Randy Orton Wishes THIS Wrestler Had Never Left WWE

WWE stalwart Randy Orton on the wrestler he wishes was still with Vince McMahon's company.

Randy Orton
WWE

WWE stalwart Randy Orton misses having Bryan Danielson around.

The reigning Raw Tag Team Champion said as much himself during a recent appearance on Out of Character with Ryan Satin, doing so as part of a wider statement on what he wants his professional wrestling legacy to be.

Quizzed on the topic, Orton claimed that longevity is his goal, delivering a statement on preserving his body and calling back to older eras of wrestling in line with how he has always approached the artform (h/t WrestlingNews.co):-

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“I think my legacy is longevity. I think finding a way to do it in a smart way to where you stay true to the things from the era of my father, the art of professional wrestling, not just thinking that, ‘Okay, if I clothesline this guy’s head off, because I was a big, bad linebacker in the NFL, and that’s what’s gonna get me to my next week and get people to buy my t-shirts, and that’s what’s gonna get me over.’ No, we got to do this 200 times a year.”

Continuing, Orton referenced Edge, Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, and Danielson (whom he misses) as his peers in taking the wrestling business into its next generation, ensuring that those who came after him understand "the right way" of doing things:-

"I want my legacy to be that I made sure that the guys like Edge, and Seth Rollins, and AJ Styles and, God, I miss Daniel Bryan. I wish he was still here. But these guys that are coming up like Priest, Theory, the Street Prophets, Riddle, these guys that have all the potential in the world. In some cases, like the first guys, I listed, Roman as well, these guys that can work, and they know the art of this business, I want my legacy to be that I was able to, with these gentlemen, take this business to the next generation and make sure that that new wave of talent knows how to do it the right way, staying true to the art of what it is, and making sure that number one priority is taking care of your opponent’s health that you’re in the ring with. That needs to be number one in every case. I think if that’s my legacy, I’m happy with that.”

Danielson departed WWE after losing a championship vs. career match to Roman Reigns in April 2020. Four months later, he showed up at AEW's All Out 2021 pay-per-view, mounting a surprise debut following that of Adam Cole, who was crossing over from WWE himself.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.