By: Cliff Brunt for stltoday.com
9/8/2004 4:10:17 PM
St. Louis' "Legend Killer" is King of Pro Wrestling
By Cliff Brunt for STLtoday.com
09/08/2004
World Wrestling Entertainment champion Randy Orton applies a headlock to challenger Chris Benoit in Orton's first title defense on Aug. 16. The St. Charles resident successfully defended the belt a day after winning it at SummerSlam, a pay-per-view event.
At age 24, St. Charles resident Randy Orton has reached the pinnacle of the professional wrestling world.
Orton, a World Wrestling Entertainment superstar, became the WWE's youngest-ever heavyweight champion when he defeated Chris Benoit at SummerSlam last month. When he's introduced as heavyweight king, the announcer reminds the world that the "Legend Killer" is "from St. Louis, Missouri."
The graduate of Hazelwood Central High School was born in Knoxville, Tenn., but has lived in the St. Louis area since he was in the first grade.
"I represent St. Louis," Orton said. "I'm proud to live here. I say where I'm from all the time."
Orton combines exceptional athletic ability, technical wrestling skills, charisma and a great "look," to create one of the most complete packages in professional wrestling.
Jim Ross, the WWE's senior vice president of talent relations, considers signing Orton at age 19 one of his finest accomplishments.
"Randy's future is potentially as viable as any athlete we have ever had in the WWE," said Ross. "Time will tell, but if Randy can avoid the injury bug and continue to make the right choices outside the ring, he could end up as the most prolific superstar in the long history of the WWE."
There are countless benefits to being young, rich and increasingly famous. Since becoming champion, Orton said, he is recognized more often in public. He expects to appear on the Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Kimmel TV talk shows as well as Comedy Central's "The Man Show." He will headline the WWE's next pay-per-view event, "Unforgiven," on Sunday.
Alhough Orton's ring character is arrogant and perhaps a bit smug, he's not like that in real life. He is surprised that so much has happened so fast in his 4 1/2 years of wrestling.
"I accept it," he said, "but I'll never be used to it. It bewilders me that people want my autograph."
A family tradition
Orton, 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds, has benefited from being part of a wrestling family. His father, legendary "Cowboy Bob" Orton Jr., lives in Florissant. Grandfather Bob Orton Sr. was an equally respected wrestler.
That lineage, combined with natural ability, hard work and timing, have propelled Randy Orton to the top.
"The business is in a position where it needs to find new stars," he said. "I'm one of those guys. Every time they've given me the ball, I've run with it."
A new set of rules has come with being the pearl of Vince McMahon Jr.'s company, known until a year ago as the World Wrestling Federation.
"It's stressful," Orton said. "There's more responsibility. I have to represent the company in a way I've never had to represent the company before. Now, I'm like, 'OK, let's think twice about this before I do the things I used to do.'"
Orton draws comparisons to another superstar who held the distinction of youngest champion.
"Randy Orton reminds me of The Rock in so many ways," the WWE's Ross said. "Randy and Rock are both third-generation wrestlers, and both have displayed an amazing aptitude for this business virtually from the first day they stepped into our training facilities."
The comparisons initially made Orton uncomfortable. He realizes that The Rock, aka Dwayne Johnson, is a personality who has had success in Hollywood and is well known outside the wrestling ring.
"He's done so many great things," Orton said. "He has been a world champion, and even more. That's what I need to do."
Now, he's starting to see why the comparisons are being made.
"A couple years ago, I would have said there's no way I should be compared to him," Orton said. "As time goes on and I become more successful, as fast as I have, I love the compliment, and I believe it."
It would seem natural that Randy would want to follow in his family's footsteps, but he toyed with the idea of doing something else. He joined the Marines, but was discharged and returned to the family business.
"I was eventually going to do this," he said.