Randy Orton is the superstar heavyweight Legend Killer of World Wrestling Etertainment. Standing at a daunting 6-foot-5 and weighing a mere 250 pounds, he’s slammed and smacked his way to South Korea and Finland and everywhere between.
Samantha Speno, his girlfriend, is 25 and a sleek 5-foot-6 and 120 pounds, teaches gymnastics part time. Randy’s fiancée and soulmate, she’ll walk down the aisle with him
this fall.
While arrogant in the ring, Randy says he’s basically shy. The night he met
Samantha, he’d broken his foot wrestling, and a buddy dragged him to a bar.
Randy spotted Samantha, hopped over and asked for her phone number. After
resisting, she said: “If you can memorize it, you can call me.” He did, on both
counts.
Randy graduated from Hazelwood Central High School, class of 1998. Samantha is
a Francis Howell North High School alum, class of 2000.
Their house is on country club grounds in High Ridge. It’s 10 years old and
has four decks and a hot tub and a lower-level gym. The couple moved in five
months ago.
Who did the decorating?
Randy • We kept a couple of the original colors, but Sam has to take the
credit for most things.
Samantha • My family helped me. Randy and I signed the papers on the house,
and then he went to Mexico. He came back to a completely decorated house.
Is this the lifestyle you imagined?
Randy • I’m a third-generation wrestler. My dad, my uncle and my grandpa —
Cowboy Bob, Barry O and Big Bob Orton — were all good hands. They did well in
the ring. But the money that’s in the business is so much better now. I’m lucky.
Samantha • I worked a full-time job for awhile, but with Randy’s schedule we
barely got to see each other. I stay home and take care of Randy and everything
around the house.
Whose idea were the clocks, set to different times?
Samantha • My mom (Michelle Speno) and I did that, like at an airport. One
clock is St. Louis time. The others are London, Tokyo and Sydney, Australia.
Randy • She knows if I’m sleeping or not. As a rule, before bed and no matter
what time it is, I always give Sam a call.
What does home mean?
Randy • If I need to find a happy place, like we all need to find, whether
I’m soaring on an airplane going overseas and I can’t sleep, whatever, all I’ve
got to do is think of the two of us, lying in the center on the couch
downstairs at home, watching TV together.
Samantha • We love it here.
