Randy Orton didn’t pick the “Legend Killer” moniker out of a hat, but he distinctly remembers getting thumbtacks picked out of his back after wrestling the legend in Mick Foley.
WWE shared a video of Randy recalling back to his 20 years in WWE and the subject of his greatest matches get brought up. One that always stands out to him is WWE Backlash 2004, where he faced Foley in a Hardcore Match. In the video, Orton recalled how about how pinning “The Hardcore Legend” in that match was instrumental in taking his career to the next level.
“I’ve got this future Hall of Famer, this all-time great Mick Foley” Randy said. “He’s gotta prove that he’s still got it. Comes out with all the injuries he’s sustained throughout his career and he put it all on the line to show the world that he could still go and to pass that torch to a young Randy Orton. And that’s what he did.”
“And we were in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and it was one of the loudest crowds I’d ever performed in front of. There were so many violent little obstacles in our way. I landed in the thumbtacks in that match. I actually have the thumbtacks that were in my boots after this match. I kept them. There were a few in my back that Ric Flair helped pull out of my back. I kept those too.
“That match helped show the fans that, OK. He’s a contender. This kid is willing to go out there and put his body through that to entertain us. I had them in the palm of my hand. Mick had them in the palm of their hand. And they were eating it up and enjoying every minute of it.
“And they got to witness me go out there and bleed for them. And everything changed after that. I was taken a little more seriously. I became a man that night thanks to Mick Foley.”
“I thought it was really special for Mick Foley to come out of retirement just to work with me,” Orton explained. “I’m so grateful for so many superstars that took the time to help mold me into who I eventually became in this business. And Mick Foley is at the top of that list along with Triple H and Ric Flair for helping me get here. Without them, I wouldn’t be here.”
You can watch the video below:
Transcription credit should go to Matthew Carlins of Wrestling Inc.
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