poignant reminder of the enduring legacy of wrestling’s greatest families. With his father’s guidance and the influence of wrestling legends, Randy Orton has forged his own path to become one of WWE’s most beloved and respected superstars.
