Why Randy Orton Says He's Happy With Changes He's Seen In WWE

Randy Orton has seen the business change multiple times over the years, both as a wrestler and a spectator. Growing up the son of "Cowboy" Bob Orton, he has seen the wrestling industry, WWE especially, evolve in to an international juggernaut that has transcended pop culture at times. Just in the past two years, WWE has found itself in something of a new golden era with Triple H running creative, a new set of main event stars, and a brand new partnership with Netflix beginning in 2025 that will see the company reach an even bigger audience.

As someone who was out injured throughout most of the recent changes, Orton sat down with Sports Illustrated to talk about the altered aspects of WWE that he has enjoyed the most. "Since I've been back, post-spinal fusion, and I'm talking like Chicago Survivor Series, Triple H and Nick Khan reassured me to come to them if I needed anything and they'd take care of it," Orton said. "If something is bugging me and I don't want to put my body through a physical toll of a match, I can still make the TV, cut a promo, and hit an RKO or two. That is going to enable me to do this for a long time. I'm very happy with the changes."

Orton believes the locker room is also very happy with said changes, as he has experienced the complete opposite during his career. The multi-time WWE Champion explained that he was denied time off many times in the past to deal with his constant back issues, with people within WWE blaming "mother nature" for the problems and not the relentless touring schedule.