On his Six Feet Under podcast, The Undertaker reflected on his rivalry with Randy Orton and explained why he made the deliberate decision to sell heavily for “The Legend Killer” during their 2005 feud. Undertaker didn’t just praise Orton’s talent – he revealed exactly why he felt Orton deserved that level of elevation.
The conversation began as Undertaker and Michelle McCool rewatched the clip of Undertaker’s dramatic return at Survivor Series 2005. Michelle pointed out how young Orton looked, prompting Undertaker to say, “I bet Randy was what, 23?” Michelle replied, “Oh yeah, he was young.” Randy actually was 25 years old at the time.
Later in the episode, Michelle asked whether Orton was one of his greatest rivals. Undertaker didn’t hesitate to praise his natural ability, saying Orton was “fun to work with.” He elaborated by explaining how mature Orton already was inside the ring despite his age. “He was young and you know, I obviously… you could see tons of potential in him and you knew he was gonna be a star.”
Then The Undertaker revealed the exact moment people began questioning him about how much offense he gave Orton during their feud. He recalled, “I do remember… people asking, or making comments like to the fact of why I sold so much for him.”
Undertaker explained that even though bumping big for younger wrestlers wasn’t common for established main-eventers in that era, he made a conscious choice with Orton. “I sold a lot for Randy. I knew that was his trajectory and that’s where he was going.”
Undertaker made it clear he had no hesitation doing it because Orton’s talent justified it. Even in his mid-20s, Undertaker said Orton had an effortless smoothness that most wrestlers never achieve. “He was smooth even at however young he was there, 23, 24, however old he was… he was still really smooth and fun to work with.”
The praise did not come lightly. Undertaker emphasized that this decision went against norms of that era, where veterans rarely gave away high-impact bumps to rising stars. He referenced taking “a big backdrop” during their program – a bump top stars typically avoided unless it served a purpose. For Orton, Undertaker felt it was worth it, both for Orton’s development and for the story being told.
The respect in Undertaker’s voice during the segment made it clear that Orton earned everything he was given – and more. Undertaker saw star power, composure, timing, and talent that were undeniable, and he wanted to match that talent with the credibility only The Undertaker could give.
By the end of the discussion, Undertaker left no doubt why he elevated Orton the way he did. He didn’t do it because he was asked to. He didn’t do it because of storyline politics. He did it because he saw greatness early.
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