Black Widow
04-28-2008, 04:41 PM
WWE star will seek to draw boos tonight at 1st Mariner Arena
A lot of the bad guys of pro wrestling aren't really bad guys at all. They just play them on TV.
World Wrestling Entertainment champion Randy Orton, however, says the arrogant jerk that he portrays on WWE television shows has never been that much of a stretch for him.
"I'd say there's a lot of me in that character," says Orton, one of the top stars in the scripted genre known as sports entertainment. "I've always kind of been to myself. I wouldn't say I'm a complete [jerk] in real life, but on the show I just turn the volume up."
Orton, who will wrestle in the main event of WWE's Backlash pay-per-view show tonight at 1st Mariner Arena, not only expects the sold-out crowd to shower him with jeers and vulgarities, he also welcomes it. If the fans are booing, that means he's doing a good job of being a wrestling "heel."
But as much as he embraces being a villain and loves to incite a crowd, Orton says that he does have a softer side.
Having gained a reputation - which he says is well deserved - in wrestling circles for his immaturity and attitude problems when the cameras aren't rolling, WWE's bad boy says he has settled down in the past year.
Orton, 28, got married in September. He and his wife, Samantha, are expecting the couple's first child, a daughter, in July.
"It's definitely changed me," he says of starting a family. "I have a wonderful wife that wouldn't hurt a fly, and I think a lot of that has rubbed off on me. I can't wait to be a dad, and the fact that I'm going to have a little girl - I jumped through the roof when we were at the doctor's office and he said that we were going to have a daughter."
Since getting his act together in his personal life, Orton has achieved his greatest professional success.
He has held the WWE title - the same championship that has been held by the likes of Hulk Hogan and Dwayne " The Rock" Johnson - since October, and last month he was in one of the featured matches at WrestleMania XXIV before nearly 75,000 people at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla., and millions watching on pay-per-view.
His bumpy road to wrestling stardom reads like an episode of VH1's Behind The Music, complete with trashed hotel rooms, disciplinary suspensions and even a brief stay behind bars.
Before following in his father and grandfather's footsteps by embarking on a wrestling career, Orton enlisted in the Marines. He ended up being dishonorably discharged and serving 38 days in a military prison for going AWOL on two occasions.
Orton signed with WWE when he was 20. After spending time in one of WWE's minor league federations, he debuted on WWE television shortly after turning 22.
At 24, he became the youngest WWE champion. However, his immature behavior on the road - which included allegations of harassment by female WWE co-workers - led WWE to gradually diminish his role.
"I definitely had a big head, and I'll be the first to admit that I made some bad decisions," Orton says. "But back when I was making those decisions, in my head I was doing no wrong. I was forced, more or less, to go to anger management. I was either going to make myself and everyone around me miserable, or I was going to realize that there's more than one person on this Earth. It definitely has made me a better person."
Because of injuries to several of WWE's top performers last year, the company - mostly out of necessity - gave Orton another opportunity to be the main man.
He realized he was running out of chances, and he hasn't given WWE any reason to regret its decision.
"I think I let a few people down when I was having my problems," he says. "I heard, 'Randy, pull your head out of your ' a few times from Vince [McMahon, WWE chairman]. I think I finally have, and I think that's why I'm successful right now. I'm where I'm at because I'm happy."
Despite his newfound maturity and happiness, Orton says he still has no problem channeling his inner jerk when performing, which he plans to do tonight.
"Getting under the fans' skin and [ticking] them off is what I do best," he says. "If I can get them throwing things at me, then I know I've got them."
[B]Randy Orton Extras
Here are some quotes from my interview with WWE champion Randy Orton on Friday that did not make it into the story I wrote for The Sun.
His anger issues: “I was just kind of a [jerk]. I was making myself miserable and I didn’t know it. If I was upset with the way my dinner was cooked at a restaurant, or if I was upset with the service that I was being given at an airport, I would react in a way where I wasn’t living in the moment. Being on TV and being around a lot of fans, you’re going to be in those situations every day. I had to realize that everyone has opinions and they all have the right to feel a certain way, and you have to respect that.”
People in WWE losing confidence in him due to his immaturity: “I let some people down like Triple H, who had a lot of faith in me and took me under his wing. Ric Flair would never say it, but he loved me like I was his kid and he was like a dad to me on the road. I’m sure I let him down somewhere along the way. These guys really invested a lot of time, faith and energy in me. The company invested money in me.”
Excelling in the business at a young age: “You know, I was just naturally good, so I would ride on that. I could go have a good match and not have to be 100 percent there. I didn’t have to be all warmed up and stretched out. I could go work. Early on, what you can’t be taught in this business, I just kind of picked up. I think it was probably growing up in the business and being around the people that I was around.”
[B]His future in wrestling: “I definitely see myself trying to get some longevity out of my career. I’m loyal to this company. I don’t necessarily see myself branching out and doing movies like [John] Cena, and Rock and Mr. Kennedy. I think they’re a little more well-rounded than me. When it comes to wrestling, I’m 100 percent confident in my abilities, and I see myself being in the ring as long as my body can handle it. As long as my health is good and I’m not jeopardizing my family, I see myself pushing forward and being a champion as many times as I can – being a six, seven-, eight-time world champion. I want to work with guys like Rey Mysterio, The Undertaker, Edge, and have good feuds and do entertaining stuff, and I know I’m capable of it.”
Whether his father and grandfather, both pro wrestlers, discouraged him from getting into the business: “It was more my mom. It definitely wasn’t encouraged. With my grandpa , my father [Cowboy Bob Orton] and my uncle [Barry O], they would have loved to see me get into it in their hearts, but I had my mother there. My dad was gone all the time, and the road was a lot more vigorous then. They were gone 30, 40, 50 days [at a time]. I think because of that lifestyle, my mom didn’t want me to put my family through what my dad put us through, which was just him not being around a lot. Once I got in the business and I was on TV, that’s cool for any parent. I made them proud, and my mom – I think her attitude turned around. She was happy to see me doing well. She’s a nurse, and her friends at work – my mom would call me and say, ‘I need 10 autographed pictures.’ Now she’s a little superstar at work because her son’s on TV. I think my mom just thinks it’s cool now.”
[B]The fatal four-way at Backlash: “I think it’s definitely going to be a long, grueling match. We’ve got four of the top performers in the business right now – on Raw, anyway – fighting it out. We’re going to be like a bunch of caged dogs going at it. I see some banged-up bodies and bruises following the match. I definitely see no one getting along. A lot of times in a four-way match like that you see guys taking sides and taking out a guy, but I see it being every man for himself from bell to bell. It’s definitely going to be a fight, but I’m confident in my abilities. Anything can happen, but I’m confident that I am going to remain the WWE champion.”
baltimoresun.com
A lot of the bad guys of pro wrestling aren't really bad guys at all. They just play them on TV.
World Wrestling Entertainment champion Randy Orton, however, says the arrogant jerk that he portrays on WWE television shows has never been that much of a stretch for him.
"I'd say there's a lot of me in that character," says Orton, one of the top stars in the scripted genre known as sports entertainment. "I've always kind of been to myself. I wouldn't say I'm a complete [jerk] in real life, but on the show I just turn the volume up."
Orton, who will wrestle in the main event of WWE's Backlash pay-per-view show tonight at 1st Mariner Arena, not only expects the sold-out crowd to shower him with jeers and vulgarities, he also welcomes it. If the fans are booing, that means he's doing a good job of being a wrestling "heel."
But as much as he embraces being a villain and loves to incite a crowd, Orton says that he does have a softer side.
Having gained a reputation - which he says is well deserved - in wrestling circles for his immaturity and attitude problems when the cameras aren't rolling, WWE's bad boy says he has settled down in the past year.
Orton, 28, got married in September. He and his wife, Samantha, are expecting the couple's first child, a daughter, in July.
"It's definitely changed me," he says of starting a family. "I have a wonderful wife that wouldn't hurt a fly, and I think a lot of that has rubbed off on me. I can't wait to be a dad, and the fact that I'm going to have a little girl - I jumped through the roof when we were at the doctor's office and he said that we were going to have a daughter."
Since getting his act together in his personal life, Orton has achieved his greatest professional success.
He has held the WWE title - the same championship that has been held by the likes of Hulk Hogan and Dwayne " The Rock" Johnson - since October, and last month he was in one of the featured matches at WrestleMania XXIV before nearly 75,000 people at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla., and millions watching on pay-per-view.
His bumpy road to wrestling stardom reads like an episode of VH1's Behind The Music, complete with trashed hotel rooms, disciplinary suspensions and even a brief stay behind bars.
Before following in his father and grandfather's footsteps by embarking on a wrestling career, Orton enlisted in the Marines. He ended up being dishonorably discharged and serving 38 days in a military prison for going AWOL on two occasions.
Orton signed with WWE when he was 20. After spending time in one of WWE's minor league federations, he debuted on WWE television shortly after turning 22.
At 24, he became the youngest WWE champion. However, his immature behavior on the road - which included allegations of harassment by female WWE co-workers - led WWE to gradually diminish his role.
"I definitely had a big head, and I'll be the first to admit that I made some bad decisions," Orton says. "But back when I was making those decisions, in my head I was doing no wrong. I was forced, more or less, to go to anger management. I was either going to make myself and everyone around me miserable, or I was going to realize that there's more than one person on this Earth. It definitely has made me a better person."
Because of injuries to several of WWE's top performers last year, the company - mostly out of necessity - gave Orton another opportunity to be the main man.
He realized he was running out of chances, and he hasn't given WWE any reason to regret its decision.
"I think I let a few people down when I was having my problems," he says. "I heard, 'Randy, pull your head out of your ' a few times from Vince [McMahon, WWE chairman]. I think I finally have, and I think that's why I'm successful right now. I'm where I'm at because I'm happy."
Despite his newfound maturity and happiness, Orton says he still has no problem channeling his inner jerk when performing, which he plans to do tonight.
"Getting under the fans' skin and [ticking] them off is what I do best," he says. "If I can get them throwing things at me, then I know I've got them."
[B]Randy Orton Extras
Here are some quotes from my interview with WWE champion Randy Orton on Friday that did not make it into the story I wrote for The Sun.
His anger issues: “I was just kind of a [jerk]. I was making myself miserable and I didn’t know it. If I was upset with the way my dinner was cooked at a restaurant, or if I was upset with the service that I was being given at an airport, I would react in a way where I wasn’t living in the moment. Being on TV and being around a lot of fans, you’re going to be in those situations every day. I had to realize that everyone has opinions and they all have the right to feel a certain way, and you have to respect that.”
People in WWE losing confidence in him due to his immaturity: “I let some people down like Triple H, who had a lot of faith in me and took me under his wing. Ric Flair would never say it, but he loved me like I was his kid and he was like a dad to me on the road. I’m sure I let him down somewhere along the way. These guys really invested a lot of time, faith and energy in me. The company invested money in me.”
Excelling in the business at a young age: “You know, I was just naturally good, so I would ride on that. I could go have a good match and not have to be 100 percent there. I didn’t have to be all warmed up and stretched out. I could go work. Early on, what you can’t be taught in this business, I just kind of picked up. I think it was probably growing up in the business and being around the people that I was around.”
[B]His future in wrestling: “I definitely see myself trying to get some longevity out of my career. I’m loyal to this company. I don’t necessarily see myself branching out and doing movies like [John] Cena, and Rock and Mr. Kennedy. I think they’re a little more well-rounded than me. When it comes to wrestling, I’m 100 percent confident in my abilities, and I see myself being in the ring as long as my body can handle it. As long as my health is good and I’m not jeopardizing my family, I see myself pushing forward and being a champion as many times as I can – being a six, seven-, eight-time world champion. I want to work with guys like Rey Mysterio, The Undertaker, Edge, and have good feuds and do entertaining stuff, and I know I’m capable of it.”
Whether his father and grandfather, both pro wrestlers, discouraged him from getting into the business: “It was more my mom. It definitely wasn’t encouraged. With my grandpa , my father [Cowboy Bob Orton] and my uncle [Barry O], they would have loved to see me get into it in their hearts, but I had my mother there. My dad was gone all the time, and the road was a lot more vigorous then. They were gone 30, 40, 50 days [at a time]. I think because of that lifestyle, my mom didn’t want me to put my family through what my dad put us through, which was just him not being around a lot. Once I got in the business and I was on TV, that’s cool for any parent. I made them proud, and my mom – I think her attitude turned around. She was happy to see me doing well. She’s a nurse, and her friends at work – my mom would call me and say, ‘I need 10 autographed pictures.’ Now she’s a little superstar at work because her son’s on TV. I think my mom just thinks it’s cool now.”
[B]The fatal four-way at Backlash: “I think it’s definitely going to be a long, grueling match. We’ve got four of the top performers in the business right now – on Raw, anyway – fighting it out. We’re going to be like a bunch of caged dogs going at it. I see some banged-up bodies and bruises following the match. I definitely see no one getting along. A lot of times in a four-way match like that you see guys taking sides and taking out a guy, but I see it being every man for himself from bell to bell. It’s definitely going to be a fight, but I’m confident in my abilities. Anything can happen, but I’m confident that I am going to remain the WWE champion.”
baltimoresun.com