Randy Orton Attacks 'Indy Marks, Indy Guys and Old Timers' in Twitter Rant

WWE champion Randy Orton posted a statement on Twitter Sunday, appearing to take a dig at independent wrestlers.

In the note, Orton began by saying, "Sorry to the Indy marks, Indy guys and old timers who do DIVES took offense":

As Uproxx's Brandon Stroud argued, Orton's criticism is somewhat ironic given his recent stretch of matches:

There's no question Orton has had a successful WWE career. He's a 13-time world champion, and Forbes reported he earned $1.9 million during the 2016 fiscal year—10th-highest in WWE.

With that said, Orton's career has been somewhat unremarkable given all he has achieved. His two Royal Rumble victories are among the more forgettable in the event's illustrious history, and he has arguably yet to have a true WrestleMania moment.

When Orton retires and earns his likely enshrinement in WWE's Hall of Fame, Evolution will be one of the biggest aspects of his legacy, and he'll be remembered as the third- or fourth-biggest star of that faction—depending on one's opinion of Batista.

Commercial success and world title reigns don't speak to a wrestler's overall contributions to the business, and plenty of stars in WWE past and present cut their teeth on the independent circuit before proving themselves on the biggest stage.

With the line between reality and kayfabe more blurred than ever, Orton's Twitter rant may merely be part of a larger direction for him in the weeks ahead on SmackDown Live.