The Original Idea Behind Randy Orton’s 'Legend Killer' Gimmick

During a recent episode of the Something to Wrestle podcast, Bruce Prichard discussed Randy Orton’s feud with Mick Foley in 2004, the original idea behind Orton's "Legend Killer" gimmick, and more.

On Randy Orton’s feud with Mick Foley in 2004:

“Part of it was Mick’s desire to work with Orton. Mick would always sit back and look at different guys that he felt he could really help get over and that he felt he would have good chemistry. Mick would look at Randy and say, ‘I could do some fun things and be able to have a long-term story.” Give it a little meat on the bone, if you will. Any time that Mick would do that – he did it with Randy, he did it with Edge. It’s a chance to be under that learning tree and do something different that’s a different style and artform. It was a great opportunity for him.”

On the original idea behind Orton’s Legend Killer gimmick:

“When you looked around at some of the talent we had available to us, and you looked at Randy and the youth – if you want to make a name for yourself and you’re a young kid, you shoot for the top of the mountain. You go for those legends and knock them off. This was an opportunity to do it. It just kind of fell into it, and we thought Randy was the perfect guy to do it because Randy had chemistry with everybody. Randy was able to adapt his style to whoever he was in the ring with. Again, that’s a beautiful artform that made Randy stand out. You knew if you put Randy in the ring with a Hulk Hogan, you put Randy in the ring with anybody, he would’ve made it work.”

On Orton’s match with Foley at Backlash 2004:

“I remember it being a classic and looking at that and saying, ‘Alright, Randy is not a one-trick pony that just goes out and has pretty matches. Randy is able to do it all.’ Randy definitely could do it all. At the same time, I think Randy coming back through the curtain after it was like ‘forget this and keep the damn thumbtacks’ [laughs]. I think Randy liked going out and having matches and telling a story that way, but at the same time, really appreciated the opportunity to go out and tell a story in a different way in a hardcore match and being able to hang.”