Randy Orton on Kayfabe's End and Career Evolution

Randy Orton expressed mixed emotions about the decline of kayfabe in professional wrestling during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on February 26, 2026, reflecting on the industry's shift toward transparency while sharing how a serious health scare has reshaped his approach to his career.

Orton, a 20-year WWE veteran known as The Viper, discussed the end of kayfabe, the unwritten code that once kept wrestlers' real-life interactions separate from their on-screen personas. He described the old days when performers maintained strict boundaries, even off-duty. "There was a time when if you were working with a guy, I'm the bad guy and he's the good guy, we might be bros, but we wouldn't ride together, even if we wanted to," Orton said. "We wouldn't be seen in public together, especially not in the town we were wrestling in." He acknowledged that those practices have vanished, calling the current era one where "kayfabe is dead. It's entertainment. We're all superstars." While he understands the necessity of this openness, Orton admitted discomfort with it. "I understand it and I also kind of hate it," he said. "But I think it's necessary."

The conversation touched on shows like...