CONTROVERSY SURROUNDS RANDY ORTON
- 01/14/2008 (12:53:11 pm)
- Mike Mooneyham
….
Controversy Surrounds Randy Orton
By Mike Mooneyham
Jan 13, 2008
Controversy has surrounded Randy Orton ever since he made his WWE debut six years ago.
The 27-year-old third-generation wrestler has flirted with superstardom for most of that time, only to have disciplinary problems and an overall lack of maturity bring him back to reality, or at least as much reality as can be hoped for in a business based on fantasy and deception.
Although he is the current WWE heavyweight champion and has held a number of titles during his run with the company, Orton has failed to show the consistency that defines a true superstar, not the generic term used by WWE for all its performers.
Orton has been accused of harassing WWE divas, trashing motel rooms and violating the drug policy His attitude problems, though, started well before WWE. Orton joined the Marines after graduating high school but left a year later with a dishonorable discharge due to unauthorized absences and disobeying a direct command. He spent 38 days in the brig at Camp Pendleton. A tattoo on his left arm which once read "USMC" for United States Marine Corps is now covered up.
WWE realizes the tremendous upside to Orton. Few performers on the company's roster have been able to attain the rarefied status occupied by the likes of Triple H, John Cena and The Undertaker, but Orton has been poised at the threshold, with the company anxiously waiting for a sustained stretch where Orton stays out of hot water and truly comprehends the responsibility such a position demands.
"Randy is a talented and good-hearted kid but he has to make better choices, especially when it comes to anger issues," Jim Ross said last year after the company took action against Orton for unprofessional conduct.
Orton has been candid in the past when publicly discussing his personal demons. Concerning a past suspension over a drug violation, he once told WWE Magazine, "My problems came to a head when I decided to smoke a joint and someone smelled it and stooged me off. You know who you are, so if you are reading this, thanks. But I've also had a few outbursts of anger on the road. I get loud and verbally abusive. But I've nipped that part of me in the bud."
Orton also publicly discussed an incident in which he ruined an expensive Louis Vuitton bag owned by a former WWE diva by pouring ointment, Flexall and tanning lotion inside.
"The reality is the company brought in this diva and she couldn't walk without falling over her own two feet," Orton told the magazine. "She had no respect for the business. She'd say, 'I'm here to help your show, it's not doing too good.' She would call people by the wrong name and rub us the wrong way. I took it upon myself to mess with her my own way."
While the company doesn't necessarily want Orton to lose his edge and swagger, a couple of traits that serve him well inside the ring, officials want to have faith in him that he will conduct himself as a professional and not bring them any undue attention. His lineage has been a blessing, but with it comes tremendous responsibility.
Sources say the outspoken Orton, unlike most others on the WWE roster, stands up to established power brokers such as Triple H and Shawn Michaels. He admits being a natural heel because, as he has said in the past, it's "the real Randy Orton times 10." His cocky attitude, though, has more often than not caused him problems backstage.
Orton, true to form, raised some major eyebrows with remarks he made in a recent interview with the Sydney Herald-Sun newspaper in Australia. One statement in particular took a shot at the WWE's veteran locker-room leaders.
"I would like to take the game away from the guys in the over-40 club - Triple H, Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker. It's at the point where their bodies are so broken down, they can't really hang with the younger guys. We have our injuries, we make our mistakes - personal and professional - and we learn from them. What I would like to bring to the industry is the next generation of men and women to represent athleticism, attitude, charisma and the overall perception of being young talent as opposed to old, balding talent."
Orton, who became the youngest performer in WWE history to win the world heavyweight championship when he defeated the late Chris Benoit in 2004 at the age of 24, also emphasized the cutthroat nature of the business.
"My dad always said: 'Save your money.' My grandpa said: 'Watch out for the other guys.' Everyone has a gun pointed at you. It's whether you give them a bullet to use. I keep my mouth shut and I don't get too personal with everybody because it's competitive. The best friend I travel down the road with would love to see me break my leg because they'd have a chance to get my spot. It's like any other sport. When someone gets hurt, injured, suspended, in trouble, it opens up opportunities for other people. It's a shame, but it's a very cutthroat business."
The self-proclaimed "Legend Killer" also lamented the grueling road schedule and criticized the company's dress code. The policy requires wrestlers to wear slacks and a shirt to the arenas and on flights.
"I had three hours sleep last night, not because I chose to go out, but because that's what we were allotted to have. We don't have an off-season and we pay for our own rental cars, food and hotels. My expenses are well over $100,000, sometimes double that. But I spend that so I can work here. They say we are self-employed but, at the same time, we have to be somewhere on time, and we have to dress a certain way. Obviously, I'm a bit of a rebel, but the dress code .... it's retarded."
One calming influence in Orton's life, friends say, has been his recent marriage and the announcement that his first child is on the way. Orton married the 26-year-old Samantha Speno in September, but admitted he's only been home with his wife for seven nights. The couple lives in a 10-year-old house with four decks, a hot tub and lower-level gym on country club grounds in a St. Louis suburb.
"My wife is a beautiful and strong woman. She puts up with a lot. She has got the full-time job of being a housewife. I've got the part-time job of busting my body so that we can live in the house we do, she can wear the $40,000 watch she wears and she can drive an Escalade. I'm busting my hump so that it can be possible."
- Ron "The Truth" Killings has signed a contract with WWE. The former TNA star worked in WWE from 2001-02 as K-Kwik.
- Chris Harris, who formed one of TNA's top duos with James Storm as America's Most Wanted, has parted ways with the company.
- Ric Flair's career is rapidly drawing to a close, and with the Lowcountry being one of his major stomping grounds over the past four decades, the Nature Boy left quite a mark here. Have a personal experience with the Nature Boy that you'd like to share? I'll be publishing some of the best in a future column. E-mail your favorite Flair memories to [email protected].
Submissions may be edited for brevity and clarity. Those from outside the area also are welcome to share their memories.
- Old School Championship Wrestling will hold a show Jan. 20 at Weekend's Pub, 428 Red Bank Road, Goose Creek. Bell time is 6 p.m. Main event will be an all-champions battle for the OSCW King title. Semifinal will pit Lodi against Nightmare Sixx. For more information, visit www.oscwonline.com or call 743-4800.
Jan 13, 2008
Controversy has surrounded Randy Orton ever since he made his WWE debut six years ago.
The 27-year-old third-generation wrestler has flirted with superstardom for most of that time, only to have disciplinary problems and an overall lack of maturity bring him back to reality, or at least as much reality as can be hoped for in a business based on fantasy and deception.
Although he is the current WWE heavyweight champion and has held a number of titles during his run with the company, Orton has failed to show the consistency that defines a true superstar, not the generic term used by WWE for all its performers.
Orton has been accused of harassing WWE divas, trashing motel rooms and violating the drug policy His attitude problems, though, started well before WWE. Orton joined the Marines after graduating high school but left a year later with a dishonorable discharge due to unauthorized absences and disobeying a direct command. He spent 38 days in the brig at Camp Pendleton. A tattoo on his left arm which once read "USMC" for United States Marine Corps is now covered up.
WWE realizes the tremendous upside to Orton. Few performers on the company's roster have been able to attain the rarefied status occupied by the likes of Triple H, John Cena and The Undertaker, but Orton has been poised at the threshold, with the company anxiously waiting for a sustained stretch where Orton stays out of hot water and truly comprehends the responsibility such a position demands.
"Randy is a talented and good-hearted kid but he has to make better choices, especially when it comes to anger issues," Jim Ross said last year after the company took action against Orton for unprofessional conduct.
Orton has been candid in the past when publicly discussing his personal demons. Concerning a past suspension over a drug violation, he once told WWE Magazine, "My problems came to a head when I decided to smoke a joint and someone smelled it and stooged me off. You know who you are, so if you are reading this, thanks. But I've also had a few outbursts of anger on the road. I get loud and verbally abusive. But I've nipped that part of me in the bud."
Orton also publicly discussed an incident in which he ruined an expensive Louis Vuitton bag owned by a former WWE diva by pouring ointment, Flexall and tanning lotion inside.
"The reality is the company brought in this diva and she couldn't walk without falling over her own two feet," Orton told the magazine. "She had no respect for the business. She'd say, 'I'm here to help your show, it's not doing too good.' She would call people by the wrong name and rub us the wrong way. I took it upon myself to mess with her my own way."
While the company doesn't necessarily want Orton to lose his edge and swagger, a couple of traits that serve him well inside the ring, officials want to have faith in him that he will conduct himself as a professional and not bring them any undue attention. His lineage has been a blessing, but with it comes tremendous responsibility.
Sources say the outspoken Orton, unlike most others on the WWE roster, stands up to established power brokers such as Triple H and Shawn Michaels. He admits being a natural heel because, as he has said in the past, it's "the real Randy Orton times 10." His cocky attitude, though, has more often than not caused him problems backstage.
Orton, true to form, raised some major eyebrows with remarks he made in a recent interview with the Sydney Herald-Sun newspaper in Australia. One statement in particular took a shot at the WWE's veteran locker-room leaders.
"I would like to take the game away from the guys in the over-40 club - Triple H, Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker. It's at the point where their bodies are so broken down, they can't really hang with the younger guys. We have our injuries, we make our mistakes - personal and professional - and we learn from them. What I would like to bring to the industry is the next generation of men and women to represent athleticism, attitude, charisma and the overall perception of being young talent as opposed to old, balding talent."
Orton, who became the youngest performer in WWE history to win the world heavyweight championship when he defeated the late Chris Benoit in 2004 at the age of 24, also emphasized the cutthroat nature of the business.
"My dad always said: 'Save your money.' My grandpa said: 'Watch out for the other guys.' Everyone has a gun pointed at you. It's whether you give them a bullet to use. I keep my mouth shut and I don't get too personal with everybody because it's competitive. The best friend I travel down the road with would love to see me break my leg because they'd have a chance to get my spot. It's like any other sport. When someone gets hurt, injured, suspended, in trouble, it opens up opportunities for other people. It's a shame, but it's a very cutthroat business."
The self-proclaimed "Legend Killer" also lamented the grueling road schedule and criticized the company's dress code. The policy requires wrestlers to wear slacks and a shirt to the arenas and on flights.
"I had three hours sleep last night, not because I chose to go out, but because that's what we were allotted to have. We don't have an off-season and we pay for our own rental cars, food and hotels. My expenses are well over $100,000, sometimes double that. But I spend that so I can work here. They say we are self-employed but, at the same time, we have to be somewhere on time, and we have to dress a certain way. Obviously, I'm a bit of a rebel, but the dress code .... it's retarded."
One calming influence in Orton's life, friends say, has been his recent marriage and the announcement that his first child is on the way. Orton married the 26-year-old Samantha Speno in September, but admitted he's only been home with his wife for seven nights. The couple lives in a 10-year-old house with four decks, a hot tub and lower-level gym on country club grounds in a St. Louis suburb.
"My wife is a beautiful and strong woman. She puts up with a lot. She has got the full-time job of being a housewife. I've got the part-time job of busting my body so that we can live in the house we do, she can wear the $40,000 watch she wears and she can drive an Escalade. I'm busting my hump so that it can be possible."
- Ron "The Truth" Killings has signed a contract with WWE. The former TNA star worked in WWE from 2001-02 as K-Kwik.
- Chris Harris, who formed one of TNA's top duos with James Storm as America's Most Wanted, has parted ways with the company.
- Ric Flair's career is rapidly drawing to a close, and with the Lowcountry being one of his major stomping grounds over the past four decades, the Nature Boy left quite a mark here. Have a personal experience with the Nature Boy that you'd like to share? I'll be publishing some of the best in a future column. E-mail your favorite Flair memories to [email protected].
Submissions may be edited for brevity and clarity. Those from outside the area also are welcome to share their memories.
- Old School Championship Wrestling will hold a show Jan. 20 at Weekend's Pub, 428 Red Bank Road, Goose Creek. Bell time is 6 p.m. Main event will be an all-champions battle for the OSCW King title. Semifinal will pit Lodi against Nightmare Sixx. For more information, visit www.oscwonline.com or call 743-4800.
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