Before he signed his new five-year contract with WWE, Randy Orton took to social media multiple ties teasing the idea that he might make the jump over to All Elite Wrestling. The 13-time world champion’s 10-year-contract with WWE was originally supposed to expire in Summer 2020, but news of his new deal broke back on the Nov. 5 right before the WWE Backstage premiere. During a panel interview at Starrcast IV ahead of Full Gear, Cody and Brandi Rhodes addressed Orton teasing a jump to AEW as a possible negotiation tactic with WWE.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Both said they didn’t mind Orton’s strategy and encouraged others to do the same if they want.
“I encourage it honestly, because if they’re feeling any way where they’re starting to tip, people who do this they are all very talented people and they have big followings and stuff like that,” Brandi said. “Why not do something? Don’t do nothing. Do something to showcase, ‘Hey, this is how I’m feeling. There are these other options.’ I don’t mind that. Sometimes I know what they’re doing when they do that and I’ll give them that little bit back because it’s okay.”
“We’re brothers and sisters as wrestlers,” Cody said. “We really are. It doesn’t matter what roof we’re under. And the the wrestling industry is, if you compare to other entertainment of comparable influence like popular tv, where they’re paid so much and they’re unionized and they have so much to protect them and safeguards. One of the most exciting things about AEW is we’ve been able to raise the entire pay floor for the entire industry. So if Randy wants to take a dumb photo on an elevator and tag people he doesn’t even know in it and they’re dumb enough to buy it and they pay him a certain amount, good for Randy Orton.”
Check out Orton’s elevator post Cody mentioned below.
Elsewhere on Instagram, Orton is trying to get himself booked in a WrestleMania 36 match with John Cena.
