Top star says Randy Orton was one of his "biggest supporters" when he left WWE for AEW 

In light of Randy Orton's 20th anniversary as a WWE Superstar, top AEW star and long-time veteran Matt Hardy shared his honest thoughts on the Viper, showering praise on him.

The two have a long history inside and outside the ring, having risen through the ranks in WWE around the same time. They even worked with one another towards the end of Hardy's run in the company. Orton was a part of Matt's last on-screen appearance in WWE in 2020.

On the latest edition of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, the AEW star spoke about his relationship with Randy Orton. Hardy recalled his decision to jump ship from WWE to AEW and mentioned Orton as one of his biggest supporters.

"I have nothing but positive things to say about Randy. I love Randy’s storytelling in the ring. I love the way he does his character. Randy was one of my biggest supporters when I left and went to AEW to do my stuff and get over on my own being one of the older guys that was never one of Vince’s top guys. Randy was one of my biggest supporters who would constantly text me." [h/t Wrestling News]

Check out the full podcast in the video below:

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Randy Orton recently celebrated 20 years as a WWE Superstar

In April 2002, Randy Orton made his debut in a televised match against Hardcore Holly on SmackDown. While there was the threat of a shoulder injury derailing his career early on, Orton was still featured on RAW while he was recovering and managed to garner enough momentum to be slotted into the main event picture.

Not long after, the Apex Predator became the youngest WWE Champion in history at the age of 24 and would go on to become a 14-time World Champion and one of the most respected stars of all time. WWE celebrated his contributions to the industry earlier this week on RAW.

What are your thoughts on Orton's 20-year run so far? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.