Randy Orton has an old-school mentality when it comes to putting his matches together.
There has been a debate for a number of years over which philosophy is best in terms of structuring matches. The style favoured by the majority of veterans was to call it in the ring and not plan out spots ahead of time, although there were notable exceptions such as Randy Savage and Diamond Dallas Page. With both sides of the argument putting on high-calibre matches, there was no definitive answer as to which style was the best back in the day.
In the modern era, matches can be criticised for being overly scripted. Although the moves look impressive, there can be a lack of emotion that makes the contest look more like a choreographed routine and less like a fight. An example of this is United States Champion Logan Paul, who has been praised for his athletic ability but could improve in terms of storytelling.
While appearing on Paul’s Impaulsive podcast, Randy Orton compared the modern matches to how he plans out his own matches, stating how it is harder to read the crowd when every spot is planned out:
It’s weird talking about putting matches together. Back in the day, we would never be sitting here talking to each other talking about how we put sh*t together. But when you have so many things you’re thinking about ahead of time, like all those things with Rey [Mysterio], it’s hard to kind of be in the moment. If you go out there, if you and me went out there, and we had nothing laid out, except for kind of, you know, a beginning, a middle and an end, there’d be a lot of gaps to fill, there’d be plenty of time to be in the moment.
The Viper continued, stating how having an over-scripted match makes it feel more like a dance routine than a wrestling match, leaving little room for interpretation:
For me, not having all these spots to remember, it gives you the ability to be in the moment and be out there and actually listen to the people. What we do is kind of, you know, get a temperature for the crowd, and we can adjust on the fly, we can pivot when we want. When you have everything laid out, well, it’s a choreographed Dancing with the Stars [routine]. I know where I’m going to be at this point in the match and oh, he’s gotta duck this, duck that, here we go, over the top, through the table. You have the whole match laid out, you’re probably sleeping the night before dreaming about those spots.
Orton concluded by comparing his matches to Paul’s stating that although there are more impressive moves in the Unites States Champion’s matches, Orton is able to bring emotion into a match that draws the fans in:
You’ll get to a level eventually, where you can go out there with some guys and you can show up an hour before the show, talk very limitedly and then go out there and then those people are going to get something else. They’re not going to get maybe the athleticism from Randy Orton that they would from a Logan Paul, but what I can bring to the table is that emotion. And what a lot of guys, when you say that it’s a little different with me than other guys, it’s because I think most of those other guys are just thinking about what’s next. So that’s the difference.
During the same interview, Randy Orton revealed why he uses the RKO as a finisher.
Randy Orton Targets More World Championships
At 14 World Championship reigns, Orton is one of the most decorated athletes in the history of WWE. However, with no signs of slowing down in the ring, Randy Orton also revealed how he wants to break the all-time WWE record.
If you use any quotes from this article please credit Impaulsive and leave a h/t to Inside The Ropes.