Randy Orton Discusses His WM XXV Match, His Current Title Run, Manu, More

Posted by Larry Csonka on 05.14.2009

The Legend Killer speaks!

- The UK SUN recently interviewed Randy Orton, here are the highlights:

On His WrestleMania XXV Match with HHH: "This was a storyline where Triple H needed retribution. He needed to beat the living p*** out of me because of what I did. I handcuffed him and made him watch while I beat up his wife and then kissed her while she was unconscious. Then to top it off after I do that, I knock him out with a sledgehammer to the head. I kick his father-in-law in the skull and put him in the hospital, and do the same to his brother-in-law. I think when all that happens and then you have this match where he can't be disqualified or he loses the title, you kind of screw yourself. We were not able to do everything that the other guys were able to do. Matt and Jeff Hardy had a hardcore no-holds-barred match. They were able to use all the bells and whistles to beat the hell out of each other. Everyone was expecting Triple H and I to do the same, but we had rules that put a fence around everything we were able to do. We weren't able to go to the extreme. If anything hurt us, it was that."

On His Current Title Run: "The older and more mature I've become in the business, the more responsibility I'm able to carry in being champion and representing the company. This is going to be where I make my name and I cement myself in history. I've already done that in a lot of ways – becoming the youngest champ of all time, being in an Evolution, being a third-generation competitor, headlining WrestleMania. But I think this title run is going to be what makes Randy Orton."

On Manu: "Manu had some respect issues. There are a lot of different reasons he wasn't good for Legacy, but the reason he's not with the company anymore had a lot to do with his backstage attitude. His father was the great Afa, of the Wild Samoans, and Manu had been in the ring since his early teens. Now, in his early 20s, technically he's been in the ring for more than a decade - but not really. Really he'd only been in the business a month by the time I knew him. He carried himself like he had been in the business for 15 years. He thought he knew everything. He thought he deserved a first-class seat when we went overseas. He thought he didn't have to pick up in the lockeroom after the show was over, like the new guys do. He didn't feel like he had to pay his dues, because he'd already paid them. What he doesn't understand is that wrestling once a week for 10 years doesn't count. "

On WWE Creating New Stars: Anywhere you go in this business, there is always that need to recruit and create talent. WWE has a farm system down in Florida, FCW, where they have 50-60 guys at any given time. There are lots of second generations down there. Mike Rotunda's sons are up and comers, they will be debuting soon I'm sure. Harry Smith has been up, he's been back, he's been up – he was a potential fourth member of Legacy for a while and I can see him being part of our group in the future. We need these young guys and new guys to be tutored to one day be the top-level performers in our company – because people get old or get hurt.

- You can check out the full interview here.