How does DiBiase view the differences between wrestling and other forms of entertainment?
“What we do in the ring is kind of live theater,” he says. Not only are the millions at home watching but the thousands in the stadium are watching, too. So what you’re doing is over the top, and you are over-exaggerating. So you have to play to this huge audience and to the people up at the top. But then you have to have these moments in between when the camera is on you and you have to tell a story, when the camera is on your face.

“The perfect example is Randy Orton in our company. His facial expressions. They love to make you hate him. He just gets so sinister-looking at moments, and people say, ‘That guy is so evil.’”

Read the entire interview here

Also, in an interview with the Toronto Sun Ted spoke about himself and Randy testing their skills.

In the wrestling ring, DiBiase is also a rising star, with WWE teasing a feud with Legacy stablemate Randy Orton.
“Randy and I always want to test our skills against the best. I want to be WWE champion just as bad as he does. I want to make an impact and make a name for myself.”

Read the entire interview here

Guy 1: Now they selected Ted Dibiase jr. to be in Marine 2 and just out of nowhere they just thought you had the look I guess or whatever.

Guy 2: Well he did a good job Michael! He went in and he nailed it.

Guy 1: Yeah, he actually got it done. What about COdy Rhodes, your partner and Randy Orton your other partner part of Legacy. Are they giving you a hard time? Wondering like “Hey why didn’t they pick us?

Ted: Well, it would have been hard to blare out Cody’s lisp. (Laughter) I’m just kidding, I hope he’s not listening right now. I don’t think there’s jealously. well actually Randy Orton one time told me, he was like “This is probably the only time I’ll ever tell you this but, I am jealous.” He saw the movie with me. When we did SummerSlam he came and viewed it at the director’s house with me, and he was like “That’s really good.” If anybody would have told me the truth if something sucked it would have been Randy Orton. So that was like the stamp of approval, you know? He was like “You did a great job and I’m jealous that you’ve done a movie and I haven’t.” I wouldn’t be surprised to see Randy in a movie.

Guy 2: Yeah he’s got the look.

Ted: He’s very talented.

The Mavericks’ owner, who will host World Wrestling Entertainment’s RAW on Monday at American Airlines center, shrugged off a challenge by up-and-coming WWE star Cody Rhodes on Thursday. Rhodes is the son of Austin-born Virgil Runnels, better known as WWE Hall of Fame wrestler Dusty “The American Dream” Rhodes.

After being notified that Cuban would like some payback against Rhodes’ ally Randy Orton for a 2003 “RKO” knockout move, Rhodes suggested Cuban step into the ring. Rhodes, Orton and Ted DiBiase Jr., all second-generation wrestlers, form the WWE’s top villainous trio “The Legacy.”

“We’ve had some guest hosts like Bob Barker who couldn’t get in the ring, but Mark Cuban is a pretty active guy,” Rhodes said. “I suggest that if he wants to get some payback on [Orton], he bring a couple of Cowboys or Mavericks to the ring on Monday and put his money where his mouth is. We’ll have an old-fashioned six-man tag match.”

Cuban’s response: “What makes them think I would need any help? Orton got lucky one time. It won’t happen again.”

As guest host of RAW, Cuban will be entitled to make matches and get involved in story lines for the show at AAC on Monday.

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Interviewer: Besides yourself, the best wrestler in pro wrestling today?
Trish: I most enjoy Randy Orton right now. I think he’s really charismatic. I really enjoy his matches. He is the most wonderful seller, like, the way he sells a move is just money. I’m enjoying his stuff right now.

Interviewer: Do you think he could be a good guy though? I don’t know if he has like, a personality like The Rock or anybody.
Trish: I think he could. I think he’ll get so over as a heel, that it’ll just be a natural thing that a heel turn into a a really good guy. And I think he’ll be good at it.

You can listen to her interview here: @YouTube. And I would also like to thank Randy-Orton.com visitor, Kel for bringing this to my attention.

I can only wish every man lived by the same saying Randy does: “Happy wife, happy life.” because it’s a good one! :p

Would you describe the last two weeks as the biggest in your career?
I guess so, man. The past couple of weeks have certainly had a lot of momentum, especially with last week destroying Randy’s car. Just picking a fight with Randy Orton…you’ll have to see what happens with me and Randy, but I’m positive some good matches will be occurring.

It has been a crazy few days. For me, career-wise, it’s all about getting better. If you’re not getting better, you’re only getting worse. I’m just trying to step it up.

It was cool to be involved with the Bragging Rights pay-per-view, I thought it was very successful. The next day, being in the ring with Jericho, he’s a veteran and a legend. It’s cool to be involved in anything he is involved in.

And then destroying Randy’s car. It was not only fun, but I think people are going to look back at it and remember it.

When did you find out you were going to be working a programme with Randy Orton — that must have been a great moment?
I’m always one of the last people to find out. This whole development has been pretty recent, I still don’t know what’s in store, except that there’ll be some high-quality matches. You pick a fight with Randy Orton, you have to step up to the plate. I’m going to step up and try to hit a home run.

Randy is established as the Legend Killer, but he is very quickly becoming a legend in his own right. To be in there with him is going to be a great learning experience. The people he has been in there with — Flair, Triple H, Batista, Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley, Edge.

I’m a student of the game, and have watched Randy for a long time. I’ve learned a lot just by watching. To be in the ring having matches against him, I’m sure I’m going to learn a whole lot from a different angle

If your interested you can read the entire Kofi interview here @ TheSun.co.uk website.

When asked about what he thought about the change back to PG rating and the current talent, he said:
“Randy Orton is a great champion and a wrestler.”

When asked about the current WWE product and it’s creative writing he said:
“I look forward to watching Randy Orton wrestle and Legacy, and there are some great wrestlers out there doing some great things.”

Orton is a man with sinister plots, and has been the most rough wrestler in wrestling. With his amazing agility it is not hard for Orton to climb out of a tough situation. Having being the key heel in WWE certainty pays its prices. Look back at the fresh new Pay Per View Heel In A Cell. That was one payment that WWE has given back to him. Future Hall Of Famer Randy Orton has Ten outstanding moments that stand out from the rest. Hey that is why it is called Randy Orton’s top ten moments.

* An OVW star rose from the shadows of the development team, and made in to WWE. Orton first match that was on television took place on April 25 2002. Orton’s first match was against the extreme Hardcore Holly. For a brief period of time was the fan favorite, without this moment there would have been no key heel named The Viper Randy Orton.

* The Young Boy Randy Orton, joined the force known as Evolution. When joining to of the greatest wrestlers at that period of time Triple H and Ric Flair and newcomer Batista, has to mean something. The Fantastic Four were among the most incredulous stables in history. They took the titles, and more importantly took over the Red brand known as Raw. This team was not a force to be reckoning with. Eventually the four great talents split a part, during the break up Orton had the world title on his shoulder.

* The scripted part of wrestling is what makes wrestling, wrestling. And when the booker decided to make Randy Orton The youngest World Champions, they had no regrets. By defeating Chris Benoit in a truly magnificent match up The Viper became The youngest World Champion in WWE history.

* Entering Hell in A Cell with the man who has said it had been built for was a huge step for Randy Orton. At Armageddon 2005 Randy Orton went into what could have been the biggest match of his life against The Undertaker. With a little help from his Hall Of Fame father Cowboy Bob Orton, the father son combo still did not come out the victors of that brutal battle.

* Walking in at the biggest Pay Per View ever with the World Title over your shoulder is a great achievement. At Wrestlemania twenty four Orton did just that, walking in with a match with Triple H and John Cena in a triple threat match for the WWE Championship. Not just did he walked in with the title, he came out with it as well. This was a big moment for The Legend Killer Randy Orton.

* In every wrestlers career they make a legacy for themselves, Orton did just this but he did legitimately. In 2008 Orton formed a stable, with members Cody Rhodes and Ted Dibase. Randy became the leader of this group, and today they are still the main stable in wrestling.

* I know that most of you are fed up with Mr. McMahon huh? Well then you are going to love this moment. After Vince McMahon returned to the ring after eight months of absents, Randy Orton punted him in the skull .

* In 1988 the genius match known as the Royal Rumble was created. the object of the match is to throw your opponents over the top rope, and the last man standing wins. This match is particularly tough because there are thirty other man standing in your way of winning. After 21 years of this match in January of 2009 another mans name was added to the list of winners of the Royal Rumbles, and his name is Randy Orton.

* 25 years of the biggest wrestling event in wrestling history. Wrestlemania 25 lived up to its potential. And in that Main Event, Randy Orton took on his long arch enemy Triple H for The WWE Title.

* This last moment is in honor of Randy Orton being a WWE superstar. Orton has suffered for this business, and has saved it as well. Randy Orton is the go to heel in the WWE, and is been the some of the most excited epic battles in wrestling. Randy Orton career is not yet come to an end and I am really looking forward for the future of Randy Orton.

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Somebody you’ve worked very closely with in the WWE is Randy Orton. What was it like to face him in the ring recently?
Ted DiBiase: That was an incredible moment as well. I think Randy is, without a doubt, one of the greatest workers we have right now and I think he’ll be remembered for years from now. He’s a future Hall of Famer and a future legend so being in the ring with him was a treat. It was hard, it was tough but I see a huge future with Randy Orton still to come.

Are you happy being part of The Legacy or do you see a time coming when you want to go and do your own thing?
Ted DiBiase: I’m very happy being with The Legacy. So far it’s done nothing but boost my career. I’ve had more opportunities to be in main events and to come up against different people like Batista and Triple H. To stand alongside Randy and to watch him do what he does has given me tons of great lessons. It’s been a huge learning experience and at the same time it’s skyrocketed my career.

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How has working with Randy Orton improved you as a wrestler?
I would give him a lot of credit because Randy is so talented, he’s our WWE champion and I look forward to his ‘I Quit’ match against John Cena at Breaking Point on Monday, but he has a lot of insight, experience and he’s so good at what he does. So it has helped skyrocket my career, I’m going into Monday at Breaking Point facing DX and it’s only been a year [since I joined with Orton] so Randy’s definitely helped.

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IGN recently had a chance to talk to a bunch WWE stars about the new hosts at both SDCC ‘09 and at the Summerslam/Betty’s Battle (bettysbattle.org) kickoff party this past Friday night. “I think it’s great,” Triple H told us. “I think it adds a new factor that’s a lot of fun and it makes it different every week. I think we’ve gotten some great guests so far, much in the vein of a newer, hipper Saturday Night Live maybe.” Triple H then went on to say that RAW is a great way to promote a movie, a TV show or even a charity – much like Access Hollywood’s Nancy O’Dell’s charity ALS Betty’s Battle (O’Dell will be hosting an upcoming RAW in a few weeks).

“I think it’s cool, man,” said WWE Champion Randy Orton. “I mean we’re out here in Hollywood right now. I’m from St. Louis, Missouri so I’m not used to this sort of thing. Getting to mingle with these guys and our fans seeing that these celebrities are fans of what we do I think creates a cool crossover there where more people start watching our product.”

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• What is your favorite memory growing up in St. Louis?
One of my favorite memories is going to downtown, Forest Park with my family. Shaw is good. Walking around the zoo. The Art Museum with my grandma. Growing up in St. Louis was a lot of fun. On the Fourth of July we would go to the (James J. Eagan Center) Florissant Valley Civic Center in North County to watch the fireworks display every year. … A lot of fun times back then.

• Do you get the celebrity treatment when you are home?
The past year, I’ve had the daughter, and before that my wife was pregnant. I’ve been with my wife, Samantha, for quite a while. I really kind of hang low whenever we do choose to go out. Usually there are a couple of clubs downtown that are pretty nice to me. As far as getting recognized, I live in St. Charles. I get recognized quite a bit around there but it’s not like I go and try to get recognized. … A couple of years ago, going to Six Flags with my wife, it was hard. We got on three or four rides in a span of six hours because it was so many kids stopping (me) to get autographs. I enjoy what I do. It’s a part of what I do.

• How has fatherhood changed your professional and personal life?
It’s put a lot of things in perspective. Everyone said when my wife was pregnant, “Wait til you have that little girl. It’s going to change your life.” You hear that and you don’t really know until the day she’s born, and that’s when it hit me. When I saw the little baby and when she looked up at me and heard my voice and (I said), “Wow, I made this little human being and I’m responsible for it.” I have to set a good example. I have to be a good father. … It really made me mature very quickly and realize I have to step up and be not only a good husband to my wife but a great father. I think I’m doing that, accomplishing that goal of mine, and I would like to have more (kids) in the future. I would like to have a big family. I love my daughter. … On a personal level, she’s made me understand what life is all about. It’s made me more excited to get home and see how she’s progressed and what she’s learned to do. … I always wanted a little girl so bad, so I’m very blessed that I got my wish.

• Are you a sports fan?
I wish I could say yes. I honestly don’t follow any sports, even though we’ve got the Rams, Blues and Cardinals. I hate to say, I don’t really have time. It’s not that I don’t appreciate or like sports. I was active in sports growing up but can’t say I’ve got the time for (sports). I’m proud of my teams when they are doing good. Can’t say I’m too happy about the Rams season the last year. A former Rams player, J.R. Niklos, is a good friend of mine. His wife and my wife were good friends from high school. They went to Francis Howell. Pisa Tinoisamoa, who just got released — is going to play for the Bears — lives right down the street from me. We wave and stuff. Besides that, not too involved with the St. Louis sports scene or sports in general.

• Favorite St. Louis athlete or moment?
When Mark McGwire was (chasing Roger Maris’ home run record) I would definitely keep tabs on him, how many home runs he was hitting, breaking the record — that was exciting. If there was someone I had to pick that I followed St. Louis-wise it would have been McGwire. When the Rams won the Super Bowl with Kurt Warner. When he led the Rams to a victory that year, that was pretty exciting. Of course, the Cardinals winning the championship was pretty exciting as well. But like I said, (professional athletes) have an off season, I don’t. Us WWE superstars travel year-round. We are overseas constantly. I was just doing an interview for upcoming European tour later in the fall. It’s go, go, go. I get about two days at home a week with my wife and my baby. It’s not enough but I do enjoy what I do. My wife supports me, and I’m sure my little daughter will understand when she gets a little older.

• What was it like growing up a son of a wrestler, “Cowboy” Bob Orton?
Growing up, being around my father and his buddies in the business like Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Junk Yard Dog, Hillbilly Jim, Greg Valentine, Roddy Piper, you name it, anyone back then in that era that wrestled, I was mixing it up with them in the locker room. I was young when I was on the road with my dad — 5, 6, 7 — but it was when he was in his prime with the WWF, at the time. It was a lot of fun. A few of the second- and third-generation wrestlers have similar stories, but for the most part not a lot of guys grew up in the business like we did. There are a lot of cool moments like Jake “The Snake” Roberts’ python, messing around with it back in the locker room. Or Junk Yard Dog chasing me with the broom down the hallway. Brett Hart watching me. He was the designated babysitter while my father was in the ring. I will always remember those times.

• Besides your father, who is your favorite wrestler?
I was a big fan of Jake “The Snake.” I always had a fascination with snakes and reptiles. I always wanted to be a herpetologist. I had a 13-foot vermisse python when I was in high school. It weighed 90 pounds. It ate rabbits and large rats. A little of an oddball hobby. Jake “The Snake” started my curiosity with that and because he always had the big python in the burlap bag in the back. I was always big into playing with the snake when they came into town.

• Your dream match opponent and why?
I say that everyone I’ve wanted to work with, I’ve gotten the opportunity to. Hulk Hogan in SummerSlam, Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Triple H. … These guys that I watched were at the top of there game. When I got in the business, I never thought in a million years that I would be wrestling Triple H in the main event at WrestleMania. I never thought I would be wrestling Undertaker at WrestleMania XXI, let alone The Rock at WrestleMania XX, Kurt Angle at WrestleMania XXII. I have so many memories of wrestling guys that I dreamt to wrestling. Really, there is no more. My dad was on the road with me for six months back in 2005 and 2006, and I was able to wrestle with him in my corner. I’ve never wrestled against my father. I would say my father would be one of the ones that, if I could turn back the clock, I would be able to wrestle him in his prime and a pretty good match. I think that would be very cool, but obviously it won’t happen. I did get the pleasure of working with him in the ring.

• If you weren’t a wrestler, what would you be?
I think I would be a stunt man, if not a herpetologist. Working at the zoo in the reptile house, like I said, fascinated me when I was a child. If I didn’t get into wrestling I would be a stunt man. I’m big into movies, I like watching movies, I would like to be in movies one day. That’s another dream of mine is to get a part, no matter how big or small. I’ve read for two or three parts. Gotten close to getting them. I just read for a part with Drew Barrymore. A very small part in an upcoming movie. I didn’t get it. They said the character they wanted had to be little more burly, a little more roughneck. They said I was too handsome. I guess they didn’t want to be rude and let me down easy, but either way, I didn’t get the part. … Here in the WWE there is a great avenue for getting parts in movies. WWE has their own film production company, of course, with “12 Rounds,” “The Marine” movie, “Behind Enemy Lines” starring Ken Kennedy. There is a good chance that you’ll see me on the big screen sooner or later.

• What major injuries have you sustained during your career in the ring?
Broken foot, dislocated bones in my foot, broken clavicle twice, major surgery on both shoulders, six concussions. You’re always walking around with some kind of a pain. You land on your back quite a bit, obviously, lots of visits to the chiropractor. Lots of deep-tissue massages. Lots physical therapy on the surgeries that I’ve had. It’s a constant battle to stay healthy and stay in shape. In this business, your body is your money. Edge just tore his Achilles tendon. That’s huge. That’s like a nine-month injury. He’s also had a broken neck and neck surgery. He was out for over a year. Things like that — you just never know. Any match can literally be your last match any time you step in the ring. You always have to conscious of how well you are physically and mentally. What we do mentally — it’s very taxing, as well. It’s a constant stress on the body to do what we do not only in the ring, but outside the ring because you are constantly in the gym, watching your diet, and the travel takes a lot out of you, too. … I’ve had my share of injuries. I know Chris Jericho hasn’t had been hurt. He might have broken his forearm earlier in his career but he’s been (wrestling) for twenty years. Some guys get lucky and get a couple of injuries. Some guys are injury prone. … My in-ring style isn’t the most dangerous. Someone like Evan Bourne — he jumps up the top rope and does the Shooting Star Press, and of course he weighs 150 pounds. I’m 100 pounds heavier than he is but still, the death-defying stuff they’re doing, I would never be able to do that kind of thing. And even if I could, it’s the type of thing I’ve taken out of my repertoire so that I can be able to have longevity in my career. That’s what it’s about, supporting my family, paying the bills. Being there for my family and being able to provide.

• How would you like to be remembered after you retire?
We’ll have to wait and see. I’m just getting started. I’m in my prime — so hopefully good things. Just that I worked hard and be a household name — if not already — and by then, they’ll say I’m one of the greatest.

• How many days of the year are you on the road?
Over 200. At least 220 to 250. I have about 200 matches a year.

• Forecast your main event match against John Cena at SummerSlam.
I’ve wrestled John Cena a couple of times. We have some history, and he is a hell of a competitor. He is one of the strongest guys I’ve stepped in the ring. Pound for pound, I think he is the strongest. The way he trains, his discipline, he keeps getting better every year. The fan following — he has is incomparable to anyone else. … I have Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes at my corner. I know they are not afraid to stick their necks out on the line for me. I’m confident in the fact that I will beat John Cena at SummerSlam and remain WWE champion. I’ve been going strong since April at Backlash when I kicked Triple H in the face and put him out for six weeks. I beat Triple H in a Last Man Standing match. I beat him in a Three Stages of Hell match, which ended with me putting him on a stretcher and pushing over the finish line. I’ve been going strong and my momentum has me at a point where that’s the one thing I have on my side.

• Rick Flair or Hulk Hogan?
I would have to say Flair because I know Flair a lot better. On a personal level, he’s taught me a lot. Of course, Hogan is a huge name and has made a lots of money, but I think Flair has a little more respect from wrestling fans because of his work ethic. As far as what he’s been able to do in the ring, and the following he’s had, sure, Hogan and Hulkamania will be around forever but Flair’s legacy will never die. Knowing (Flair) on a personal level and how much he helped me in the business, I could never deny that.

• What should fans expect from “Monday Night Raw” in St. Louis?
This is my hometown, and I have to represent St. Louis to the fullest. I always have, always will. Monday won’t be any different. All of us put our bodies on the line to entertain. When it comes to overall entertainment, you can’t get this kind of a mix of different emotions in one night. In that two-hour time, whether you attend Raw or watch it at home, you walk in and it’s incomparable to anything else. I don’t care if it’s the Cardinals or the Rams or the Blues, I don’t care how well or bad their season is, they get an off season. We don’t. We are going hard all year. For me, it’s been nine years and I’m going to keep going hard. When they attend the show or watch it on TV, they are going to get nothing less than 110 percent from each and every one of us.

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What has teaming with Orton meant for your career?
It has skyrocketed my career. He is just incredible. He is one of the top guys. People hate him but they will pay money to come see him and hope he gets his butt whooped. He knows the business and how to be successful. That is exactly what we are doing.

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After a hotly contested one-on-one confrontation with one of his own – Ted DiBiase – on Raw, speculation brews as to whether The Legend Killer’s top spot as Legacy’s charge might be one that’s coveted by those within. One would think that the whispers coiling through Orton’s head would be of caution, counseling The Viper that his associates may not be so content in their place – much like he experienced just five years ago.

“[On Raw] Ted DiBiase put up a strong fight and demonstrated exactly why I selected him for this very elite group,” The Viper spoke, revealing his split tongue. “Unfortunately, I had to instruct Ted the hard way: Inside the ring but on opposite ends. I think that was lesson enough to my Legacy to never test the hand of their leader,” he added to crush implications of paranoia.

But it might prove prudent for Orton to glance at his personal rearview mirror for a moment. Upon such reflection, The Legend Killer would most certainly recall capturing the World Heavyweight Title for the first time, the greenest member of Evolution and youngest champion in history snaring the same gold his mentor, Triple H, vehemently chased as well at that time. He should just as easily recollect the image of The Game’s thumbs-down to Batista on Aug. 16, 2004, signaling a painful breach in their alliance and the revocation of Orton’s membership in Evolution. Bruising healed, this moment also enabled The Legend Killer’s ascension toward his individual destiny.

“Unlike Evolution, our alliance is founded on one common goal, a Legacy,” said Orton, refuting comparisons between his squad and that of Triple H. “It’s not just one man’s desire to suppress the talents of others. I chose Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase not out of fear that one day they would surpass me; I handpicked them to be the heirs to my Legacy.”

However, the undeniable parallels between both factions make the recent conflict between Orton and DiBiase – though very minor – of fair interest. Rhodes and DiBiase both are extraordinarily talented Superstars, who are not only former World Tag Team Champions but also credited with conquering a number of the squared circle’s names, including Batista, Ric Flair and more. In a short time in WWE, they have proven to be top-tier caliber competitors with a brilliantly decorated future ahead of them.

Though they’ve grown exponentially in allegiance with Orton, it could be near time to scratch the itch to go solo. This is arguably intensified for the son of The Million Dollar Man, especially, when the memories of his Legacy commander’s punt are still fresh in his once-rattled skull.

“My Legacy is founded on loyalty,” Orton explained. “In DiBiase and Rhodes, I’ve found two individuals who know what it’s like to be the son of a wrestling legend. It’s in their blood, like it is mine. And as it goes, blood always runs thicker than water.”
As another week passes, Monday Night Raw again approaches. Merely seven days after the world witnessed The Legend Killer’s close bout with DiBiase, the WWE Universe looks to see if Legacy will thrive. Will it be a sole hiccup in their progressive Raw supremacy, or will it be the start of something much more explosive? More importantly, will history soon repeat itself, but this time in a reversed role for Randy Orton?

See if The Viper’s venom has sustained Legacy’s lifeblood this week on Monday Night Raw, live on USA Network at 9/8 CT.

Orton’s had a busy June. Last Sunday, he lost the championship to Batista at the “Extreme Rules” event. On Monday, Orton gets a shot at another title belt during WWE’s Monday Night RAW event at Time Warner Cable Arena. The marquee event of the star-filled card is Orton’s WWE championship match against Triple H, Big Show, and John Cena.

Orton belongs to a WWE stable of multi-generation wrestlers that also includes Cody Rhodes (son of Dusty Rhodes) and Ted DiBiase Jr. (son of Million Dollar Man). For his part, he says nepotism has nothing to do with his success. “When I started, I didn’t know how to throw a dropkick. Now I’ve got one of the best,” Orton says. “(Wrestling) came quick to me.”

Despite a successful career, he says he has no desire to wrestle forever. “The business has given me a lot,” he says. “I’ve seen the world. I have a nice house with a pool out back and a gym in the pool house. If you watched (the movie) ‘The Wrestler,’ you know it doesn’t always turn out like that.

“I don’t want to put myself in a position where financially I need to perform when I’m 60 or 50 or even in my mid-40s. There will be a time when I’m a dad of two or three and I just want to be at home with my family.” (Orton’s daughter turns 1 in July.)

Although he doesn’t see himself leaving wrestling anytime soon, Orton wouldn’t mind eventually following in the footsteps of that other third-generation wrestler formerly known as The Rock – who now stars in hit family films under his given name, Dwayne Johnson.

“I think that I’d thrive if I could be a bad guy,” says Orton. “Or I’d love to play a superhero. It would be cool to have powers.”

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As you can tell from the banner above it is very much true, Randy is on the cover of this month’s issue of WWE Magazine for the month of July. Certainly worth a mention is Randy’s clever, witty and down right funny guest editorial comments throughout the entire magazine, which in itself should be the very reason you snag a copy when the magazine hits news stands.

Gallery Link:
- Magazines/Publications > WWE Magazines > WWE Magazine > July 2009

At Backlash you became heavyweight champion for the fourth time and officially the No1 guy in the WWE. How is this run going to be different from your three previous reigns?
The older and more mature I’ve become in the business, the more responsibility I’m able to carry in being champion and representing the company. This is going to be where I make my name and I cement myself in history. I’ve already done that in a lot of ways – becoming the youngest champ of all time, being in an Evolution, being a third-generation competitor, headlining WrestleMania.
But I think this title run is going to be what makes Randy Orton.

You got a lot of cheers when you won the belt – is that strange for someone who prides himself on being a heel?
Yes because I’m the bad guy, the heel, I look down on having fans. I try to get people to hate me.

But no matter how loud or how soft it is, I will always hear a group of guys chanting ‘RKO’.

It’s not what I’m going for but it doesn’t necessarily bother me. Deep down it boosts my confidence. It lets me know that no matter how much these people hate me, and no matter how much I’m trying to get them to hate me, maybe I’m just good enough to where they can see through that. They can see the talent and what I’m able to do in the ring and the way I do it.

Also a lot of fans are naturally going to cheer someone who kicks Vince McMahon and Triple H in the head!

Yes, there is that minority of people out there who have seen enough of Triple H.
I’ve had fans come up to me and beg: Please kick Triple H in the head. He’s a huge babyface, probably the ultimate babyface. But no matter what the character is, there’s always going to be that smart group of people who want to see the guy on top shot down.

Just like right now there’s probably guys telling Batista to beat the hell out of me this Sunday at Judgement Day.

When it came to punting your boss Vince McMahon in the head on Raw, did you have to pull your punches a little bit?

Did you see that kick to Vince? It didn’t look like anything was pulled did it?
They replayed that thing from every angle and he definitely ate a big piece of my boot.
When I’m kicking Vince in the head, if it doesn’t look good on live TV, people are going to think: Oh, he didn’t want to kick him too hard because, deep down inside, Orton knows that is his boss so he took it easy on him.

So I did the opposite. I kicked him harder.

What was going through your mind at that point?

I want everything I do in the ring to be as crisp and as perfect as humanely possible.

I calculate my movements to where it’s going to be the best for that moment. So when I kicked Vince in the head, the only thing going through my mind was: I’m going to kick this b*****d in the skull as hard as I can. Here we go. I’ve been waiting for this one!

You are definitely a perfectionist, as is Triple H who is a mentor of yours. So were you both disappointed when your main event at WrestleMania didn’t live up to the expectations of some fans?

This was a storyline where Triple H needed retribution. He needed to beat the living p*** out of me because of what I did. I handcuffed him and made him watch while I beat up his wife and then kissed her while she was unconscious.

Then to top it off after I do that, I knock him out with a sledgehammer to the head. I kick his father-in-law in the skull and put him in the hospital, and do the same to his brother-in-law. I think when all that happens and then you have this match where he can’t be disqualified or he loses the title, you kind of screw yourself.

We were not able to do everything that the other guys were able to do. Matt and Jeff Hardy had a hardcore no-holds-barred match. They were able to use all the bells and whistles to beat the hell out of each other.

Everyone was expecting Triple H and I to do the same, but we had rules that put a fence around everything we were able to do. We weren’t able to go to the extreme. If anything hurt us, it was that.

Did you try to talk Vince out of those rules or change the match in any way?

No, because I was happy with the match. I really was. The crowd in the arena had seen three and half hours of wrestling and, not only that, they had seen some very good wrestling.

Shawn Michaels and Undertaker put on a hell of a performance, the Money In The Bank match was crazy and a lot of guys did some death-defying maneuvres. When you do that and then you have this match with two guys who can’t be outside of the ring for more than 10 seconds, you kinda screw yourself.

You’ve backed yourself into a corner where it’s going to be hard to outperform the matches that went before you.

I think our storyline and what our match was all about deserved to be the main-event match on WrestleMania. But I think that the restraints and stipulations around the match made it harder on us than it should have been.

Another thing that your fans were disappointed by was when, the night after your amazing Royal Rumble victory, part-timer Shane McMahon beat the hell out of you. Did you share that frustration?

Shane McMahon is a tough son of a bitch and he can hang with anybody. He can hold his own and I don’t think there was anything wrong with that night you’re talking about.

I just think the hardcore fans didn’t like it. They disapproved, because in their minds he shouldn’t be able to hang with a top guy. They think that Shane McMahon shouldn’t be able to go toe to toe with Randy Orton.

The fact that Shane is not a wrestler on the active roster – he only comes back every couple of years and doesn’t dress or carry himself like a professional wrestler – definitely hurts his character and believability.

But he is that good he can have a desk job, wear a suit and fly all over the world to represent the WWE – then every once in a while just drop in and fight a guy and do well.
But if that’s what the hardcore fans believe then fine, because – you know what – they’ll be tuning in the next week to see what happens. So it doesn’t matter to me.

There seems to be a real drive in the WWE since WrestleMania to create new stars. How important do you feel that is?

Anywhere you go in this business, there is always that need to recruit and create talent. WWE has a farm system down in Florida, FCW, where they have 50-60 guys at any given time.

There are lots of second generations down there.

Mike Rotunda’s sons are up and comers, they will be debuting soon I’m sure. Harry Smith has been up, he’s been back, he’s been up – he was a potential fourth member of Legacy for a while and I can see him being part of our group in the future. We need these young guys and new guys to be tutored to one day be the top-level performers in our company – because people get old or get hurt.

My one criticism of WWE at the moment is it seems a little stale on top. For example, I’ve already seen you wrestle Triple H, Batista, Shawn Michaels, Undertaker, John Cena and so on – so who is there for you to fight on PPV who you haven’t already?

You do have a good point there. But I think, depending on the scenario, there is always going to be potential to revisit things. What the WWE is very good at is creating these matches to be interesting every time we do them.

That’s what we do business on.

And we’ll blow everyone’s socks off at Judgement Day with them! You’re never going to cater to everyone 100 per cent of the time but we do enough where we have a great fan base all over the world that is going to stay tuned.

But this is another reason to bring up new guys and get them to have main-event matches with top talent. It’s the whole point of having Ted and Cody in Legacy – I’m making future opponents for myself, John Cena, Shelton Benjamin and Carlito, as we’ll all still be here in 10 years’ time.

For a while, Manu was going to be one of those guys. He was in Legacy, then he wasn’t and now he’s gone from the WWE. What happened there?

Manu had some respect issues.

There are a lot of different reasons he wasn’t good for Legacy, but the reason he’s not with the company anymore had a lot to do with his backstage attitude.

His father was the great Afa, of the Wild Samoans, and Manu had been in the ring since his early teens. Now, in his early 20s, technically he’s been in the ring for more than a decade – but not really. Really he’d only been in the business a month by the time I knew him. He carried himself like he had been in the business for 15 years.

He thought he knew everything. He thought he deserved a first-class seat when we went overseas. He thought he didn’t have to pick up in the lockeroom after the show was over, like the new guys do.He didn’t feel like he had to pay his dues, because he’d already paid them. What he doesn’t understand is that wrestling once a week for 10 years doesn’t count.

When wrestling is all you do, when everyone in the world knows who you are and you’ve held titles and main-evented PPVs – that’s when you start to get to the point where you might deserve a little something extra. I don’t think he applied himself in the gym or when it came to his diet. He just thought: Hey, my dad is Afa, the Wild Samoan, so I get a job. I deserve to be here.He just didn’t get it.

So who is going to be the fourth member of Legacy? Harry Smith? Or do you have your eye on someone else?
If someone came to me and said we need another guy in this group, I would go with Harry. Right now though, I think we’re fine.
I feel like everything is running its course. It’s going smooth.

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Randy Orton has been on an incredible roll as of late. I know that you and Randy came up together. Did the two of you ever sit around in Ohio Valley Wrestling and say, “One day, we’ll be headlining WrestleMania?”
CENA: No. As a matter of fact, when we were in OVW, we thought we wouldn’t make it out of Kentucky. I don’t want to say we were two lost souls, but we were surrounded by talent that was one of the greatest developmental units to ever be assembled. I think WWE started the developmental system in the mid ’90s, and that class of 2000 through ’02 I think is the most successful that has ever been. We were literally just two average guys among some very gifted performers, and never once did we think we’d be headlining WrestleMania.

What do you think about Orton’s performances recently?
CENA: I’ve said this before and I said this before his – what is this, his fifth or sixth “breakout?” – that he is the best guy we’ve got. He is certainly the best performer of my generation.

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