“If I wasn’t all beat to hell, I’d love to get in the ring with Randy”

Hulk Hogan on Randy Orton: “If I wasn’t all beat to hell, I’d love to get in the ring with Randy”

Hulk Hogan believes Randy Orton has no peer in pro wrestling.

The wrestling icon, who experienced two career-defining runs atop the industry, wrestled Orton in his final WWE match, which took place at SummerSlam in 2006. Since then, he has watched Orton develop, mature, and evolve into a legend.

“Randy’s done something I haven’t seen done before,” said Hogan. “He’s a hybrid. A third-generation wrestler who learned from the old school. You can’t see any holes in his work. Everything he does means something. Randy doesn’t get a guy in the corner and stomp him 20 times for no reason. He’ll stop you once or twice, and it means something. He understands how to adjust and adapt in a way no one else really does.”

Hogan, who began his in-ring career in 1977, shares a deep history with the Orton family. Hogan and “Cowboy” Bob Orton, who is Randy’s father, feuded in the 1980’s, where Orton famously played a role in the very first WrestleMania that starred Hogan.

“Randy’s father was unbelievable in the ring,” said Hogan. “Before I got in the business, I used to watch Bob Orton and Steve Keirn go at it. Steve was a year ahead of me in high school, and we’d always talk about wrestling. I was so hooked and dialed in. Years later, I got to work with Orton, and he was amazing in the ring.”

An underrated and vastly talented heel, Orton learned the business from his father–“The Big O” Bob Orton.

“When I was getting into the business, I got to meet Randy’s grandfather, The Big O,” said Hogan. “He used to wrestle in Tampa. I was such a big wrestling mark, I’d chase the wrestlers to the local bar, the Imperial Room, where they’d all hang out. He was really nice to me, but he was mean as hell in the ring. He was something really special in the ring, too. During that time period, he’d leave lace prints on you. Nothing but respect for the whole Orton family.”

Orton just returned to WWE following an 18-month absence where he dealt with constant back issues. Looking absolutely shredded, Orton has instantly added value to Raw and SmackDown. Now 43, his style and approach have changed, yet he remains one of the most exciting wrestlers in the world.

“Watching Randy now, he fits perfectly,” said Hogan. “Not only does he adjust to the styles of the young guys, but watch his matches. He slows guys down and teaches them in the match. On the spot, he calls audibles and shows them how to do it. Open my hand, here’s the diamond. He’s transitioned from old school to this hybrid.”

Hogan turned 70 last summer, and his days main-eventing WWE shows have passed. But if he were ever able to find the fountain of youth and step back into the ring, he knows who he’d like to wrestle.

Courtesy WWE

“If I wasn’t all beat to hell, I’d love to get in the ring with Randy,” said Orton. “We could still tear it down in the main event. Randy could call it in the ring, and he could adjust to my style to make sure it worked perfectly. He’s just so good. He can work with veterans and the newer guys, too. He knows how to pivot both ways in the ring.

“He understands wrestling in a way very few do. That’s why he is making masterpieces in the ring.”