Despite earning mixed reviews, Randy Orton’s match against Edge at WrestleMania 36 , which aired on the WWE Network in two parts over the weekend, proved to be quite memorable, as it marked Edge’s first professional wrestling match since he retired due to a neck injury in 2011. But even with Orton losing the match to the returning “Rated-R Superstar,” the 13-time former world champion remains a favorite for his former Evolution stablemate, WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair.
In an interview with talkSPORT ‘s Alex McCarthy, Flair had a lot of good things to say about Orton in the aftermath of his WrestleMania match, stressing that among WWE’s male superstars, “The Viper” is the No. 1 wrestler in the company. This is despite the fact that Orton had turned 40 years old earlier this month and has not been involved in recent feuds over the WWE Championship — Monday Night Raw ‘s top title since it moved from the SmackDown brand late last year.
“Nobody is higher on Randy Orton than I am,” Flair told talkSPORT .
“I think, right now, he is doing some of the best work he has ever done and I think Edge is too. Randy has done and accomplished so much and he’s been there a long time – people don’t realize this.”
Further discussing why he believes Orton is the best that WWE’s roster currently has to offer, Flair singled out his ability to cut promos as one of his biggest strengths, adding that his former Evolution colleague is in good health and at the “top of his game” as a wrestler. The 70-year-old Hall of Famer also opined that Orton, despite being one of the older full-time WWE superstars at the moment, keeps getting better when given the chance to show what he can do.
The ? is lurking… waiting… #Raw @RandyOrton pic.twitter.com/dwr1gz9rmE
— WWE (@WWE) March 10, 2020
As explained by talkSPORT ‘s McCarthy, Orton had what many believed was the “hottest” storyline in the lead-up to WrestleMania 36 , as he and Edge built up their feud from the moment the latter made his comeback at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view in January. McCarthy also agreed with Flair’s opinion that the third-generation superstar can indeed perform at a high level, noting that he has done so while working a lighter schedule than usual and making way for WWE’s younger stars in recent years.
Aside from putting over Orton as the top guy on WWE’s male roster, Flair also revealed who he believes is the best female wrestler in the company. Not surprisingly, he picked his daughter Charlotte, calling her the “female Orton” and saying that she has been one of WWE’s all-time best in terms of making her opponents look good in the ring.