Kyle Fletcher has been getting compared to Randy Orton lately, and while the AEW star appreciates being mentioned alongside a 14-time World Champion, he’s not interested in spending his career being known as the next Viper.
Fletcher’s physical transformation has gotten plenty of attention in recent years. Between shaving his head, adding muscle, and developing a more imposing appearance, the AEW star has started drawing comparisons to Orton, particularly when it comes to their builds.
During an appearance on What Happened When with Conrad Thompson and Tony Schiavone, Fletcher was asked how he feels about being compared to one of WWE’s biggest stars. And apparently, he wasn’t complaining when he first started hearing it.
“When I first started hearing it, it was that reaction of, ‘Aw man, Randy Orton is great. I love Randy Orton.’ To be mentioned in the same sentence as him was awesome.”
But Fletcher also knows there’s a pretty big difference between looking like Randy Orton and accomplishing what Orton has done throughout his career. The AEW star acknowledged that Orton has spent nearly three decades establishing himself as one of wrestling’s biggest names, while Fletcher is still working toward building his own legacy.
“At the same time, any wrestler should want to carve their own path. I think that I’ve started to do so. It’s hard to compare us because Randy is 30 years into the business and has won 14 world championships. Obviously, I’m not at that level yet.”
And Fletcher isn’t setting his sights low, either. Rather than spending his career being compared to Orton, he’s hoping to reach a point where younger wrestlers are eventually compared to him.
“I would like to that, by the time my career is said and done, people will be doing the same thing to me. I don’t take it as a negative thing. It makes me more determined to carve my own path.”
Fletcher has continued establishing himself in AEW, and the attention surrounding his changing appearance has only added to the comparisons. But he’s clearly more concerned with what he accomplishes inside the ring than whether he resembles a WWE legend.
For now, Fletcher doesn’t mind hearing Randy Orton’s name brought up alongside his own. He just wants to make sure that when his career is over, people remember Kyle Fletcher for what he accomplished — not who he happened to look like.
Do you see the similarities between Kyle Fletcher and Randy Orton? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
