“I Became a Man That Night”: Randy Orton Shares the Match That Changed His Career Forever

Randy Orton is celebrating twenty years of him in the company with the WWE Universe. The Apex Predator, Randy Orton is currently, 42-years-old. But Orton came into the WWE as a 22-year-old rookie wrestler on this day in 2002.

On the occasion of The Viper’s 20th anniversary, he sat down with the WWE to look back to his glorious moments over the past two decades.

The Apex Predator of WWE went down to a memory trip to one of the iconic matches of his life. Randy Orton took the WWE fans to 18years ago to a match where he felt like he was finally a professional wrestler.

Which match changed Randy Orton’s career?

At the pay-per-view Backlash 2004, The Viper faced Mick Foley for the Intercontinental Championship. According to Orton, this match was the most brutal match. It was because The Viper countered Mick Foley’s “Cactus Jack” persona. Earlier on 19th April 2022, The Cactus Jack Match cemented its 18th anniversary.

Randy Orton mentioned, “That match helped show the fans that okay, ‘He’s a contender. This kid is willing to go out there and put his body through death 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.”

“Mick got to witness me go out there and bleed for them. Everything changed after that; I was taken a little more seriously. I became a man that night. Thanks to Mick Foley,” The Viper added.

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Randy Orton vs. Mick Foley at Backlash 2002 was set in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. In addition, The Viper mentioned the Edmonton crowd that night was one of the loudest crowds he had ever witnessed. Both Foley and Orton earned respect in a violent bout as they put their bodies through thumbtacks and barbed wire.

The Apex Predator couldn’t stop singing praises of Mick Foley!

The WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley had returned to WWE during this time from injuries. However, in this match, Foley put his body again through immense pain for a young Orton. To this day, Orton has thumbtacks from this match as a souvenir.

Orton continued, “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. And now I have got this, this future Hall of Famer, the all-time great Mick Foley. He’s got to prove that he has still got it.”

“He comes out with all the injuries and everything. He has sustained throughout his career, and he put it on the line to show the world that he can still go. And to pass that torch to a young Randy Orton,” The Viper added.

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The Apex Predator considers that Mick Foley had an equal contribution, along with Triple H and Ric Flair, in making him reach the point where he is today. The Legend Killer claimed and expressed his gratitude to Mick Foley, stating that The Cactus Jack match made him a man that night.