Kevin Owens celebrates Randy Orton for becoming a role model in WWE

When Randy Orton and Kevin Owens walked out to the ring at Backlash, the crowd in Lyon, France, met the “Viper” with a hero’s welcome, singing the words to his theme song and leaving a genuine smile on both men’s faces.

Discussing how special this moment was for both men on The Bump, the “Prizefighter” put over the crowd in Lyon for their efforts, noting that it’s really cool to see Orton get his flowers when he’s become one of the most important men in the entire WWE Universe as both a locker room leader and one who leads by example.

“The most amazing part for me was actually seeing the love and respect they showed Randy [Orton]. Not to dwell on it, but Randy is somebody I’ve looked up to for so long, even before I even got to WWE as an aspiring wrestler. Then once I got here, someone who, in my opinion, is exactly what a veteran should be and what we should all aspire to be, as far as an example in the locker room,” Kevin Owens explained on The Bump via Fightful.

“Wasn’t always perfect in his younger years, but he readily admits to it, owns up to the mistakes he’s made. He’s truly a leader, without wanting to be one, without saying he’s a leader. He doesn’t have to say he’s a locker room leader, he just is. To me, he’s been, as beloved as he is, because he really is, it’s still not enough in my opinion. To see the reception those fans gave him, and to see that after all these years doing this, because he’s been here a very, very long time, and he’s lived some really amazing things in his career, to see him get…he was soaking it in, and I could tell it meant a lot to him. That made me almost a little emotional, honestly, before the match started, when he was coming out. I could see it meant a lot to him, and yeah, that was a really special moment. That’s what I take away the most from that whole thing, and the fans, they were incredible all night, but what they did for Randy, giving him the love and respect he deserves, that was really cool.”

While fans are well aware that Orton has turned his act around in WWE, as he went from a certified problem child early in his career to a veteran presence who is willing to do the job if it helps to advance a storyline, his developments behind the scenes are far less visible and for good reason. If Orton really has become one of the true pillars behind the ring in WWE, helping out younger stars and establishing the tone for the promotion, then he really does deserve his flowers.