Randy Orton: It’s nice having Vince McMahon out of WWE

Though he’s thankful for all of the opportunities Vince McMahon gave him, Randy Orton is happy that WWE has entered a new era.

Orton spoke with Bill Apter last month when his father Bob Orton Jr. was inducted into the St. Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame. In a clip uploaded by Sportskeeda WrestleBinge on Tuesday, Orton was asked about positive changes that have been made in the Paul “Triple H” Levesque era. Orton said it’s nice having McMahon out of there and Levesque in charge. In this new era, Orton believes management understands that it’s important to be home for things like birthdays and holidays.

“Off the top of my head — and, listen, I love Vince, he gave me so many opportunities. But I think it was kind of time for him to move on. It’s unfortunate that it happened in the way that it happened. But it’s nice having people in charge of me that understand how important it is for you to be home for birthdays, and home for Thanksgiving, and home for Christmas,” Orton said.

“Vince McMahon, he had Raw on Monday night live. He doesn’t care if you had kids. I came to him when I was 35 and my back really started going and I pleaded with him like, ‘Man, I got to like not do as many shows, maybe do half the tour and be able to recover.’ And he just looked at me and was like, ‘Oh, I need you on those shows, Randy. Mother Nature gets us all.’ And to hear that and go, ‘Ok, well I guess there’s no other thing I can do other than just wear myself out down to the nub until I can’t walk anymore for this man.’ And all of the opportunities he gave me, it’s nice having him out of there. And it’s nice having his son-in-law Triple H running the game. Nick Khan’s great. Everybody at TKO that’s come in [and] stepped in, they seem to get it. And it’s just a different era…

“I think the way that they care for talent nowadays and make sure that talent’s good and if they need a little bit of a break — we’re only human — they get it, most of the time.”

McMahon resigned from WWE and its parent company TKO Group Holdings this January after the sexual abuse allegations that were made against him in Janel Grant’s lawsuit. Last week, it was revealed that Grant has agreed to delay that lawsuit for six months at the request of the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, which is conducting its own investigation into McMahon. WWE and John Laurinaitis are also defendants in Grant’s lawsuit.

Orton competed at WWE King & Queen of the Ring in Saudi Arabia on May 25, losing to Gunther in the King of the Ring tournament finals.