Multi-time WWE World Champion Randy Orton recently spent part of his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show doing something he rarely does: telling stories that don't exactly flatter the legend.
From a long-denied phone call to Diamond Dallas Page to forgetting how to hear at WrestleMania, the Pat McAfee interview brought out Orton at his most candid and self-aware.
The DDP Confession — Years in the Making
For years, Orton publicly denied a story DDP had been telling: that a young Randy called him to ask permission before adopting the Diamond Cutter — rebranded as the RKO — as his finish. Orton finally set the record straight.
There's a story that goes way back where DDP did an interview and said that I had given him a call and asked him if I could use the Diamond Cutter as a finish," Orton said. "I called him out and said, 'It's a lie. I never called him.' Sorry. I totally did. I thought I might have been dreaming it, but no.
He attributed the initial denial to being "a little rough around the edges" in his early 20s — not fully remembering a conversation he apparently had.
Receiving the Stunner — A Lifelong Dream
One of Orton's most memorable WrestleMania moments came when Steve Austin called him up to the ring at AT&T Stadium in Texas, and Orton had no idea what was being said.
We're out there. Steve Austin says, 'Come up here.' It's all getting called on the fly," Orton recalled. "And he starts talking — I can't hear him. Gravelly voice. He said [to take a] beer, and I watched the video back. He points to both things. I couldn't hear a word he was saying and I was like, okay, I've done it before. We're doing beers. Thank God I was a fan and knew what the hell he was talking about.
As a lifelong wrestling fan, the moment carried a weight that went well beyond the performance.
When you receive a stunner — like as a wrestling mark and as somebody that's watched the entire thing — it's like this is the greatest thing that could ever happen to me in my entire life," he said. "I've been thinking of how I would take a stunner for 20, 30 years. So it's like, immediately — we've been planning.
Five Kids, a Gaming Habit, and a Lucky Man
Away from the ring, Orton described a domestic life he clearly cherishes. He has five children, stays out of celebrity culture by design, and has a gaming habit his wife has long since made peace with.
My poor wife. I'm like, 'Hey honey, Brooklyn's in bed, I'm going to go down to the media room.' She's like, 'See you in 3 hours,'" he said.
He's currently working through Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, having previously put time into Elden Ring.
The bigger picture, though, is one of genuine appreciation:
My wife is absolutely amazing, man. And I've got five amazing kids. I feel I got to pinch myself every morning when I wake up. I am like the luckiest guy in the world.
Orton competes in the Men's Elimination Chamber match this Saturday, February 28th at the United Center in Chicago, live at 7 PM ET on the ESPN App.
