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WWE fans are comparing 32-year-old Eddy Thorpe to Randy Orton's evil persona from 2009.
Eddy Thorpe signed a deal with WWE in early 2023. He has been a mainstay on NXT since then and is steadily honing his craft. On the latest episode of the white-and-gold show, Thorpe took on Damon Kemp in an NXT Underground match.
The bout received massive praise from Wrestling Twitter, and some even went as far as to compare Thorpe to Randy Orton's 2009 persona. Check out some of the reactions below:
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Randy Orton has been out of action for more than a year now
The Viper wrestled his last WWE match in May 2022. Since then, he has been out of action due to a legitimate back injury. Orton is rarely active on his social media handles and hasn't opened up yet on a possible return to the ring.
Not long ago, Randy's father, WWE Hall of Famer Bob Orton, shared an update on him while chatting with Bill Apter of Sportskeeda Wrestling:
"He's training, so we'll see what happens; I don't know. If he feels like he's ready to go back, I think he might, but again he's pretty well taken care of. I don't think he need [sic] to. And I think the doctors have told him not to. But Randy will do what Randy wants to do."
Orton made his main roster debut in April 2002, and it didn't take him long to make an impact. Bagging a spot in Triple H's Evolution in 2003 turned out to be the biggest turning point of his career.
The Viper is a 14-time world champion in WWE and one of the most decorated superstars in the promotion's history. He still has a lot left in the tank, and his fans are hoping that he makes a massive return and gets a well-deserved send-off somewhere down the line.
As for Eddy Thorpe, he worked for several top promotions before making it to WWE. He competed in NJPW for about four years, and his deal with the promotion ended last year.
Thorpe has faced many notable names in WWE over the past few months, including Bron Breakker, Apollo Crews, and Tyler Bate. It remains to be seen how far he will go in the Stamford-based company in the coming years.
Have you watched Eddy Thorpe on WWE NXT? What do you think of fans comparing him with Randy Orton? Sound off in the comments section below.
