Randy Orton looks back on darker days in his career.
Randy Orton is one of the longest-tenured members of the WWE roster today but during his momentous rise in the mid-2000s, Randy Orton was, self-admittedly, not as easy to deal with as he could have been.
As a result, Randy Orton was suspended shortly after WrestleMania 22 in 2006 for smoking marijuana backstage at a SmackDown taping.
Randy Orton's final appearance on television for 2 months would take place during a King of the Ring tournament match against Kurt Angle (embedded above) and it would be said on-screen that Randy Orton's ankle was broken. Randy Orton would return for ECW One Night Stand in 2006 where he would face Kurt Angle once again before wrapping up the rivalry with Angle at WWE Vengeance the following month.
Speaking to Steve Austin on a recent episode of The Broken Skull Sessions, Randy Orton briefly touched on the suspension saying that there is no family-friendly way of talking about it and things would not hurt to straighten out with him until the following year when he began working with Edge and John Cena.
The year 2007 was also the year Randy Orton won his first WWE Championship following John Cena's pectoral tear.
“I don't think there (a family-friendly version). Off the reservation, dark, dark, dark. That 60 days happened for reasons. During that 60 days, I did some other shit that landed me a spot where I needed some help. I got the help, I came back, and I still wasn't right. About a year, in the middle of 2007 where I was working with Edge and I think [John] Cena, where I came out of that funk and luckily everything was alright,” said Randy.
In the September 2006 edition of WWE Magazine, Randy Orton discussed anger management issues ultimately being what led to him being suspended.
“My problems came to a head when I decided to smoke a joint and someone smelled it and stooged me off. You know who you are, so if you’re reading this, thanks. But I also had a few outbursts of anger on the road. I get loud and verbally abusive. But I’ve nipped that part of me in the bud.”
He continued, “I attended an anger management clinic in Atlanta. It cost $15,000 for a four-week stay. I had to live down there on the campus. The first week I was there, I was like, OK, I’ll do what I have to do to get out of here.” But then I started to realize, wow, I was wrong in a lot of these situations. I just got this reputation of being hard to work with, being a dick, and everything in the book. But the truth is, I don’t flip out anymore.”
Randy Orton would receive another suspension in 2012 for a wellness policy violation but has remained free of suspension since then.
If you use any of the quotes above, please credit Fightful for the transcription by linking back to this article.
