Randy Orton Endorses IShowSpeed for WWE Career After Training Session
YouTube sensation IShowSpeed has received a major endorsement from one of WWE’s all-time greats after completing an intensive training session at the WWE Performance Center.
The 20-year-old streamer, whose real name is Darren Jason Watkins Jr., competed in his first full WWE match as part of his YouTube series Speed Goes Pro. The fifth and final episode of the series, titled “SPEED GOES PRO, EPISODE 5: RANDY ORTON (WWE),” documents Speed’s two-day crash course in professional wrestling under the guidance of The Viper himself.
Speed trained alongside Performance Center coaches Fit Finlay and Matt Bloom, as well as Sheamus, learning fundamentals like running the ropes, hitting shoulder tackles, and selling moves. He even developed his own signature finisher—a moonsault he dubbed “The Speed Drop.”
Orton joined the training on day two to put Speed through his paces, including a brutal steel chair shot to the back that left the chair bent from the impact. Speed’s selling of the chair shot impressed Orton, proving he’d absorbed The Viper’s lessons on working a crowd.
The episode culminated with Speed facing NXT developmental talent Anthony Luke in front of a live audience at the Performance Center. Despite taking the loss, Speed’s performance left a strong impression on the 14-time World Champion.
“Speed, it takes a very long time to get good at your craft. You got a long way to go,” Orton said afterward. “But without a shadow of a doubt, I think you do have what it takes to be a WWE Superstar. He is ready. We’ve got something here. Mentally, he’s there. Physically, he’s got everything it takes. If he wants to stick with this journey, through hard work and dedication, he could one day be a full-time WWE Superstar if he wants it.”
Speed’s WWE journey began at WrestleMania 40, where he appeared disguised as a Prime bottle during Logan Paul’s United States Championship match—only to receive an RKO from Orton through the announce table. The moment went viral, racking up over 100 million views across platforms.
His involvement escalated at Royal Rumble 2025, where Triple H gave him a spot in the Men’s Royal Rumble match as a last-minute replacement for Akira Tozawa. Speed managed to help Bron Breakker eliminate Otis before the Intercontinental Champion speared him and tossed him out of the ring—another clip that instantly went viral.
For Speed, the PC training represented something deeply personal. In the episode, he opened up to Sheamus about his lifelong connection to wrestling.
“I watched that my whole life. Since my childhood. I started watching that when I was 8 years old,” Speed said. “Me and my little brother used to watch 20-minute video highlights of Jeff Hardy, Rey Mysterio, just high-flying from the top rope. I’m literally living the dream right now.”
The episode has already surpassed 1.5 million views since its release.
Speed acknowledged he still has a long way to go, telling the camera: “I feel like everything y’all just seen was just a little step in the door. I need to have more knowledge. I need to learn more. I need to practice more and work for it.”
With Orton’s seal of approval and WWE reportedly interested in future collaborations following his Royal Rumble appearance, the door seems open for the 46-million-subscriber creator to eventually follow Logan Paul’s path from internet star to full-time sports entertainer.
The question is whether Speed is ready to commit to the grind.
