Randy Orton has “high hopes” for popular SmackDown Superstar after his meteoric rise in WWE

LA Knight, Randy Orton, AJ Styles, and Roman Reigns are set to clash at Royal Rumble 2024 in an epic battle.

Randy Orton has “high hopes” for popular SmackDown Superstar after his meteoric rise in WWE

Randy Orton (via WWE)

Randy Orton, a true wrestling legend, has been rocking the WWE stage for a solid two decades. The Viper recently appeared on WWE’s The Bump, discussing his journey and the current wrestling scene. Orton shared insights on SmackDown’s rising star, LA Knight, during the discussion on various topics.

LA Knight’s WWE journey has been a rollercoaster. After making a splash in NXT, he ascended to the main roster. However, his debut as Max Dupri, managing the Maximum Male Models, hit a rough patch. Fearing termination, The Megastar found a savior in Triple H, who took creative control. The transformation back to LA Knight marked a turning point, gaining favor with fans. His resilience shone brightly as he faced Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel. 

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Randy Orton, sharing his thoughts on Knight, expressed cautious optimism about the rising star’s future. The Legend Killer noted it’s early to predict but expressed a wish for The Megastar’s happiness and goal fulfillment. Noting his unique appeal, The Apex Predator observed fans swiftly embracing him, an uncommon occurrence for a relatively unknown wrestler.

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"Too early to tell, but I have high hopes. I would love to see him happy and able to do whatever his goals are. I would love to see him fulfill those goals as long as those don't get in my way. I'm fine with him doing his thing. I've seen so many guys come up, get hot, and then putter out. I'm not saying that's him, as a matter of fact, he's one of a kind. He's got something different. The fans, I don't think I've ever seen the fans just take to somebody they didn't really know so quickly."
Randy Orton on LA Knight

Orton hopes the former Impact Champion’s run bucks the trend of fading popularity. The Viper supports Knight, as long as it doesn’t hinder his own WWE journey. The two stars, along with AJ Styles and Roman Reigns, are set for a Fatal Four-Way match for the Undisputed Universal Championship at the Royal Rumble. After gaining insights into Randy’s positive thoughts about the 41-year-old, fans are eagerly anticipating how it all unfolds.

Randy Orton addresses WWE’s decision to spoil his return

Randy Orton’s triumphant return to WWE at Survivor Series marked a comeback after months of being sidelined due to back issues that required fusion surgery. However, WWE compromised the element of surprise by announcing The Viper’s return ahead of time for the Premium Live Event.

Randy Orton
Randy Orton(via WWE)

Addressing the situation on WWE’s The Bump, Orton candidly shared his initial disappointment with the decision to spoil the return after 18 months of anticipation. Of course, this was done to avoid fan expectations of CM Punk returning. 

"They let everyone know the week prior, that Randy Orton is gonna be the one joining Cody’s team at WarGames. Kind of let the wind out of my sails a little bit, I can tell that I’ve matured a lot because a part of me wanted to be irate, right? Like this was taken from me, this reaction from the crowd that I’ve been looking forward to for 18 months."
Randy Orton on his return

However, the fourteen-time World Champion acknowledged that neither’s comebacks overshadowed the other. Despite the setback, The Apex Predator acknowledged the positive reaction he received from the audience, emphasizing that the ultimate goal—bringing Randy Orton back to the WWE stage—was achieved.

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