Randy Orton On What He Could Teach Tommaso Ciampa

During a WWE Backlash conference call, Randy Orton was asked about what it would be like to go to NXT and face off against Tommaso Ciampa, who he has recently been trading jabs with on Twitter this week. Orton said he would do whatever the boss asks him to do and would love to work with the young talent in NXT.

"Yeah, whatever Vince tells me to do, I am going to do it," Orton said. "If it's working with Tommaso Ciampa then I'd be all for it, I think he's very talented and there's a few things I can help him with. Mainly, to help him get a little more out of his career.

"I know he's been plagued with injuries, but I also know he loves and respects this business. The NXT guys worry me because I see them doing such highly physical things during their matches, those things are dangerous and they wear and tear on your career."

Orton discussed NXT's style of matches being more physical and high-risk compared to the main roster and his style of wrestling.

"When you see so much of that back to back, you don't get to invest in these matches because they're just one thing after another. Although it's highly physically impressive, and I wouldn't be able to do that style, they're going to have very short careers.

"I worry about Ciampa in particular because with all these big injuries he's had, he needs to learn how to tell stories and slow it down and not think that the fans want to see him kill himself. You're only as good as the last match you ever had."

Orton noted that wrestlers have had their careers cut short due to wrestling a tough style. Orton said that ultimately the goal should be to get paid.

"If you only get 3 or 4 years of a career with the WWE because you did a lot of careless and reckless moves, you have to look back and kick yourself in the ass and wish that you didn't," Orton stated. "Smarter, not harder. When it comes down to it, this is a business, we all need to make money. You can't destroy your body and make no money doing it and then you end up working at McDonalds because you never went to college and you destroyed your neck in the ring. There has to be a purpose and that purpose is getting paid."

"That's my biggest concern for those guys in NXT," Orton continued. "I would love to go down there and share a little bit of knowledge with them."

Orton has had a storied career and signed a ten-year contract this past January. Orton, who turned 40 this past April, said that he plans to retire when his contract is up and he turns 50.

"I've been doing this 20 years, and I'll do it another 10," Orton said. "My plan would be to keep going until my 50th birthday. I would be able to do that and support my family for 30 years because of the way I tell stories in the ring. The facial expression, transitional things, those are the things people remember."

Orton faces Edge this Sunday at WWE Backlash. You can check out the full Backlash card here.

You can listen to the full conference call in the video above, via Inside The Ropes. If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.