Spotlight On: Randy Orton
Randy Orton has had a meteoric rise to the top in the WWE.
The third generation superstar has risen through the ranks from evolution member to singles stardom to eventually leading a stable of his own.
He has gone from the “Legend Killer” to the “Viper” and from hated heel to loved face but the one constant is that he has been entertaining the whole way.
Here is a look back at the WWE career of Randy Orton.
Randy Orton Debuts on Smackdown
Randy Orton made his WWE Début in April of 2002.
His first match was a victory over the veteran, Hardcore Holly.
His feud with Holly would continue for several weeks and Orton would get the better of it, making a good first impression.
It wasn’t too long before Orton was challenging The Undertaker for the WWE title.
Although Orton would came up short, he proved that he was a worthy contender.
In what would be a sign of things to come though, Orton would injured himself at a house show against Batista and had to take his first of many ‘few weeks’ off.
Upon his return he challenged for the title again, this time losing to Brock Lesnar.
Randy Orton Jumps to Raw and Joins Evolution
Shortly after making the move to Raw in September of 2002, Orton would suffer a separated shoulder, forcing him to miss yet more time.
However Orton stayed in the conciousness of the fans, giving visual updates called ‘The Randy News Network’ regarding the health percentage of his shoulder, which often interrupted other aspects of the show and teased a heel turn.
Orton would return early in 2003 and help Triple H in his feud with Scott Steiner, leading to the formation of Evolution.
Orton once again picked up an injury in March of 2003 hurting his ankle in a match with the Dudleys which sidelined him until May, when he returned and and reformed Evolution with Ric Flair and Triple H, as Batista was now the one on the sidelines.
Orton often teamed with Flair and the pair had Triple H’s back, doing whatever it took to ensure that he remained the champion.
At SummerSlam, Orton had his first big Pay Per View Main Event, participating in the Elimination Chamber match.
Though he came up short, his leader, Triple H retained retain his title.
Orton would continue to help Triple H in his ongoing feud with Goldberg in late 2003.
At Survivor Series, Orton scored a huge victory as he led team Bischoff to a victory over team Austin, by eliminating Shawn Michaels last and becoming the sole survivor.
It was around this time that Orton became known as the “Legend Killer.”
He would end 2003 on a high note, by defeating RVD for the Intercontinental title.
Randy Orton Vs. Mick Foley
One night on Raw early in 2004 Randy goaded semi-retired Hardcore Legend Mick Foley, spitting in his face in order to tempt him into a match.
However, Foley uncharacteristically turned his back on the ‘Legend Killer’, walking out instead of fighting.
Orton ran a selection of video packages over the following weeks, insulting Foley and calling him a coward.
Foley entered the 2004 Royal Rumble, eliminating Orton and himself in the process.
The next night on Raw Foley would snap and attack Orton, getting the better of him.
The next few weeks Orton, with the help of his Evolution stable-mates Batista and Ric Flair, would deliver several beatings to Foley.
Realizing that he was outnumbered, Foley would summon the help of his old buddy, the Rock.
A match pitting Orton, Batista, and Flair against Foley and the Rock was set for WrestleMania.
Orton would pin Foley after an RKO, scoring one of the biggest wins of his career to that point.
Foley decided to bring back the Cactus Jack character for a one on one match with Orton at Backlash. In what was a classically brutal “Hardcore Rules” match, Orton came out victorious after utilizing Foley’s trademark thumb tacks and barbed wire.
Randy Orton Becomes World Champion
Shorly after losing the Intercontinental title to Edge, Orton would win a battle royal to become the number one contender for the World Title.
Orton made the most of his opportunity, defeating Chris Benoit at SummerSlam to become the youngest World Champion in history at just 24 years of age.
However Triple H was not ready to hand the reigns over to Orton, and he led Evolution as they turned on the newly crowned Champ.
Randy Orton Vs. Evolution
Orton’s title reign was short-lived as he dropped the gold to Triple H at Unforgiven.
Orton would then face Ric Flair at Taboo Tuesday and defeat him in a Steel Cage Match.
At Survivor Series, Orton’s team claimed victory over Triple H’s as The Legend Killer once again came out the sole survivor at the event.
A couple of months later at the New Year’s Revolution Pay Per View, Orton would be one of the entrants competing for the vacant World Title, though he came up short as Triple H once again took the gold.
Orton would come up short to Triple H once again at the Royal Rumble where he suffered a concussion.
Randy Orton Vs. The Undertaker
With WrestleMania around the corner, Orton was determined to make a big impact.
So, he decided to challenge The Undertaker and his legendary ‘streak’.
Orton would slap The Undertaker across the face and cut promos where he professed to be unafraid of the “Deadman.”
Shortly before WrestleMania, Orton once again turned heel, by RKOing his on-screen girlfriend, Stacy Kiebler.
Meanwhile The Undertaker played mind games using video packages to try and intimidate Orton. Eventually Orton’s father, Cowboy Bob attempted to reason with The Undertaker but it was all a rouse as Orton would appear and strike with an RKO.
At WrestleMania, Orton put up a great fight, but ultimately came up short despite help from his father.
Shortly afterwards Orton needed yet more work to his troubled shoulder, which shelved him for several months.
Orton would be drafted to Smackdown where he renewed his feud with The Undertaker, costing him a number one contender’s match.
The two would meet at SummerSlam where Orton scored the win, with his father’s help.
At No Mercy Randy Orton and his father defeated The Undertaker in a Handicap Casket Match.
After the match Orton lit the casket on fire signalling the end of The Deadman – at least for the time being.
At the Survivor Series that year, team Raw would face off against team Smackdown and Randy Orton would be the sole survivor for his team for a third consecutive year.
Shortly afterwards though, The Undertaker made his return and he was out for revenge.
He would defeat Orton in a memorable “Hell in a Cell” match at Armageddon.
Randy Orton Vs. Rey Mysterio
At the 2006 Royal Rumble, Randy Orton would put forth a fine effort, making it to the final two, before being eliminated by Rey Mysterio.
Orton was determined to overcome this minor setback, so he goaded Mysterio into putting his WrestleMania title shot on the line, by making some tasteless comments regarding Eddie Guerrero.
Orton would take advantage of the opportunity, defeating Mysterio and earning a title shot at WrestleMania XXII.
The match would be a three-way between the champion, Kurt Angle, Rey Mysterio, and Randy Orton.
In what wound being a disappointing match, Orton was pinned by Mysterio who became the new champion.
Shortly after WrestleMania, Orton took some time off and the rumour is that he received a hefty fine and was ordered to attend anger management classes because of some behavioural issues.
Randy Orton Vs. Kurt Angle
A couple of months later, Kurt Angle issued an open challenge for One Night Stand and Orton made a surprise return, RKOing Angle and accepting the challenge.
Orton would be forced to tap to the Anklelock at the pay per view.
Never one to be deterred, Orton challenged Angle to a rematch at Vengeance, this time coming out on top.
Randy Orton Vs. Hulk Hogan
The “Legend Killer” earned his reputation by seeking out and taking down some of the biggest legends in the sport and in the summer of 2006, he went after perhaps the greatest legend of them all, Hulk Hogan.
Orton would make some suggestive comments about Hogan’s daughter Brooke before spoofing the “Hogan Knows Best” show and further mocking Hogan by bringing out a Hogan imposter.
The two finally met at SummerSlam, where Orton looked to cement his “Legend Killer” status.
It was not to be, though, as Hogan came out on top, in what ended up being his last match in the WWE.
Rated RKO Vs. DX
In October of 2006, Randy Orton and Edge formed a partnership and declared war on DX in what turned out to be a very entertaining feud.
Orton and Edge would parody DX, poking fun at the renegade group.
Then, Orton and Triple H would renew their rivalry, trading wins on Raw. This led to a tag match at Cyber Sunday, where, surprisingly, team Rated RKO came out on top.
Shortly after they defeated legends Ric Flair and Roddy Piper to win the tag team titles.
Their feud against DX continued to intensify as both led 5 man teams at the Survivor Series.
This was an event that Randy Orton had owned over the years, but his luck would run out as his team suffered a humiliating loss.
Rated RKO faced DX again at New Year’s Revolution and it turned out to be a terribly disappointing match mainly due to Triple H suffering a serious knee injury.
Orton and Edge bragged about injuring Triple H and continued to feud with Shawn Michaels. Michaels defeated Edge and Orton to earn a title shot at WrestleMania.
This left Orton out of the spotlight at Mania, where he participated in the “Money in the Bank” ladder match and came up short.
Randy Orton Unveils the Punt
In May of 2007, Randy Orton would add one of the most devastating moves in the WWE to his repertoire – the punt to the head.
Shawn Michaels, RVD, Dusty Rhodes, and Sgt. Slaughter were all early victims of Orton’s vicious punt.
Orton would set up for the move beautifully, getting that maniacal look in his eyes before going in for the kill, making it one of the most over moves in the WWE.
One kick would put you out, much like the Big Show and his one punch knockout.
Randy Orton Vs. John Cena
Orton had proven that he was worthy of a title shot and he got his chance at SummerSlam against John Cena.
I had the privilege of being there in person and it was a great match that salvaged an otherwise awful card. There was some great back and forth action, numerous near falls and teased finishes, but, when all was said and done, Cena survived and retained the title.
This infuriated Randy Orton and the next night on Raw, he pulled John Cena Sr. out of the front row and punted him right in the head.
This all led to a rematch at Unforgiven where Orton was victorious by DQ, therefore not winning the title.
It was all supposed to culminate in a “Last Man Standing” match at No Mercy but Cena suffered a torn pectoral muscle on Raw and had to forfeit the title.
Randy Orton once again the WWE Champion
At No Mercy, a bizarre night began with Vince McMahon awarding the WWE championship to Randy Orton.
However, he would immediately have to defend the title against Triple H.
His title reign would be short lived as Triple H would prevail and take the title.
However, The Game would have to compete against Umaga later in the night and although, he prevailed again, the match took its toll.
So when he faced Orton again to end the show in a “Last Man Standing” match, Orton was able to take advantage and reclaim the title.
To my knowledge it was the first time ever that someone won, lost, and regained the title all in one night.
Orton would defend the title against Shawn Michaels at Cyber Sunday and take the easy way out, getting himself DQ’d to keep the title.
They would meet again at Survivor Series and this time Orton would win decisively with an RKO.
Orton survived title defences against a returning Chris Jericho at Armageddon and a really hot Jeff Hardy at the Royal Rumble.
At No Way Out, John Cena would challenge for the title and Orton would get himself DQ’d to keep it.
Orton would have to face Cena again at WrestleMania along with Triple H in a three-way.
Shockingly, Orton overcame the odds and retained the title in a very good match.
Randy Orton Vs. Triple H
Randy Orton’s title reign would finally come to an end at backlash when Triple H came out victorious in a four way that also involved John Cena and JBL.
At Judgement Day, Orton would lose a Steel Cage match to Triple H and at One Night Stand, he would lose a Last Man Standing match to “The Game.”
It was in this match that he suffered a broken collarbone that put him on the shelf for months.
The Legacy Faction
Orton would appear on television a few months later and take shots at then champion C.M. Punk.
He would eventually punt him in the head, causing the Straight Edge Superstar to forfeit the title, leading to a brief feud with Punk when he returned to in ring action.
During this time a group of wrestlers were trying to gain Orton’s favour in order to be part of a stable led by Orton.
Eventually it turned out to be Cody Rhodes and Ted Dibiase joining Orton in Legacy with Sim Snuka and Manu failing to make the cut.
Orton would feud briefly with his old stable mate Batista in late 2008 and they traded victories before Orton set his sights on the Royal Rumble.
With the help of Rhodes and Dibiase, Orton won the Royal Rumble, eliminating Triple H last to earn a title shot at WrestleMania XXV.
After Triple H won the title, it would be yet another Orton vs. Triple H match at Mania.
The build was intense with legacy attacking The Game on a weekly basis and Triple H summoning the help of Vince and Shane McMahon.
Memorable moments of the build up included Orton RKOing Stephanie as a handcuffed Triple H watched on, and Triple H showing up at Orton’s house with a sledgehammer.
It was the sledgehammer that proved to be the difference at WrestleMania as Triple H retained the title in what was a lacklustre main event.
Orton Becomes WWE Champion Yet Again
A month later at Backlash, a match was made pitting the three members of “Legacy” against Triple H, Shane, and Batista, who was a substitute for Vince.
The stipulation was that if Orton’s team won, he would become champion.
I was sure someone else was going to take the fall for Triple H, but in a pleasant surprise, Orton defeated The Game to win the title.
Orton would defend the title against Batista at Judgement Day, and in what was becoming a disturbing trend, he would once again get himself DQ’d to keep his title.
Batista was entitled to a rematch and this time there was no escaping for Randy Orton, as it was a Steel Cage match and Batista would emerge victorious and claim the title.
His reign would be short lived though, as he would have to vacate the title shortly after due to an injury suffered in the cage, but played out on screen as Legacy-inflicted.
Orton would win the vacant title in a four way match that included Triple H, John Cena, and the Big Show, pinning the latter.
The next week on Raw, Orton and Triple H had a gruelling “Last Man Standing” match which ended in a draw.
This set up a “Three Stages of Hell” match at The Bash which culminated with Orton winning the deciding fall in a Stretcher match with the help of Rhodes and Dibiase.
The next month, at Night of Champions, Orton would survive a triple threat match against Triple H and Cena to retain the title.
Randy Orton Vs. John Cena – Feud of the Year
In the late summer of 2009, Orton would rekindle his rivalry with John Cena and it would be considered by many the feud of the year.
The two squared off at a whopping four consecutive pay per view events and managed to put on a great show each time out.
First it was SummerSlam, when Brett Dibiase broke up a Cena pinfall allowing Orton a chance to recover and win the match.
Then it was Breaking Point and this time it was Cena who prevailed in an “I Quit” match.
Orton would get his revenge at Hell in a Cell, where he scored a surprisingly clean win over WWE’s golden boy.
I was lucky enough to be there and thought this was by far the best match on the card and the crowd was super hot. I, like the majority, was rooting for Orton, by the way.
The feud would then culminate at Bragging Rights, where Cena topped Orton in a classic “Iron Man” match to regain the title and end the feud for the time being.
Randy Orton Vs. Kofi Kingston
Around this time, the WWE was attempting to elevate ‘The Ghanaian Sensation’ Kofi Kingston, so he was put into a program with Randy Orton.
Kofi would infuriate Orton by trashing his custom made car, displaying a mean streak that he had never showed before.
The two would both lead teams into battle at the Survivor Series, an event that was Orton’s specialty.
Surprisingly, Kofi defeated Randy Orton, becoming the sole survivor for his team.
After trading dubious victories on Raw, Orton finally scored a decisive victory at TLC.
Orton defeated Kofi again on Raw a couple of weeks later.
Then, he would defeat both Kofi and John Cena in a number one contender’s match, earning a title shot against Sheamus at the Royal Rumble.
Dissension within Legacy
At the Rumble, Cody Rhodes would interfere, causing Orton to get DQ’d.
Orton would lay a beating on both Rhodes and Dibiase, who came out as a peacemaker.
Orton earned another shot at Sheamus on Raw but once again he was DQ’d due to Legacy’s interference.
The problems continued at the Elimination Chamber, a match both Orton and Dibiase were in.
At one point, Rhodes threw in a lead pipe which Dibiase used to eliminate Orton.
The next night on Raw, Orton turned on Rhodes and Dibiase during a tag team match, thus officially ending Legacy.
Rhodes and Dibiase would get the better of Orton over the next couple of weeks but Orton would put them in their place at WrestleMania, prevailing in a triple threat match.
Randy Orton, Jack Swagger, and Edge
After pinning Jack Swagger twice on Raw, Orton was deemed the number one contender to Swaggger’s World Heavyweight title.
Orton would get his opportunity in a “No Holds Barred” match at Extreme Rules and despite putting up a good fight, Orton would ultimately come up short.
Orton would try to earn another title shot in a number one contender’s match involving Batista and Sheamus, but just as he was on his way to victory Edge showed up and delivered a shocking spear to Orton, costing him the match.
Orton would seek his revenge at Over the Limit but unfortunately, the match ended abruptly as Orton suffered a shoulder injury leading to what seemed to be an improvised double count out finish.
Thankfully the injury wasn’t as bad as it first appeared and Orton participated in a WWE Championship Fatal Four Way match at the Pay Per View of the same name, coming up short after an attack by the NXT Nexus.
Randy Orton’s Future
Randy Orton’s future is exceptionally bright.
At the young age of 30, Randy Orton is already a six time WWE champion and has established himself as one of the top players in the WWE.
It should be no surprise, for Orton has all the tools it takes to be a big star.
He has a good look, he’s intense, passionate, has good athleticism, a unique brand of charisma, and that certain “it” factor that you just can’t teach.
He also had the pedigree, being a third generation star and having been around the business his whole life.
His only achilles heel is that he has been injury prone.
If he can stay healthy, though, he is well on his way to being one of the greatest WWE superstars of all time and a Hall of Fame certainty.
