“A Couple of People Were Unsure,” Randy Orton Reveals What It Took to Convince the WWE Management over His WrestleMania 41 Pitch

Joe Hendry would never forget the fact that Randy Orton personally ensured that the Scot would end up being his WrestleMania 41 opponent.

“A Couple of People Were Unsure,” Randy Orton Reveals What It Took to Convince the WWE Management over His WrestleMania 41 Pitch

Randy Orton on SmackDown (via- WWE)

If there’s something that Randy Orton dedicates his mind and body to, how could it not work? The fans found out exactly at this year’s WrestleMania why WWE made the right decision by letting him wrestle Joe Hendry. The TNA World Champion received one of the loudest crowd reactions of that weekend in Vegas. Meanwhile, The Viper’s reaction to Hendry’s entrance went viral, too.

In a recent interview he did with Billboard, Orton disclosed that he kept pushing for Hendry to be his WrestleMania opponent. The St. Louis native said that his conviction was such that it turned a couple of unconvinced heads on the same side as Orton. He didn’t name anyone, but they must’ve been some key backstage figures. As it turned out, that entire stretch at Mania was a hit.

We put our heads together, and it was actually my idea [for it to be] Joe Hendry. I kept pushing for it, and a couple people were unsure, but I was able to talk everybody into it.

Randy Orton via Billboard

Orton was glad WWE went through with his instincts. Even though it wasn’t a competitive matchup and rather ended in a disaster for Hendry, the latter was extremely grateful for the opportunity. It was the first time in history that a TNA world title was being represented in front of over 60,000 fans in attendance, and that too at the grandest stage imaginable.

The Scot later revealed in an interview with Ariel Helwani how Triple H approached him about potentially squaring off against The Viper in Sin City. Hendry also made his Royal Rumble match debut earlier this year, wherein he got to mix it up with the likes of Roman Reigns, Sheamus, and more.

Randy Orton aware of potential curveball in John Cena match at Backlash

Having already won fourteen world titles in WWE, Randy Orton’s chase for the fifteenth runs through his hometown this weekend. On Saturday, May 10, the former Rated-RKO member will lock horns with a career-long rival, John Cena, who’s the reigning Undisputed WWE Champion. Orton was asked by Billboard his final thoughts on the entire scenario.

John Cena and Randy Orton
John Cena and Randy Orton [via- WWE]

The Apex Predator underscored that the dynamics are unprecedented, with him being a babyface and Cena basking in his villainous arc. It’s never been done before. Despite the match being set in Orton’s hometown, he’s not certain about having unanimous crowd support. The 45-year-old believes that The Cenation Leader might get cheered on the given night, which could create the difference.

Orton said that everyone in the arena might not be able to recognize him, as he rarely ever reps that Cardinals jersey during MLB games. The Legend Killer loves to hang out with his wife and kids whenever he’s in town.

So, it’d be interesting to see if St. Louis pledges its allegiance to the local hero or not. Orton and Cena are expected to be face-to-face this Friday on SmackDown. Up until this point, The Viper has dropped The Franchise Player with an RKO every time they’ve interacted since WrestleMania 41.

What does Randy Orton think about celebrity involvement in wrestling?

In one of the excerpts of the Billboard interview, Randy Orton was asked about his take on mainstream figures dipping their toes into the world of pro wrestling and if he’s fine with it. Orton responded that it’s easy to differentiate between the names who actually want to learn the craft the hard way and those who are just there for the sake of it.

Randy Orton
Randy Orton (via- WWE)

The Viper mentioned that Logan Paul certainly wanted to make it big and noted that he worked just as rigorously to achieve the results. Orton then turned his attention to Bad Bunny. The Apex Predator added that people like Paul and Bunny have sweated it out at the Performance Center like other wrestlers.

That’s when one could tell that they’re serious about pro wrestling and not big-timing their peers because of what other ventures they’re into. Orton didn’t comment on Travis Scott, whose WrestleMania 41 involvement was heavily criticized among the wrestling fraternity.

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