Maturity arrives for Randy Orton

Maybe being the youngest heavyweight champion in WWE's history went to Randy Orton's head. Maybe hearing a symphony of boos and cheers from thousands of people every night affected his perspective. But Orton needed a reality check. And two years ago, he got it from Vince McMahon, who happens to sign the paycheques. "I wasn't thinking before I was saying things," says Orton, who seems to have matured through the humbling process. "I was taking the heel persona a little too seriously. I was told, 'This isn't going to work for you. That's what the ring is for. This is a publicly traded company and you're not a kid anymore."

It was a chat with McMahon and subsequent suspension that had an impact. "Vince said he couldn't have somebody who was a loose cannon. He said if any person was going to stop Randy Orton from succeeding, it was Randy Orton."

So why didn't one of the other wrestlers, one of the veterans, give the third-generation star a reality slap? "I'm sure Triple H was probably thinking it. He probably had a hundred of those conversations with me," says Orton...More?

source: slam wrestling