Randy Orton is not pretending he is thrilled about how much the curtain has been pulled back in pro wrestling.
Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show on February 26, 2026, Orton addressed the ongoing debate about kayfabe and modern transparency. While D-Von Dudley recently criticized WWE Unreal for exposing too much of the business, Orton offered a more conflicted perspective.
“It’s hard. It depends on the time of day you ask me,” Orton said when asked about the state of kayfabe.
He reflected on how different the industry once was, particularly when it came to protecting on screen rivalries.
“At first, you think, ‘Oh, this is terrible,’ because 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. We wouldn’t be seen in public together, especially not in the town we were wrestling in.”
Orton acknowledged that those days are gone.
“Nowadays, it’s not like that at all. Kayfabe is dead. It’s entertainment. We’re all superstars. I understand it — and I also kind of hate it. But I think it’s necessary.”
Unlike Dudley, who worries that exposing the inner workings damages the product, Orton sees the benefit in broadening the audience. He pointed out that behind the scenes access can help non fans understand the workload and commitment required.
“Bringing in that crossover — like you said, your daughter gets to see it and understand it. People who aren’t fans might become fans and have more respect for what we do. If you don’t know what goes into it and then you watch WWE Unreal and realize, ‘Oh my God — live TV almost every day of the week?’ It’s insane when you think about the amount of content that’s put out.”
Still, acceptance does not mean comfort. Orton admitted it felt strange watching himself appear in background moments on the show.
“So I think it makes sense that it’s a thing. But that doesn’t mean I have to like it. I watched a few episodes and saw myself in the background doing stuff, and I was like… ehhhh.”
With WWE Unreal Season 3 scheduled for Summer 2026, the tension between old school mystique and modern transparency remains a hot topic. Orton may acknowledge that kayfabe is gone, but he clearly still misses the illusion that once defined the business.
