WWE: 12 Shocking Real-Life Incidents Wrestlers Want You To Forget

12. Randy Orton Gets Court Martialed

Before following his daddy and granddaddy's footsteps into the squared circle, Randy Orton decided to follow a different career path. Having seen the toll a wrestling life on the road could take on a family, he instead opted to enrol in the United States Marine Corps straight after finishing high school. I'm not sure I entirely follow his logic here, his new career choice meant he'd still spend time away from home AND have the added bonus of potentially getting shot at (though it's probably worth noting that he joined in peacetime) but I'm sure it seemed like a good idea in the moment, maybe he just really liked the uniform. Hell, mine is not to reason why. Whatever his initial reasons, it quickly became apparent that Randy was not suited for life in the military, as within a year he had gone AWOL twice as well as disobeying an order from a superior officer. Following this, he was court-martialled under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, given a Bad Conduct Discharge and spent just over a month in military prison. Sort of like regular prison, only you use your toothbrush to clean your cell toilet rather than fashion it into a shiv. In the years since, Randy has shown a certain amount of repentance for his actions, wholeheartedly admitting that while he respects the Marines, he was not cut out to be one. He covered up his U.S.M.C. tattoo and participated in many of WWE's "Support The Troops" shows, apparently all was forgiven. However, in 2012, Randy was cast as the lead in the third instalment of The Marine franchise, which caused a TON of controversy among the actual Marines, who were incensed that Orton was being cast as a hero of the Corps. WWE wisely chose to recast the role to avoid the bad publicity, which satisfied the military forces. Marines, it transpires, have a long memory.