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Stephanie McMahon and Randy Orton shared what can only be described as an incredibly intimate dialogue on mental health, including panic attacks and anxiety, subjects most fans unfortunately rarely get to see. Some of the most mighty personalities WWE has ever known cast aside their characters to speak realities, all of them led by McMahon relating how she went through panic attacks, and one of those bad days involved nights spent pacing in the yard, trying to calm her racing thoughts. Living a character who was unstable most of the time, articulating lies by Orton-while frowned upon by many fans-was the perfect antibuncher of mental-health advocacy.
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Online much better strike points were made, one user declaring that having Orton’s entire wrestling persona be truly greater reality than fiction would not just be closer to reality but just an element of fiction, per the user. Regarded as endearing to his fans by the lyricism behind his entrance music that spoke of heard voices, Orton has built pathways for those who share the mental struggles of their own with the stigma through his very public struggles. Several commenters wrought from the Evil documentary series of WWE references to Orton talking about getting into character, leaving the viewers wondering if this even appears murkier than what it was led to believe.
The responses began flooding in, applauding the newly found vulnerability of the two wrestling icons. One long-time supporter revealed that after struggling with panic episodes, they could feel a lot stronger after hearing Orton, who they describe as physically intimidating, elaborate on his experiences. The demographic of this display of honesty seems to have particularly resonated with the younger crowd: there were several other remarks stating that younger people might rather listen to someone like Orton than to the traditional kinds of mental health advice that they receive from their parents or teachers.
McMahon’s description of an empowering six-month stretch with zero panic attacks brought support from some listeners who faced a similar struggle and became very emotional. People who have heard the medication woes and anxiety attacks spilling in the dead of night have come forth with their shared stories till a user claimed to be an ex-sufferer and offered hope to people suffering in the present, sending the message that it gets better.
The personal evolution of Orton was tied by some fans to his character growth in professional wrestling from years ago. Instead of outright dismissal, they appreciated the irony if not humor of Orton’s real-world maturation toward mental health advocacy still fitting the complexity of his on-screen identity. The talk even took a side trip to wrestling trivia, going into heated debates over Orton’s championship record and whether he will need more title reigns before he finally hangs up his boots.
Despite all that talk of heavy stuff, the response in general was one of appreciation for these public figures taking on the stigma. As one user put it, “Awareness really does make such a huge difference when so many people can’t even begin to understand what it is exactly that’s being done to them.” The interview came at just the right time, with multiple users chiming in that they’ve been going through spells of anxiety right about now. McMahon and Orton were courageous enough to openly discuss this topic – especially in the extremely masculine world of pro wrestling – and now there’s a new space for some fans to share their own experiences in the comments.
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Some common phrases that passed through the crowd were: “Thank you.” Responses from the hardcore wrestling buffs, as well as those coming merely for discussions on mental health, continued to thank the persons involved for discussing this candidly. The kinds of discussions that culminate into the usual debates about wrestling lineages came back with a new context after understanding that these are essentially human beings who went through real life experiences before they even started filling the arena. It seems that the podcast did what McMahon was saying it would: It’s good to say something on these issues, especially coming from big names that can actually influence the people that need to hear this message the most.