Following a modern classic main event at SummerSlam, things became more personal than ever Monday night when Randy Orton momentarily adjusted his sights from championship gold to a defenseless target: the father of WWE Champion John Cena. Killing legends is one thing; blatant patricide is a whole other level of malice.

But, perhaps the most heinous truth is that if he felt he had to, Orton would probably do the same to his own father, WWE Legend "Cowboy" Bob Orton, Jr.

"If it happened to me and my father was to be targeted, I wouldn't succumb to the emotional distress that others do," explained a shameless Orton. "I'm above that; business is business. If I'm going to be the biggest name in the history of sports-entertainment, if I'm going to beat John Cena for the WWE Championship, I need to put myself before anything -- or anybody -- else."

To Orton, nothing in life is more important than reaching the zenith of sports-entertainment. If the roles were reversed and it was Orton's dad on the receiving end of a lethal running kick to the head, the Legend Killer denied that such an image would bear any affect on his conscience. With absolutely no remorse, Orton described his actions merely as a means for securing the upper hand. Ironically, this stratagem is something the Legend Killer claimed he learned first-hand from his father.

"This is a cut-throat business," said the dishonorable third-generation Superstar. "My father was in the business and one thing he ingrained within me is to think only for myself. You have to be the shadiest, most cold-hearted and most callous character to be on top and stay on top."

One would think that given his apparent "close" ties with his own blood, Orton might render family (paternal lineage, especially) off limits, a line that shouldn't be crossed. As the Legend Killer explained, that's just not what he's been bred to do. In fact, according to Orton, it was his sole interest in his career that led to Cowboy Bob's sudden departure from WWE, after the former WWE Superstar spent several months by his son's side against The Phenom in late 2005.

"[Bob Orton, Jr.] is who he is and I respect him regardless of the fact that he is my father," the Legend Killer said, "but he was holding me back. He thought he was helping me out against Undertaker, but he was slowing me down. I realized that if I was going to succeed, I needed to cut the strings. I can only trust myself."

That being said, how cold must the heart of the irreverent Legend Killer be for him to focus his aggression on the father of his rival? About as icy as the glare he fixed on the distraught WWE Champion following Orton's appalling attack on Raw.

"What drove me to do what I did on Monday night is purely psychological," Orton declared. "It's a strategy. What I do is mentally screw with someone to the point where I leave them with a brain of mush and emotions -- just look at the footage of John Cena after what I did [on Raw]." (WATCH)

In this undying quest, Orton has washed his hands of culpability for any consequential casualties, including the misery he delivered first-hand to Mr. Cena. But, in overlooking the consequences of his self-spun atrocities, could the Legend Killer fail to realize the consequences he might face at the hands of The Champ? Or will Orton's golden plan yield irreparable damage that even the resilient Cena cannot overcome?

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