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Randy Orton sat down with Kurt Angle and Conrad Thompson for an episode of 'The Kurt Angle Show' podcast, where the Apex Predator spoke about his old finishing move and the origins of the RKO.
Kurt Angle chimed in and added that he stole his iconic Ankle Lock from Ken Shamrock.
Shamrock's mention led to Orton making a host of interesting comments about the former UFC Champion. Orton said that while he never met Ken Shamrock, he had a lot of respect for the former WWE star, and he wished they could interact someday.
Randy Orton highlighted Ken Shamrock's incredible resume, which included high-profile stints at several top companies from the professional wrestling and MMA worlds. Shamrock was in WWE during the Attitude Era's peak, and he was also one of the first major stars created by the UFC in the mid-90s.
Shamrock was a legitimate hardman who always found himself in companies that were experiencing big moments. Randy Orton felt Shamrock's presence during those monumental occasions wasn't a coincidence as the combat sports veteran was an exceptionally gifted athlete.
"Shamrock, you know what, I've never met that man, but I would really like to meet him. Nothing but respect for him. Well, I feel like he has been; it might have been him even, but no matter what company you look at, whether it's UFC, TNA, WWE, and probably some others out there. Like whenever there was like a hot moment in that industry like he was kind of there for it, you know what I mean? I don't think that's a coincidence," Orton said.
Lesnar is in there too: Randy Orton on the importance of having legitimate tough guys in wrestling
Randy Orton also explained the importance of having performers like Kurt Angle and Ken Shamrock in the wrestling business. Angle, Shamrock, and many other wrestlers were legitimate combat athletes who could genuinely fight people, if necessary.
Randy Orton also added Steve Blackman and Brock Lesnar's names to the list of believable wrestlers who could do damage in a real fight. The 14-time WWE champion stated that the 'legit bad dudes' were a necessity in wrestling as they helped add credibility to the moves and finishers of other wrestlers.
Randy Orton backed up his point by noting that if Ken Shamrock succumbed to the RKO, then his finisher would automatically be seen as more powerful in the eyes of the fans.
"I think that, and again the same thing with you, Kurt, when you know, even as a fan, like I know Batista, I know The Rock. I know Randy Orton and John Cena. I know they are bada**es in that WWE ring, but when I'm thinking of the kind of guys that could really do some damage, you know, I'm thinking of the Kurt Angles and the Ken Shamrocks. I never knew (Steve) Blackman, but maybe just I'm a big old mark. Conrad, you'd know. Was Steve Blackman a badass shooter? Still, is? Hey Steve, how you doing?"
"But you know, there is some bad dudes in this business, legit bad dudes, and of course, Lesnar is in there too, and I think that only helps the business when you've got guys like that who understand the art, can go in there and use their strengths to make other talent look like, 'Oh, Randy Orton can hang with Shamrock. Did you see that?' Or, 'Randy Orton beat Shamrock with an RKO.' That only helps me, which helps other people down the line when they eventually one day kick out of my finish," Orton explained.
Randy Orton ended his statement by returning to Ken Shamrock and reiterating the UFC Hall of Famer's knack of always being present at the right time and the ideal place in wrestling and MMA history.
"We are all helping each other to make each other the best we can be, and I feel like Shamrock, bringing it back to Shamrock; I think he was always there. He was always there when there was some kind of momentous occasion or time period in the history of all the places he has been," Randy Orton added.
Ken Shamrock is presently 57 years old, and he last wrestled for IMPACT Wrestling in January earlier this year. Shamrock also went into the IMPACT Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2020, and it was The Rock who did the induction honors via a video message.
Does Ken Shamrock also deserve a place in the WWE Hall of Fame? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
If any quotes are used from this article, please credit The Kurt Angle Show and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling.
