Hey, so, when I woke up this morning, I didn’t really expect to see two WWE Superstars having a heated debate over Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. But here we are, with Randy Orton and AJ Styles trading barbs over the Nintendo Switch racer.
WWE has made a significant shift towards gaming over the past few years. Xavier Woods, a member of the popular tag team New Day, started proceedings with the launch of his successful YouTube gaming channel, Up Up Down Down. Since then many WWE Superstars have appeared on the show, with everyone from Roman Reigns to Goldberg showing their faces on the channel. It seems that this has rubbed off on many of Woods’ co-workers, with the 16-time WWE champion Randy Orton calling AJ Styles out after beating “The Phenomenal One” in a round of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Nintendo Switch.
Taking to Twitter, Orton bragged about besting Styles alongside a GIF of Luigi giving his infamous death stare:
I just beat @AJStylesOrg at #marioKart on the #switch ask @XavierWoodsPhD he was a witness! @UpUpDwnDwn @NintendoAmerica pic.twitter.com/Vrp9bDFdBG
— Randy Orton (@RandyOrton) September 14, 2017
Styles fired back with a number of excuses, pointing out that he had “played with a Joy-Con” and not the full controller. Presumably Orton had got his hands on the console’s Pro Controller which, to be fair to Styles, does provide the player with a tactical advantage thanks to its premium build.
Played with a Joy-Con, not the full controller. He has all the upgrades for his carts. I just got the game, my thumb hurts and I’m sleepy. https://t.co/EEbG0xxnCu
— AJStyles.Org (@AJStylesOrg) September 14, 2017
However, Orton wasn’t having any of it:
That’s complete bullshit and you know it. https://t.co/6YTfqw5ii9
— Randy Orton (@RandyOrton) September 14, 2017
Fellow WWE Superstar Sami Zayn then got in on the action, referring to his Up Up Down Down alter-ego “Battery Man” who has a penchant for making excuses when losing at games:
Battery Man better be getting some royalties for this tweet! https://t.co/AZX6ydQSyF
— Sami Zayn (@SamiZayn) September 14, 2017
Styles kindly obliged with Zayn’s request:
You have a nickel on the way. https://t.co/2RoMWw8awD
— AJStyles.Org (@AJStylesOrg) September 14, 2017
The WWE locker room was once infamous for its debauchery, though in recent years it is said to have become a much more friendly and inclusive place. A far cry from the volatile, hedonistic days of the “Attitude Era,” video games have become a common pastime among WWE Superstars, with Xavier Woods leading the charge.
Randy Orton and AJ Styles have squared off in the ring before, though the two have yet to have a proper feud on WWE programming. While such a storyline would likely be gold for the WWE, it’s a shame that the two are currently only duking it out on Mario Kart… for now.
