On being a second generation wrestler: It’s probably more of a curse than a blessing, especially right at the beginning. You are – you’re under the microscope. Every move you make, everything you say or do will be compared to what your father did, and mine just happened to be a Hall of Famer. The Million Dollar Man was one of the greatest villains ever in this business. So the comparisons and the expectations were very high. But that was a challenge I was willing to take on, and I knew that going in. My dad made that very clear. Even coming from other wrestlers, I think there was an attitude at first of, “Oh, he’s only here because of his father,†and that just motivated me more and gave me more of a drive to succeed on my own and to make a name for myself. I think I’ve done that.
On Randy Orton and Legacy: Yeah, absolutely. Gosh, I’m going to say that was one of the defining moments in my career. I was lucky enough to be paired with a veteran who had experience with so many of the top talent that has come through the WWE. Randy has wrestled everyone, from The Rock to Hulk Hogan to all the top guys – Shawn [Michaels] and Hunter [Triple H]. He’s had that experience. He was part of Evolution with Hunter, Batista and Ric Flair – he got to ride with him and pick his brain, and so Cody and myself got to pick Randy’s brain. For two young guys coming up, you couldn’t ask for a better opportunity or a better guy to learn from – in the ring [laughs].
For more from Ted, check his interview at The Baltimore Sun.
