WWE: Randy Orton on 2022 Back Surgery Gave New Life to His Wrestling Career, Mark Shapiro on WWE’s Deal with Netflix Took A Lot of Convincing, More News

Aug 30, 2024

Randy Orton Comments on His Back Surgery in 2022 Has Given New Life to His Wrestling Career

The Independent held a recent interview with Randy Orton. One of the topics discussed included Orton’s thoughts about how his back surgery in 2022 has given new life to his wrestling career.

“I was able to do things in the gym that I hadn’t done since I was in my 20s, and since I had my back fixed, I was able to strengthen it. That gave me new life. That gave me stability – almost like body armor, so to speak, that I had never had before.”

TKO President Mark Shapiro Comments on WWE’s Deal with Netflix Took “A Lot of Convincing” to Get Done

As noted before, WWE signed a new television and media rights deal with Netflix this past January for WWE RAW that goes into effect starting in January of 2025.

A recent episode of The Main Event with Andrew Marchand podcast featured TKO Group President and COO Mark Shapiro as the guest. One of the topics discussed included Shapiro’s thoughts about how WWE’s deal with Netflix was not easy to get done and took a lot of convincing to get Netflix on board.

“No, I don’t think they’re jumping into that any time quick (Shapiro responded to the question of if he thinks Netflix will bring more live sports into their portfolio) and I will tell ya, this (WWE on Netflix) wasn’t an easy deal. Ted Sarandos is amazing and just an incredible track record of success and frankly, driving change in the business along with Reed (Hastings) and you know, Bela (Bajaria) has just completely reorganized the content team there. Showing the willingness to take chances and big swings and not afraid of risks and has a $17 billion dollar budget behind her. So, they’re in it. If they think there’s something out there, premium, that’s going to bring in subs and keep subs and allow them to raise prices and sell advertising, they’ll jump in so in that respect, if sports is going to do it at a reasonable price, they’ll do it. But there’s no behind the scenes strategy. Wink, wink — we’re getting into WWE which is close to sports and then we’ll get some NFL games and then we’ll really open up the floodgates. It took ‘em a lot of convincing by Bela and Ari (Emanuel) and me to Ted directly and Spencer Neumann, the C.F.O., to get them all in on the WWE and then they took a shot. But guess what? They drove a hard bargain, they were terrific negotiators. The devil’s in the details and there are a lot of details and they held their ground and I think they got a great deal for themselves as well.”

Transcript h/t: PostWrestling.com

WWE News & Notes

As noted before, the upcoming Mr. McMahon docuseries based on former WWE Executive Chairman Vince McMahon will be premiering on Netflix on September 25th. In an official statement to Wrestlenomics’ Brandon Thurston, a spokesperson for Janel Grant stated that neither Grant nor her representatives were interviewed for Netflix’s upcoming new docuseries.

WrestleVotes reported that their sources stated that the upcoming The Killer’s Game film will be the presenting sponsor for the Strap match between CM Punk and Drew McIntyre at this Saturday’s WWE Bash In Berlin event. This upcoming film stars former WWE wrestler Dave Bautista and features McIntyre among its cast.

Fightful Select reported that their sources stated that WWE currently plans to maintain their format of fewer matches for their Premium Live Events. It was reported that WWE officials have been happy with their PLEs featuring less matches on them compared to the past format for events. Those spoken to reportedly stated that this has helped WWE officials stack RAW and SmackDown shows with more matches and has been beneficial when running SmackDown shows in the same city as a PLE event the following night.

In a recent interview with German tabloid newspaper Blid, Gunther gave his thoughts about his past comments about not wanting to move to the United States for his wrestling career and changing his stance over it years later in WWE. Gunther stated “But at some point, I couldn’t achieve anything more in Europe. It had to be done. (GUNTHER said about his move to the USA).“

In a recent interview with The Rich Eisen Show, former WWE and current AEW talent Swerve Strickland gave his thoughts about “political moves” backstage prevented him from having a successful career in WWE. Strickland stated “Political moves. Just political moves, I can say. I’ll just leave it at ‘political moves.’“(Transcript h/t: F4WOnline.com)

In a recent episode of the Talk’n Shop podcast, co-host Karl Anderson gave his thoughts about a recent post on Reddit that claimed that 2012 Karl Anderson would be appalled by the booking of 2024 Anderson in WWE. Anderson stated “He (Reddit poster) said, ‘2012 Karl Anderson would be appalled at 2024 Karl Anderson’s booking,’ and that made me laugh. I mean, it’s funny because it is funny to say that. But, I have to say this: That’s a funny statement, I’m glad I read that, it was hilarious. But if 2012 Karl Anderson could have even invented in his brain what was to come in the next 12 years, if Karl Anderson from 2012 to 2024 could see the vision of all the stuff he was gonna do for 12 years… if Karl Anderson could stand there and see the next 12 years from 2012, he would have been blown away and he would have said, bring it. I want all of it. Man, as I sit here and think about it, it takes me back. Standing in those G1 rings in 2012 and I stood in G1 rings. I was in G1 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015. Did all those G1s. In 2008 and 2009, I wasn’t in the tournaments but I was in — I was there. I was there and I remember seeing it and watching it and going, ‘Wow. These are amazing…’” (Transcript h/t: PostWrestling.com)

In a recent interview with Nerd Reactor, Drew McIntyre gave his thoughts about Dave Bautista being his mentor on set of the filming of The Killer’s Game and when he first joined WWE. McIntyre stated “Oh, it’s so much fun (being a part of The Killer’s Game with Dave Bautista). This is my first movie I’ve been a part of. The character that was presented to me by Dave was so exciting and intriguing to me and it’s a world people have asked me constantly, ‘You gonna get involved with eventually?’ And I was like, ‘We’ll see what happens.’ I’m a wrestler. That’s first and foremost and is number one in my life. But to be there, be with Dave, who I grew up with in WWE. He was already a made star, main eventer when I arrived in 2007 and I was a kid that knew nothing and he helped guide me on my journey when I first arrived. Not just navigating WWE, but also navigating life because I was just absolutely clueless. I was just picked up from Scotland in college and dropped down and he was there, you know, as a friend and mentor and it’s interesting to fast-forward so many years. The success he’s had in the entertainment world in Hollywood and now, he’s doing the exact same. He’s helping guide me along. Mentoring me once again and the experience on the movie, it was just, yeah, unreal. It’s crazy what WWE prepares you for. It really prepares you for it feels like anything in life. But specifically, this world, I was so nervous. Dave calmed my nerves and that red light went on. I just relaxed again.” (Transcript h/t: PostWrestling.com)