21 Biggest Wrestling Stories Of 2018
9. August - Randy Orton Shakes Things Up
As summer reached its climax, the heat was put on Randy Orton when an episode of Court Bauer's MLW radio show from 2012 resurfaced, in which the host made allegations of sexual harassment against the WWE star.
According to Bauer, Randy reserved a particularly rude ritual for newbie writers. The Viper would allegedly whip out his mini-viper, introduce himself, and ask the rookie scribes to "shake his 'hand'". Randy would 'threaten' to tattle on those who wouldn't touch the tail.
WWE's response to the story doing the rounds was to have Orton become increasingly depraved on-screen, hiding behind curtains and looking dodgy. Given the company's track record of tone-deafness, it could just have easily been obliviousness as a direct riposte. Orton himself was said to have brushed off the claims, laughing them up with several writers during an episode of SmackDown shortly after.