During a recent interview with CBS Sports, Randy Orton commented on his match with Edge at WWE Backlash, and more. You can check out some highlights from the interview below:
On his Last Man Standing match with Edge at WrestleMania: “I think if you take the Boneyard Match out of it and you take what Bray [Wyatt] and John Cena did — both of those were fantastic — but if you don’t compare us with that, I think we stole the show. I did hear some bitching and moaning from the media and the fans about how long this match was. I just laugh, because I saw a couple matches, I think even the world title match, if you include entrances and the post-match celebration, they might have gone 4 minutes. If you want a 4-minute match where you see five different finishers back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back with zero facial expressions? If that’s the kind of fan you are, then I don’t want you to be a fan of mine because you don’t appreciate what we are trying to do in telling a story. At WrestleMania, I think we stole the show. At WrestleMania, I think we had the best story going into it, which definitely helped. The promos were killer, and it’s only going to get better and better. Now, at Backlash, are we doing to have ‘the greatest wrestling match ever?’ Eh. That’s subjective. I kind of painted myself into a corner and the pressure is definitely on, but if anybody is capable of it, it’s myself and Edge.”
On being Edge’s first opponent back: “I can’t imagine being in that position, especially if you were cleared and reached that goal of coming back to the ring after a decade of being retired because of your neck. There would be that concern that, physically older, who are they going to put me in there with? I don’t know that Brock Lesnar would have been the best fit, for instance. There’s a lot of guys who could go out there and kill it with Edge in a safe manner. That comes down to the art that we do. I was honored and really taken aback that he chose to work with me. In hindsight, it’s a different time with the pandemic and the no fans and limited fans and running shows out of the PC every week. It’s a different time. But I think, given the circumstances, this might be my most favorite personal run I’ve ever been involved in in coming up on 20 years of being on TV. I’m just honored that he was cleared and chose to come back and help me tell this story.”
On ‘The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever’: “We stand out in our storytelling and the way we use our faces,” Orton said. “Edge, I think has done 100 episodes of television and maybe a couple movies in the time he was gone. He was already good at registering and showing facial expressions. Now, I think there’s nobody better when it comes to those little things. That body language that is so important to what we do, how a guy stands there before the bell rings, how a guy looks into the eyes of his opponents, how a guy gets up every time in the match at 10, 15, 20 minutes and how it’s different every time because he’s wearing himself down physically, mentally and emotionally. Those are the little things you can’t see in a 4-minute match. I think me and Edge are definitely capable. Like I said, if anyone is capable of putting on a great match, it’s me and Edge. Will it be the greatest match? That’ll be subjective. There are fans out there that like 3 minute squash matches. They ain’t gonna get that. No matter if it takes me 40 minutes, 5 minutes or an hour and a half. I’m going to go out there with Edge and we’re going to tell a story. You ever read a book in 3 minutes? Watch a sitcom or a movie that lasts 3, 4, 5 minutes? No. It takes time. For the fans that want to sit down, grab a bowl of popcorn and get ready for some seriously good f—ing wrestling? I’ll see you at Backlash. For the ones that want to go see a 3-minute match with five of the same moves back-to-back-to-back-to-back? Don’t tune in.”
