Randy Orton praised by WWE star for being “exactly what a veteran should be”

During an appearance on WWE’s The Bump, Kevin Owens commented on the fan reaction Randy Orton received at the 2024 Backlash PLE…

“Randy is somebody I’ve looked up to for so long, even before I even got to WWE as an aspiring wrestler. Then once I got here, someone who, in my opinion, is exactly what a veteran should be and what we should all aspire to be, as far as an example in the locker room. Wasn’t always perfect in his younger years, but he readily admits to it, owns up to the mistakes he’s made. He’s truly a leader, without wanting to be one, without saying he’s a leader. He doesn’t have to say he’s a locker room leader, he just is. To me, he’s been, as beloved as he is, because he really is, it’s still not enough in my opinion.

To see the reception those fans gave him, and to see that after all these years doing this, because he’s been here a very, very long time, and he’s lived some really amazing things in his career, to see him get…he was soaking it in, and I could tell it meant a lot to him. That made me almost a little emotional, honestly, before the match started, when he was coming out. I could see it meant a lot to him, and yeah, that was a really special moment. That’s what I take away the most from that whole thing, and the fans, they were incredible all night, but what they did for Randy, giving him the love and respect he deserves, that was really cool.” (quote courtesy of Colin Tessier)