Randy Orton purposely derailed beloved WWE star's push in the company over a botch? Ex- WWE star reacts

Randy Orton has cemented his legacy in WWE and will eventually enter the Hall of Fame in the coming years. Meanwhile, Stevie Richards reacted to an old clip where The Viper called Kofi Kingston stupid and stopped the rising star's push in the promotion.

In 2009, Kofi Kingston was on the path to enter the main event scene as he feuded with Randy Orton on the red brand. In the coming months, fans got behind Kingston, and he was slowly becoming a notable face. In 2010, the multi-time champion's push to the top came to an end when he botched a spot in a Triple Threat match against The Viper and John Cena.

It took years for Kofi Kingston to regain his momentum, and he eventually feuded with Randy Orton nearly a decade later, during which they addressed the botch and the infamous phrase. Speaking on The Stevie Richards Show, the ex-WWE star reacted to the clip of Kingston botching the spot for Randy Orton's Punt.

The veteran stated that The Viper might've slowed down and halted the beloved babyface's push to the top in the promotion due to the rising star's inexperience. However, in the long run, Orton has only benefited Kingston in the Stamford-based promotion, and the two even added it to their storyline in 2019.

"Well, temporarily... He [Kofi Kingston] definitely got way more over with The New Day. So, he might've been doing him a favor. He might not have been experienced enough or ready enough for a top spot at the time. So, he got his little receipt on Randy live that they both laughed about. I'm sure," Richards said.

---

Kofi Kingston later feuded with Randy Orton on WWE SmackDown

After Kofi Kingston's push was halted in the Stamford-based promotion following the botched spot, Kingston was still regarded as one of the best workers and continued his momentum in the mid-card division, where he captured the United States and Intercontinental Championships more than once.

In 2019, he received his major break and kick-started KofiMania, where he captured the WWE Championship from Daniel Bryan at The Showcase of the Immortals in New Jersey. After the event, the newly crowned champion feuded with new and familiar faces, including Randy Orton.

Kingston and Orton feuded for months on WWE SmackDown, and The New Day member often left shows and events with a win over The Viper in their feud for the most prestigious prize in the business.

If you use quotes from the article, please credit The Stevie Richards Show and provide an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.