Black Widow
04-10-2007, 08:48 AM
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Randy Orton and Samantha Sbeno met at Westport Plaza's Margarita Mama's. Neither one had wanted to go out that night, but both were talked into it by friends and roommates.
(Becca Young/P-D)
Randy, who turns 27 on Sunday, is the superstar heavyweight Legend Killer of World Wrestling Entertainment. Looming at 6-foot-5 and weighing 250 pounds, he's slammed and smacked his way to South Korea and Finland.
Samantha ("Sam"), 25 and a sleek 5-foot-6 and 120 pounds, teaches gymnastics part time. Randy's fiancιe and soulmate, she'll walk down the aisle with him this fall.
While arrogant in the ring, Randy says he's basically shy. The night he met Samantha, he'd broken his foot wrestling, and a buddy dragged him to a bar. Randy spotted Samantha, hopped over and asked for her phone number. After resisting, she said: "If you can memorize it, you can call me." He did, on both counts.
Randy graduated from Hazelwood Central High School, class of 1998. Samantha is a Francis Howell North High School alum, class of 2000.
Their house is on country club grounds in High Ridge. It's 10 years old and has four decks and a hot tub and a lower-level gym. The couple moved in five months ago.
Who did the decorating?
Randy We kept a couple of the original colors, but Sam has to take the credit for most things.
Samantha My family helped me. Randy and I signed the papers on the house, and then he went to Mexico. He came back to a completely decorated house.
Is this the lifestyle you imagined?
Randy I'm a third-generation wrestler. My dad, my uncle and my grandpa Cowboy Bob, Barry O and Big Bob Orton were all good hands. They did well in the ring. But the money that's in the business is so much better now. I'm lucky.
Samantha I worked a full-time job for awhile, but with Randy's schedule we barely got to see each other. I stay home and take care of Randy and everything around the house.
Whose idea were the clocks, set to different times?
Samantha My mom (Michelle Speno) and I did that, like at an airport. One clock is St. Louis time. The others are London, Tokyo and Sydney, Australia.
Randy She knows if I'm sleeping or not. As a rule, before bed and no matter what time it is, I always give Sam a call.
What does home mean?
Randy If I need to find a happy place, like we all need to find, whether I'm soaring on an airplane going overseas and I can't sleep, whatever, all I've got to do is think of the two of us, lying in the center on the couch downstairs at home, watching TV together.
Samantha We love it here.
stltoday.com
Randy Orton and Samantha Sbeno met at Westport Plaza's Margarita Mama's. Neither one had wanted to go out that night, but both were talked into it by friends and roommates.
(Becca Young/P-D)
Randy, who turns 27 on Sunday, is the superstar heavyweight Legend Killer of World Wrestling Entertainment. Looming at 6-foot-5 and weighing 250 pounds, he's slammed and smacked his way to South Korea and Finland.
Samantha ("Sam"), 25 and a sleek 5-foot-6 and 120 pounds, teaches gymnastics part time. Randy's fiancιe and soulmate, she'll walk down the aisle with him this fall.
While arrogant in the ring, Randy says he's basically shy. The night he met Samantha, he'd broken his foot wrestling, and a buddy dragged him to a bar. Randy spotted Samantha, hopped over and asked for her phone number. After resisting, she said: "If you can memorize it, you can call me." He did, on both counts.
Randy graduated from Hazelwood Central High School, class of 1998. Samantha is a Francis Howell North High School alum, class of 2000.
Their house is on country club grounds in High Ridge. It's 10 years old and has four decks and a hot tub and a lower-level gym. The couple moved in five months ago.
Who did the decorating?
Randy We kept a couple of the original colors, but Sam has to take the credit for most things.
Samantha My family helped me. Randy and I signed the papers on the house, and then he went to Mexico. He came back to a completely decorated house.
Is this the lifestyle you imagined?
Randy I'm a third-generation wrestler. My dad, my uncle and my grandpa Cowboy Bob, Barry O and Big Bob Orton were all good hands. They did well in the ring. But the money that's in the business is so much better now. I'm lucky.
Samantha I worked a full-time job for awhile, but with Randy's schedule we barely got to see each other. I stay home and take care of Randy and everything around the house.
Whose idea were the clocks, set to different times?
Samantha My mom (Michelle Speno) and I did that, like at an airport. One clock is St. Louis time. The others are London, Tokyo and Sydney, Australia.
Randy She knows if I'm sleeping or not. As a rule, before bed and no matter what time it is, I always give Sam a call.
What does home mean?
Randy If I need to find a happy place, like we all need to find, whether I'm soaring on an airplane going overseas and I can't sleep, whatever, all I've got to do is think of the two of us, lying in the center on the couch downstairs at home, watching TV together.
Samantha We love it here.
stltoday.com