Randy Orton Recalls Triple H Picking Him For Evolution
In 2003, Triple H put together a four-man group to pay homage to the Four Horsemen and showcase the evolution of wrestling.
Ric Flair represented the past, Triple H represented the present, and Randy Orton and Batista represented the future.
Speaking to Steve Austin on Broken Skull Sessions, Orton recalled how he found out he would be in the group.
“It was pretty simple,” Orton began. “I was coming back from injury and I was on the floor, working with a guy and he had me in a figure four and I was selling, just working on my selling. I remember Triple H coming over, and I knew he was watching, so I start turning it up a little and doing everything I can to get him to notice. Later that day, someone comes to me and goes, ‘we’re thinking about doing this thing with you, Triple H, and Ric Flair.’ I come to find out it was Hunter that saw me that day in the ring (and thought), ‘that kid has something. Cowboy Bob’s son? Okay. If the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, maybe we have something.’ What a huge thing for me. I understood how awesome it was at that point. As a child, I had no idea of understanding the scope of what was happening there. Looking back, I’m the first to admit how lucky I was that [Triple H and Ric Flair] took a liking to me and took me under their wing.”
Orton won his first WWE World Heavyweight Championship as part of Evolution at SummerSlam 2004.
He was kicked out of the group the following night on WWE Raw.
Elsewhere during the interview, Orton discussed how much longer he’d like to wrestle. You can find his full comments by clicking here.
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