Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American professional wrestler. He has been signed to WWE since 2000, where he performs on the SmackDown brand. Orton has the tied-third most world championship reigns in the company's history, and a career spanning over 20 years.[1]
Orton is a third-generation professional wrestler; his grandfather Bob Orton, father Bob Orton Jr., and uncle Barry Orton were all wrestlers. Before being signed by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE), he trained in and wrestled for the Mid-Missouri Wrestling Association-Southern Illinois Conference Wrestling (MMWA-SICW). He was then signed by the WWF and was sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), where he held the OVW Hardcore Championship twice.
Orton would debut on the main roster in 2002, soon joining the Evolutionstable, and as part of the group would become the youngest world champion in WWE history after he won WWE's World Heavyweight Championship in 2004.[1] He would be kicked out of the stable as a result, and enter singles competition. Orton has held the WWE Championship10 times and the World Heavyweight Championship four times. He was the final holder of the World Heavyweight Championship, which he unified with the WWE Championship to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion in 2013. Orton is recognized by WWE as having the third-most world championship victories in history at 14, only behind prominent rival John Cena (17) and Ric Flair (16) and tied with Triple H (also 14). In total, he has won 20 championships in WWE.
Randal Keith Orton was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, on April 1, 1980, to a family of mostly German ancestry.[5] His mother Elaine was a nurse[6] and his father Bob Orton Jr. was a professional wrestler.[7][8] Orton is a grandson of Bob Orton and nephew of Barry Orton, both professional wrestlers.[9] He has a younger brother named Nathan, who is a stand-up comedian,[10][11] and a younger sister named Rebecca.[12] Knowing the hardships of life as a professional wrestler, his parents tried to convince him to stay away from the business[7] and his father warned him that life in the ring meant a life on the road and away from family.[1]
Orton made his wrestling debut in 2000 at the Mid-Missouri Wrestling Association-Southern Illinois Conference Wrestling (MMWA-SICW) in St. Louis, Missouri, an offshoot of the historic St. Louis Wrestling Club headed by Sam Muchnick.[3] There, he was trained by both the staff of the promotion and his father, Bob Orton Jr.[9] He wrestled for the promotion where he performed with wrestlers such as Ace Strange and Mark Bland.[15] Orton also refereed a few matches with World Organized Wrestling (WOW), a promotion where his uncle Barry Orton worked.[16]
World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE (2000–present)
Ohio Valley Wrestling (2000–2002)
In 2000, Orton signed a deal with the then World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and was sent to its developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) in Louisville, Kentucky, where he continued his training. During his time in OVW, he wrestled the likes of Rico Constantino and The Prototype and teamed with Bobby Eaton during a tag team title tournament. He won the OVW Hardcore Championship twice by defeating Mr. Black on February 14, 2001, and Flash Flanagan on May 5, 2001, respectively.[17] On several occasions he faced Rico Constantino on combined WWF/OVW events, and also lost to The Prototype (John Cena) in a tag match on July 28 in Jacksonville, Indiana. He also began appearing on several WWF house shows that were unaffiliated with OVW, the first being on May 1, 2001, when he faced Billy Gunn. After taking the mic and promising to beat Gunn, Orton was defeated.[18] That fall he began appearing regularly on WWF house shows and dark matches, facing Chuck Palumbo, Steven Richards and Shawn Stasiak, but mostly wrestling in tag team matches. Orton's promotion to the main roster made him a member of OVW's now legendary Class of 2002 as part of what has now been dubbed as the "OVW 4" alongside the aforementioned Cena as well as Brock Lesnar and Dave Bautista. In his farewell match in OVW, Orton was defeated by The Prototype (Cena).[19]
One of Orton's first official WWF appearances was March 16, 2002, at WrestleMania X8's Fan Axxess, where he was defeated by Tommy Dreamer. Orton's first televised WWF match was a victory against Hardcore Holly on SmackDown! on April 25, 2002.[20] Soon after, Orton became a face and was placed in a rivalry with Holly.[20] In September 2002, Orton was traded to the Rawbrand, where he defeated Stevie Richards in his debut on the show.[20] Within weeks of his debut on the Raw brand, Orton suffered a shoulder injury, leaving him sidelined for months.[20] While recovering, Orton still appeared on Raw in his own Randy News Network (RNN) segment, a weekly vignette featuring him talking about his condition.[20] The show interrupted other segments of Raw programming, which caused Orton to slowly transition himself into a narcissistic and self-centered heel.[21]
After his injury healed, Orton joined the Evolutionstable, which consisted of Ric Flair, Triple H, and relative newcomer Batista.[20] He was injured once again in February 2003, and returned on May 26, 2003, as a masked man, interfering in a 2-1 Handicap match between Kevin Nash and Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H. He then proceeded unmasked himself and re-joined the stable.[20] The group was pushed on Raw from 2003 to 2004, with the height of their dominance occurring after Armageddon in 2003 when all of the men's titles on Raw were held by Evolution members.[22] In 2003, Orton spent much of his time helping Triple H overcome challenges for the World Heavyweight Championship.[23][24][25] He joined Triple H in an Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam on August 24, involved primarily to secure Triple H's title defense, and was eliminated by Goldberg, but the stable managed to fulfill its purpose and Triple H went on to eliminate Goldberg and retain his title.[26]
Orton then began proclaiming himself the "Legend Killer",[20] with his gimmick becoming that of a young upstart who was so talented that he touted himself as the future of wrestling. He embarked on numerous feuds with older, well-respected names in wrestling and gained infamy for blatantly disrespecting them. With the help of his stablemate and mentor Ric Flair, Orton defeated Shawn Michaels at Unforgiven on September 21 in the first of many high-profile matches billed as "Legend vs. Legend Killer".[27] During this time, Orton began using the move that would become his signature finisher, the RKO, a jumping cutter named after his initials.[28] He defeated Rob Van Dam for the Intercontinental Championship at Armageddon on December 14.[29] With this win, Orton started the longest Intercontinental Championship reign in seven years, holding the title for 210 days.[30] Orton continued to establish himself as a "Legend Killer" throughout 2004, challenging the semi-retired wrestler Mick Foley. Famed for his brutal hardcore matches, they wrestled in a hardcore match at Backlash for the title, where Orton won.[31] Orton named this match as the favourite of his career, also noticing it was the match where he earned the respect of the fans.[32] On July 11 at Vengeance, he lost the title to Edge.[33]
After losing the Intercontinental Championship, Orton became the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship after winning a 20-man battle royal on the July 26 episode of Raw.[34] At SummerSlam on August 15, Orton defeated Chris Benoit to win the World Heavyweight Championship, thus becoming the youngest world champion in WWE history at the age of 24.[35] Benoit congratulated Orton after the match, shaking his hand for showing the ability to "be a man".[36] The following night on Raw, after Orton successfully defended the title against Benoit in a rematch, Evolution threw Orton a mock celebration only to reveal that they were not pleased with his new victory. While Batista had Orton propped on his shoulders in elation, Triple H gave him a pleased thumbs-up and then abruptly changed it to a thumbs-down, which was followed by Batista dropping Orton to the mat.[37] Triple H, Flair and Batista attacked Orton in the ring, resulting in Orton being kicked out of Evolution. The following week, he called out Orton and ordered him to hand over the championship, but he refused, spitting in Triple H's face and hitting him with the title belt.[38] Orton's breakup with Evolution led to him turning face when he continued to feud with his former stablemates.[39] A month later, Orton lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Triple H at Unforgiven on September 12 after interference from Flair, Batista, and Jonathan Coachman.[40]
Seeking revenge, Orton lashed out at his former Evolution members, catching them by surprise during a show by giving them a large cake as a make-up gift, which he came out of nowhere to beat and humiliate the group.[41] At Taboo Tuesday on October 19, Orton defeated Ric Flair in a fan-voted steel cage match. After this, Orton experienced another push, becoming general manager of the Raw brand for a week following a match stipulation at Survivor Series on November 14 where he picked up the win for his team by last eliminating Triple H in a four-on-four Survivor Series elimination match.[42] He continued to feud with Triple H, using his authority to place his opponents at severe disadvantages during title defenses.[citation needed] On January 9, 2005, at New Year's Revolution, Orton participated in an Elimination Chamber match for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship, where he was the last man eliminated by Triple H after interference from Ric Flair and Batista.[43] On the January 10 episode of Raw, Orton defeated Batista to earn a match against Triple H at the Royal Rumble on January 30 for the World Heavyweight Championship, which he lost.[citation needed]
Feud with The Undertaker (2005–2006)
Orton showing off his signature pose in August 2005
Orton began an on-screen relationship with Stacy Keibler, who worked as his manager[20] and started a feud with The Undertaker, trying to ending The Undertaker's undefeated streak at WrestleMania. Orton turned heel after perfomed the RKO on Keible and began to being managed by his father, Bob Orton.[44] At WrestleMania 21 on April 3, Orton lost to The Undertaker.[45] WWE offered Orton to end the streak but he refused out of respect to Undertaker and because he thought he wasn't the right person to break it.[46][47]
Orton was the second pick in the 2005 draft lottery[20] and rekindled his feud with The Undertaker, defeating him at SummerSlam on August 21 following a distraction from his father.[48] Two months later at No Mercy on October 9, Orton and his father Bob Orton defeated The Undertaker in a handicapcasket match and after the match, Randy Orton and his father Bob locked the Undertaker in the casket and set it in fire.[49][20] At Survivor Series on November 27, after Orton was the last remaining wrestler in the match between Team Raw and Team SmackDown, The Undertaker returned by emerging from a flaming casket and attacked Orton.[20] Their feud culminated with a Hell in a Cell match at Armageddon on December 18., where Orton was defeated.[50]
Leading to WrestleMania, Orton was the last eliminated from the Royal Rumble by Rey Mysterio.[50] Despite his loss, Orton defeated Mysterio at No Way Out on February 19, earning Mysterio's title shot for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania.[51] SmackDown! General Manager Theodore Long re-added Mysterio to the WrestleMania title match, making it a triple threat match between Orton, Mysterio and then-champion Kurt Angle; at WrestleMania, Orton lost after he was pinned by Mysterio. On the following episode of SmackDown!, Orton challenged Mysterio for the World Heavyweight Championship, but failed to win the title.[52]
On April 4, Orton was suspended for sixty days for "unprofessional conduct".[53] In an interview, Orton stated, "my conduct was unbecoming of a champion, which is what I will be again when I return".[54] To cover for the suspension, a scripted injury was devised, where Kurt Angle broke Orton's ankle during a King of the Ring quarterfinal match on the April 14 episode of SmackDown!.[55] Orton returned from his suspension in June to the Raw brand,[citation needed] where he entered a rivalry with Angle, culminating in matches at ECW One Night Stand on June 11 (which he lost) and Vengeance on June 25 (which he won) before engaging in a storyline feud with Hulk Hogan. At SummerSlam on August 20, the two met in a "Legend vs. Legend Killer" match, which Hogan won.[56][57]
At the end of 2006, Orton was paired with Edge as a tag team; Rated-RKO. They feuded with D-Generation X (Triple H and Shawn Michaels) defeating them at Cyber Sunday on November 5. They also won the World Tag Team Championship by defeating Ric Flair and Roddy Piper on the November 13 episode of Raw.[58][59] The feud with DX ended at New Year's Revolution on January 7, 2007, where Rated-RKO defended the titles, but the match was declared a no-contest when Triple H suffered a legitimate injury during the match.[60] With Triple H out of action, Rated-RKO continued their on-screen rivalry with Michaels. At the Royal Rumble on January 28, both men competed in the Royal Rumble match and made it to the final four, but both were eliminated by Michaels. Michaels later teamed with WWE ChampionJohn Cena to defeat Rated-RKO to win the World Tag Team Championship the following night on Raw.[61] They both competed in the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania, but the match was won by Mr. Kennedy and participated in a fatal four-way match for the WWE Championship against Cena and Michaels at Backlash on April 29, but Cena retained.[62] Their alliance was effectively ended once Edge joined the SmackDown! brand. Orton then continued his "Legend Killer" persona, attacking Shawn Michaels by using frequent attacks to the head, including an elevated DDT and a running punt to the face. Orton defeated Michaels at Judgment Day on May 20 via knockout when Michaels suffered a kayfabe concussion and collapsed during the match.[57] Orton continued his attacks when he engaged himself in feuds with Rob Van Dam at One Night Stand on June 3 (after losing a stretcher match to Van Dam),[63] Ric Flair,[citation needed]Dusty Rhodes,[citation needed] and Sgt. Slaughter.[citation needed] During this time the commentators noted how Orton slithered around and stalked his victims like a snake; this led to "The Viper" becoming a nickname for Orton.
WWE Champion (2007–2008)
Orton during his first reign as WWE Champion in 2007
On the July 23 episode of Raw, Orton was named number one contender for John Cena's WWE Championship.[64] Three times before their scheduled bout at SummerSlam on August 26, Orton assaulted Cena with the RKO.[65] Orton lost the title match at SummerSlam when Cena pinned him after an FU.[66] The next night on the August 27 episode of Raw, Orton demanded a rematch, but Raw General Manager William Regal denied him. He then appealed to Mr. McMahon, who offered him the shot if he "proved himself". That night, Orton interfered in Cena's match with King Booker, assaulting him before kicking his father, who was at ringside, in the head.[67] McMahon granted Orton his rematch at Unforgiven on September 16, which Orton won by disqualification when Cena refused to stop punching him in the corner; however, Cena retained the championship because titles cannot change hands by disqualification.[68]
At No Mercy, Orton was booked to face Cena for the WWE Championship, but the title was vacated when Cena suffered an injury. At the event, Mr. McMahon awarded Orton the championship.[69] Orton lost the title to Triple H in the opening match, but regained it later that night in a Last Man Standing match.[70] Orton then restarted his feud with Shawn Michaels, retaining the title at Cyber Sunday[71][72] and Survivor Series.[73][74] Orton then began a feud with the returning Chris Jericho, who challenged Orton for the WWE Championship at Armageddon on December 16, in which Jericho won by disqualification after interference from SmackDown! color commentator John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL), but Orton retained the title.[75] He then feuded with Jeff Hardy, during which he punted Hardy's brother Matt in the head and Hardy performed a Swanton Bomb off the Raw set onto Orton on the January 14, 2008, episode of Raw. He successfully defended the title against Hardy at the Royal Rumble on January 27.[76] He then restarted his feud with John Cena, who had returned from injury to win the 2008 Royal Rumble match.[76] Instead of taking his title shot at WrestleMania XXIV on March 30, as Royal Rumble winners typically do, Cena took it at No Way Out on February 17 and defeated Orton, who intentionally got himself disqualified by slapping the referee to retain the title. The following night on Raw, Cena defeated Orton in a non-title match with Triple H as the special guest referee, resulting in Cena being added to Orton's title match with Triple H at WrestleMania, making it a triple threat match.[77] At WrestleMania, Orton retained the WWE Championship against Cena and Triple H,[78] but lost it to Triple H the next month at Backlash on April 27 in a fatal four-way elimination match.[79] After failing to win it back at Judgment Day on May 18 in a steel cage match,[80] he lost against Triple H for the title once more in a Last Man Standing match at One Night Stand on June 1, breaking his collarbone during the match and putting him out of action.
Upon being medically cleared to return to the ring, Orton was reinjured in a motorcycle accident.[81][82] After his return in September, Orton began a stable with second-generation wrestlers and World Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase,[83] and Manu, creating The Legacy.[84][citation needed][85]
Orton began feuding with the McMahon family on the January 19, 2009, episode of Raw when he confronted both Mr. McMahon and Stephanie, ending with Orton performing his running punt kick to Mr. McMahon. At the Royal Rumble on January 25, Orton won the Royal Rumble match, last eliminating Triple H.[86] Heading to WrestleMania, Orton also faced Vince's son Shane McMahon in a No Holds Barred match at No Way Out on February 15, which he won and the next night on Raw in an unsanctioned match, which ended in a no contest when he punted Shane in the head. Despite Orton lost against Triple H for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 25 on April 5,[87] he won the title at Backlash on April 26 by pinning Triple H in a six-man tag team match between The Legacy and Triple H, Batista and Shane McMahon. At Judgment Day on May 17, Orton retained the championship against Batista,[88] but lost it at Extreme Rules on June 7 in a steel cage match.[89] After the title was vacated,[90] Orton regained it on the June 15 episode of Raw in a fatal four-way match. The following week, Orton defended the WWE Championship against Triple H in a Last Man Standing match, which ended in a no-contest after both men failed to answer the referee's ten count. They faced off for the championship once more at The Bash on June 28 in a Three Stages of Hell match, which Orton won after interference from Legacy.[91] At SummerSlam on August 23, he defended the title against John Cena, during which he used several underhanded tactics to retain the championship. He lost the title to Cena in an "I Quit" match at Breaking Point on September 13,[92] but regained it from Cena in a Hell in a Cell match at Hell in a Cell on October 4.[93] At Bragging Rights on October 25, Orton again lost the championship to Cena in a one-hour Iron Man match to end the feud.[94]
Orton with a shaved head in 2009
Orton then began a rivalry with Kofi Kingston, whom Orton blamed for him losing the WWE Championship due to Kingston interfering in his match with Cena to chase away Rhodes and DiBiase. On the November 16 episode of Raw, Orton and Kingston engaged in a brawl that ended with Kingston putting Orton through a table in the crowd. Both men were named captains for their respective teams at Survivor Series on November 22, where Kingston's team defeated Orton's team after Orton was last eliminated by Kingston. The two traded victories over each on following episodes of Raw, leading to a match at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 13, which Orton won. The next night, he competed in a tournament to crown the 2009 Superstar of the Year, defeating The Undertaker by countout in the first round after interference from Legacy to advance to the finals later that night, where he lost to Cena.[95] Orton won a triple threat match on the January 11, 2010, episode of Raw, with help from Rhodes and DiBiase, for the right to challenge Sheamus at the Royal Rumble on January 31 for the WWE Championship.[96] Orton lost by disqualification when Rhodes interfered, which prompted Orton to attack both Rhodes and DiBiase after the match.[97] On the February 15 episode of Raw, Orton was again disqualified in a non-title rematch when Legacy interfered.[98] Orton and DiBiase both competed in the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match at Elimination Chamber on February 21, where DiBiase eliminated Orton after hitting him with a pipe Rhodes had given him.[99] The next night on the February 22 episode of Raw, during a six-man tag team match, Orton attacked them in retaliation, turning face for the first time since 2005.[100] At WrestleMania XXVI on March 28, Orton defeated Rhodes and DiBiase in a triple threat match.[101]
World championship reigns (2010–2013)
After The Legacy disbanded, Orton spent most part of the year in World Title feuds. He unsuccessfully challenged Jack Swagger for the World Heavyweight Championship at Extreme Rules on April 25.[102] At Fatal 4-Way on June 20, Orton competed in a fatal four-way WWE Championship match involving champion Cena, Edge, and Sheamus, who won the title after interference from The Nexus. On July 18 at Money in the Bank, Orton competed in a Money in the Bank ladder match for a WWE Championship contract, which was won by The Miz[103] and, at SummerSlam on August 15, he faced the WWE Champion Sheamus in a match that ended in a disqualification, giving Orton the win, but not the title.[104] Immediately afterward, Orton hit Sheamus with the chair and an RKO onto the broadcast table.
At Night of Champions on September 19, Orton won the WWE Championship in a six-pack challenge elimination match.[105] After successfully defending the title against Sheamus in a Hell in a Cell match at Hell in a Cell on October 3,[106] he feuded with Wade Barrett, who was blackmailing John Cena to help him capture the title. Orton retained the title against him at Bragging Rights on October 24 and Survivor Series on November 21.[107][108] However, on the November 22 episode of Raw, after Orton defeated Barrett again in a title match, he lost the championship to The Miz when he cashed his Money in the Bank contract.[109] Orton received his rematch against The Miz in a tables match at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 19 and the Royal Rumble on January 30, 2011, but he lost both matches.[110]
The next month at Elimination Chamber on February 20, Orton failed to win a WWE Championship number one contender Elimination Chamber match after being eliminated by CM Punk.[111] Over the next three weeks, Orton punted and injured all members of The New Nexus, Michael McGillicutty, David Otunga and Mason Ryan.[112][113][114] At WrestleMania XXVII on April 3, Orton defeated Punk after a mid-air RKO.[115] Three weeks later in the 2011 WWE draft, Orton was drafted to the SmackDown brand and later beat Punk in a Last Man Standing Match at Extreme Rules on May 1, ending his feud with The New Nexus.[116]
On the May 6 episode of SmackDown, Orton defeated Christian to win the World Heavyweight Championship for the second time.[117] At Over the Limit on May 22, Orton made his first successful title defense in a rematch against Christian. At Capitol Punishment on June 19, Orton pinned Christian to retain the championship again, despite Christian's foot being under the bottom rope.[118][119] On July 17 at Money in the Bank, Orton defended the championship against Christian once more, with the stipulation that if Orton got himself disqualified, or if there was "bad officiating", Christian would win the title. Christian spat in Orton's face, causing him to lose control of his temper, kick Christian in the groin and get disqualified, resulting in Orton losing the championship.[120][121] A month later at SummerSlam on August 14, Orton regained the title when he defeated Christian in a No Holds Barred match.[122] Orton ended his feud with Christian when he retained the World Heavyweight Championship in a steel cage match on the August 30 episode of SmackDown.[123] Orton then began a feud with Mark Henry after Henry became the number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship.[124] Over the next few weeks, Henry regularly attacked Orton.[125][126][127][128] At Night of Champions on September 18, Orton lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Henry,[129] and failed to regain it two weeks later in a Hell in a Cell match at Hell in a Cell on October 2. He then began feuding with his former stablemate Cody Rhodes, who believed that Orton had mistreated and abused him during their time together in Legacy.[citation needed] On the October 14 episode of SmackDown, Orton won a 41-man battle royal to earn a title shot of his choice, and he chose to challenge Henry for the World Heavyweight Championship later that night; he won by disqualification after interference from Rhodes, but did not win the championship. He then defeated Rhodes at Vengeance on October 23,[130] and again on the November 4 SmackDown in a Street Fight.[131]
Orton reignited his feud with Wade Barrett after both were named captain for a traditional 5-on-5 Survivor Series elimination match. On the November 11 episode of SmackDown, Orton lost a match to Barrett after Barrett poked Orton in the eye. On the November 14 episode of Raw SuperShow, Orton won a rematch by disqualification after Team Barrett interfered.[132][133] Orton's team was defeated at Survivor Series on November 20 with Barrett and Cody Rhodes being the sole survivors.[134] Barrett then began attacking and distracting Orton during matches.[135] At TLC: Tables, Ladders, & Chairs on December 18, Orton defeated Barrett in a tables match after he put Barrett through the table with an RKO.[136] Barrett and Orton continued their feud on the December 23 episode of SmackDown, where they brawled backstage and Orton hit Barrett with an RKO onto a car.[137] This led to a Falls Count Anywhere match on December 30 episode of SmackDown, in which Barrett pushed Orton down a flight of stairs,[138] resulting in a herniated disc, which sidelined Orton for four weeks.[139][86] On the January 27, 2012, episode of SmackDown, he returned to the ring and attacked Barrett. On the February 3 episode of SmackDown, Orton defeated Barrett in a No Disqualification match to end the feud.[140]
On the February 13 episode of Raw SuperShow, Orton suffered a concussion after World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan smashed Orton over the head with the title belt. Due to the injury, Orton was taken out of his Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship at Elimination Chamber on February 19.[141] When Orton returned on the March 2 episode of SmackDown, he feuded with Kane and was defeated by him at WrestleMania XXVIII on April 1.[142] Orton defeated Kane on the next SmackDown in a No Disqualification rematch[143] and at Extreme Rules on April 29 in a Falls Count Anywhere match to end the feud.[144] He participated in a fatal four-way match at Over the Limit on May 20 for the World Heavyweight Championship, where Orton failed to win after Sheamus pinned Chris Jericho to retain the title.[145] On May 30, WWE suspended Orton for 60 days due to his second violation of the company's Talent Wellness Program.[146][147]
On the December 3 episode of Raw, Orton began a feud with The Shield, after he was attacked by them following a victory over Brad Maddox.[156] On the December 14 episode of SmackDown, Orton was once again assaulted backstage by The Shield.[157] This was used to write him off television due to a shoulder injury.[158] Orton returned on the December 31 episode of Raw, helping Ryback and Sheamus fend off The Shield.[159] At Elimination Chamber on February 17, 2013, Orton eliminated Mark Henry and Chris Jericho in an Elimination Chamber match before being the last man eliminated by Jack Swagger.[160] In late February, Orton aligned himself with Sheamus to feud with the Shield.[161] At WrestleMania 29 on April 7, Orton, Sheamus and Big Show were defeated by The Shield, after which, both men were knocked out by Big Show.[162] The following night on Raw, Orton and Sheamus faced off in a match to earn a match with Big Show, however, the match ended in a no contest after Big Show interfered.[163] Orton and Sheamus then teamed up to defeat Big Show in two handicap matches, first on the April 12 SmackDown via count-out, and second on the April 15 Raw via pinfall.[164][165] The feud between Big Show and Orton led to an Extreme Rules match at Extreme Rules on May 19, which Orton won.[citation needed]
After Extreme Rules, Orton began pairing with Daniel Bryan to face the Shield.[166][167] On the June 14 SmackDown, Orton teamed with Bryan and Kane to end the Shield's unpinned and unsubmitted streak in televised six-man tag matches.[168][169] Three days later at Payback on June 16, Orton and Bryan unsuccessfully challenged for Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins' WWE Tag Team Championship.[170] The following night on Raw, Orton and Bryan faced off in a No Disqualification match, which Orton won via referee stoppage after Bryan suffered a legitimate nerve injury.[171] Four days later on SmackDown, Orton was defeated by Bryan in a singles match via countout.[172] Orton and Bryan faced each other for the third time on the next Raw, but their match ended in a no-contest after both men were counted out.[173] Later that night, Orton was defeated by Bryan in a Street Fight Match after he was forced to submit to the Yes! Lock with a kendo stick applied to the move.[174]
On July 14 at Money in the Bank, Orton defeated Christian, CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Rob Van Dam, and Sheamus to win the WWE Championship Money in the Bank ladder match, thus earning him an opportunity to challenge for the WWE Championship at a time of his choosing within the next year.[175] On August 18 at SummerSlam, Orton cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on Daniel Bryan, who had just won the WWE Championship and had been subsequently attacked by special guest referee Triple H, who also counted the pinfall to give Orton his seventh WWE Championship, turning heel for the first time since 2010.[176] The following night on Raw, Orton was endorsed as the "face of the company" by Vince McMahon and the newly formed Authority (Triple H and Stephanie McMahon).[177] On September 15 at Night of Champions, Orton lost the WWE Championship back to Bryan,[178] however, Triple H stripped Bryan of the title the next night on Raw, due to a fast count by referee Scott Armstrong, but refused to give the championship back to Orton.[179] Orton and Bryan faced off for the vacant title on October 6 at Battleground, but the match ended in a no contest after Big Show interfered and knocked out both men.[180] Orton once again challenged Bryan for the vacant championship at Hell in a Cell on October 27, where he was successful in regaining the WWE Championship after the special guest referee Shawn Michaels hit Bryan with Sweet Chin Music for attacking Triple H.[181] On November 24 at Survivor Series, after retaining the title against Big Show, Orton was confronted by World Heavyweight Champion and long-time rival John Cena.[182] The following night on Raw, Cena suggested that there should only be "one champion" in WWE, so Triple H stated there would be a unification match at the TLC pay-per-view on December 15. At TLC, Orton defeated Cena in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs match to unify both titles, and becoming the first WWE World Heavyweight Champion as well as officially being recognized as the final World Heavyweight Champion.[183] Orton retained the title at the Royal Rumble on January 26, 2014, against Cena after interference by The Wyatt Family.[184] On February 23 at Elimination Chamber, Orton defeated Cesaro, Christian, Daniel Bryan, John Cena, and Sheamus to retain his WWE World Heavyweight Championship and secure his position in the title bout at WrestleMania XXX on April 6 against Royal Rumble winner Batista.[185] At WrestleMania, the main event was changed to a triple threat match after Bryan defeated Triple H earlier that night, and Bryan won the match after making Batista submit to end Orton's reign at 161 days.[186]
The following night on Raw, Orton and Batista were each denied a rematch for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and instead were forced by The Authority to team together to face The Usos for the WWE Tag Team Championship, despite their issues with one another. The title match ended in a double count-out after the two united and attacked them.[187] Later that night, Orton and Batista, along with Kane, attacked Bryan before he was set to defend his title against Triple H. Before Triple H could defeat Bryan, The Shield interrupted by spearing Triple H and taking out Orton, Batista, and Kane, causing the match to end in a no-contest.[188] On the April 14 episode of Raw, Orton, Batista, and Triple H came down to the ring to attack The Shield after their 11-on-3 handicap match, using the name and the theme of Evolution.[189] At Extreme Rules on May 4 and Payback on June 1, Evolution lost to The Shield.[190][191] On the June 9 episode of Raw, The Authority automatically granted Orton a spot in the Money in the Bank ladder match for the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Money in the Bank on June 29, but he failed to win. On the July 21 episode of Raw, Roman Reigns attacked Orton, which cost him another shot at the title, causing Orton to retaliate the following week by viciously attacking Reigns and challenging him to a match at SummerSlam on August 17, which Reigns won. At Night of Champions on September 21, Orton defeated Chris Jericho.[192]
On the October 13 episode of Raw, Orton asked The Authority to face the loser of a No Holds BarredContract on a Pole match between John Cena and Dean Ambrose. Ambrose won the match, setting up a Hell in a Cell match between Orton and Cena at Hell in a Cell on October 26.[193] On the Raw before Hell in a Cell, Triple H revealed that the winner would receive a future WWE World Heavyweight Championship match against Brock Lesnar. Later that night, Orton, Kane, and Seth Rollins defeated Cena and Ambrose in a handicap Street Fight after Orton pinned Ambrose, but he was immediately attacked by Rollins with a Curb Stomp post-match.[194] At Hell in a Cell, Orton lost to Cena.[195] On the October 27 episode of Raw, Orton attacked Rollins, turning face in the process.[196] The following week on Raw, Orton attacked Rollins during his Intercontinental Championship match against Dolph Ziggler, and demanded a match with Rollins to settle their dispute, which Triple H granted in order to keep Orton on their side. Rollins won, and Orton attacked The Authority before being attacked by The Authority, which ended with Rollins executing a Curb Stomp onto the steel steps on Orton.[197] He was carried on a stretcher after he sustained a scripted injury, so he could start filming The Condemned 2.
After a three-month hiatus, Orton returned at Fastlane on February 22, 2015, by saving Dolph Ziggler, Erick Rowan and Ryback from a post-match beatdown of Rollins, Big Show and Kane.[198] He feuded with The Authority's Seth Rollins, having a match at WrestleMania 31 on March 29 where Orton defeated Rollins. After WrestleMania, with Rollins as the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Orton faced Rollins in a steel cage match at Extreme Rules on April 26[199] and Payback on May 17, losing both title matches.[200]
At Money in the Bank on June 14, Orton failed to win the championship contract ladder match, which was won by Sheamus.[201] Following this, Orton began feuding with Sheamus after both men attacked each other and faced off in various tag-team matches; Orton defeated Sheamus at Battleground on July 19, but lost to Sheamus at SummerSlam on August 23.[202][203] On the September 7 episode of Raw, Orton was attacked by The Wyatt Family,[204] starting a feud that was booked to end in the Hell in a Cell pre-show on October 25,[205] but canceled after Orton suffered a legitimate shoulder injury,[206] putting him out of action for the following months.[207]
The Wyatt Family (2016–2017)
On the July 7, 2016, episode of SmackDown, Orton was revealed as Brock Lesnar's opponent for SummerSlam.[208] On July 19 at the 2016 WWE draft, Orton was drafted to SmackDown, while Lesnar was drafted to Raw.[209] On July 24 at Battleground, Orton returned as a guest on Chris Jericho's Highlight Reel to be interviewed about his match with Lesnar. Orton explained that he wanted to face Lesnar to prove that he belonged in the top spot, before executing an RKO on Jericho.[210] On the July 26 episode of SmackDown Live, Orton interrupted Intercontinental Champion The Miz during his Miz TV segment before defeating Miz in a non-title match.[211] During Lesnar's promo on the August 1 episode of Raw, Orton appeared and delivered an RKO to Lesnar.[212] The following night on SmackDown Live, Lesnar attacked Orton during his match, delivering an F-5 to Orton.[213] At SummerSlam, Lesnar defeated Orton by technical knockout after a series of elbows to the head, leaving Orton with an open wound that required 10 staples.[214]
On the August 23 episode of SmackDown Live, Orton spoke about his match against Lesnar and declared that he and Lesnar would cross paths again before Bray Wyatt interrupted him, therefore resuming their feud.[215] The following week on SmackDown Live, Orton accepted Wyatt's challenge for a match at Backlash, where Orton lost by forfeit after a backstage attack by Wyatt before the show.[216] It was later revealed that Orton was not cleared to wrestle at the event due to a legitimate concussion that occurred the previous month at SummerSlam.[217] Orton faced Wyatt at No Mercy, where he lost due to a distraction by the returning Luke Harper.[218] On the October 11 episode of SmackDown Live, Orton was teamed with Kane in a tag team match against Wyatt and Harper, but once again lost the match due to distraction by Harper.[219] On the October 25 episode of SmackDown Live, Orton interfered on Wyatt's behalf in his match with Kane, leading to speculation that he had joined The Wyatt Family, though this was neither confirmed nor denied by WWE or Orton.[220] On the November 1 episode of SmackDown Live, Wyatt and Harper helped Orton win his match against Kane, thus confirming Orton's alliance with the group, turning heel in the process.[221]
That same night, Orton and Wyatt were revealed as members of Team SmackDown for Survivor Series.[221] At Survivor Series, Team SmackDown defeated Team Raw, where Orton and Wyatt became the last two surviving members of their team.[222] On the November 29 episode of SmackDown Live, Orton and Wyatt defeated American Alpha to earn a shot at the SmackDown Tag Team Championship against Heath Slater and Rhyno.[223] At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, they won the titles, marking Orton's first tag team championship in a decade. It was later announced that Harper was also champion under the Freebird Rule.[224] On the December 27 episode of SmackDown Live, they lost the SmackDown Tag Team Championship to American Alpha in a fatal four-way tag team elimination match, after Orton accidentally hit Harper.[225] On January 29, 2017, at the Royal Rumble, Orton won the Royal Rumble match for the second time in his career by lastly eliminating Roman Reigns.[226] Despite this, Orton came out after Wyatt successfully defended the WWE Championship and relinquished his shot at the title on the February 14 episode of SmackDown Live, basically giving his full devotion to Wyatt and leaving the main event of WrestleMania in the air. On the February 28 episode of SmackDown Live, Orton turned on Wyatt while Wyatt was delivering his promo and was seen entering Wyatt's compound, where he claimed that despite being Wyatt's home, it was not his home and declared his intentions to burn the soul of "Sister Abigail". He then set the entire compound on fire after stating that he would face Wyatt at WrestleMania 33, turning face again.[citation needed] On the March 7 episode of SmackDown Live, Orton defeated AJ Styles to become the number one contender for the WWE Championship.[227] On April 2 at WrestleMania 33, Orton defeated Wyatt to win the WWE Championship for the ninth time, which was also his first WWE Championship win at WrestleMania and 13th overall world championship.[228][229] On the following episode of SmackDown Live, Wyatt challenged Orton to a "House of Horrors" rematch,[230] but after Wyatt was moved to the Raw brand as a result of the Superstar Shake-up, it was made a non-title match and scheduled for Raw's Payback on April 30,[231] which he lost.[232]
On the April 18 episode of SmackDown Live, Jinder Mahal, who was moved to the SmackDown brand as a result of the Superstar Shake-up, won a six-pack challenge to become the number one contender for the WWE Championship, after interference from The Singh Brothers.[233] The following week on SmackDown Live, Orton defeated Erick Rowan in a no disqualification match and was afterwards attacked by Mahal and The Singh Brothers; Mahal subsequently stole the WWE Championship belt.[234] At Payback, Orton lost to Wyatt after Mahal attacked him with the title belt.[235] SmackDown commissioner Shane McMahon later returned the belt to Orton.[236] On May 21 at Backlash, Orton lost the WWE Championship to Mahal after interference from The Singh Brothers and failed to regain it the following month at Money in the Bank after The Singh Brothers again interfered.[237][238] On the June 27 episode of SmackDown Live, Orton demanded a rematch for the title, which McMahon would grant him at Battleground, but with Mahal allowed to choose the stipulation (Mahal came out and chose a Punjabi Prison match). At Battleground, Orton was again defeated by Mahal when The Great Khali returned and attacked Orton, allowing Mahal to escape the Punjabi Prison to win.[239]
United States Champion (2017–2018)
Orton in 2018
Orton started a feud with Rusev, whom he defeated in 10 seconds at SummerSlam.[240] On the September 19 episode of SmackDown Live, Orton was defeated by Rusev in 10 seconds after a distraction from Aiden English.[241] At Hell in a Cell, Orton defeated Rusev to end the feud.[242] Orton also worked on the Survivor Series as part of the traditional Survivor Series match and Royal Rumble 2018, but he lost both matches.[243][244] At Fastlane, Orton defeated Bobby Roode to win the WWE United States Championship, thus becoming the 18th Grand Slam Champion[245]) but lost it at WrestleMania 34 against Jinder Mahal in a fatal four-way match.[246] He had another title match at Backlash against the new champion Jeff Hardy, but Orton lost again.[247] On May 18, WWE confirmed that Orton had undergone successful surgery to repair a medial meniscus tear in his left knee, sidelining him indefinitely.[248]
Return of the Legend Killer (2018–2021)
After a brief hiatus, Orton returned at Extreme Rules and attacked Jeff Hardy after Hardy's match against Shinsuke Nakamura for the United States Championship, turning heel in the process.[249] Two nights later on SmackDown Live, Orton interfered in the rematch and attacked Hardy again.[250] On the August 21 episode of SmackDown Live, Orton and Hardy faced off in a match that ended in a no-contest, with Hardy continuing to attack Orton after the match.[251] At Hell in a Cell, Orton defeated Hardy in a Hell in a Cell match.[252] On the October 9 episode of SmackDown Live, Orton defeated a returning Big Show to qualify for the WWE World Cup at Crown Jewel.[253] At Crown Jewel, he lost to Rey Mysterio in the first round.[254] He then started a feud with Mysterio, stealing Mysterio's mask on the November 21 episode of SmackDown Live and carrying it with him for a few weeks.[255] At TLC, Orton lost to Mysterio in a chairs match.[256] At the Royal Rumble pay-per-view on January 27, 2019, Orton entered the namesake match at number 29, eliminating Mysterio ending their feud before he was himself eliminated by Andrade.[257] Orton competed in the Elimination Chamber match for the WWE Championship at Elimination Chamber, where he eliminated AJ Styles before being eliminated by Kofi Kingston.[258]
He then started a feud with Styles, with the two berating each other about their history in the wrestling business. At WrestleMania 35, Orton lost to Styles.[259] In July, Orton feuded with Kingston over the WWE Championship, having matches at SummerSlam[260] and Clash of Champions, where Orton did not win the title.[261] At Crown Jewel and Survivor Series, Orton was part of two multi-tag matches, but his team lost both times.[262][263] As part of the 2019 WWE draft, Orton was drafted to Raw.[264] On the November 11 episode of Raw, Orton seemed like he was going to give Ricochet an RKO, but instead gave one to Styles (who turned heel during the summer), thus turning face.[265] He reignited his feud with Styles and faced him throughout December and January.[266]
At the Royal Rumble on January 26, 2020, Orton entered the titular match at number 25 and eliminated Karl Anderson before he was eliminated by his former Rated-RKO tag team partner Edge, who was returning to competition for the first time since retiring due to career-ending neck injuries in 2011.[267] The next night on Raw, Orton teased a Rated-RKO reunion with Edge before delivering an RKO and a con-chair-to, turning heel once again. Orton and Edge then began a feud, facing each other in a Last Man Standing match at WrestleMania 36, which Orton lost. Their second match at Backlash, billed as the "Greatest Wrestling Match Ever", was won by Orton. Orton won after a punt to the head of Edge, marking the first punt Orton had delivered in years. The match put Edge out of action with a legitimate torn triceps, and the victory enabled Orton to call himself the "Greatest Wrestler Ever".[268] The following night on Raw, Edge's friend and former tag team partner Christian challenged Orton to an unsanctioned match, which Orton won with assistance from Ric Flair.[269] Orton would go on to revive his Legend Killer gimmick over the next few weeks, attacking legends such as Christian, Shawn Michaels, and Big Show, while becoming more unhinged. Orton then turned on Flair and set his sights on the WWE Championship. During the following months, Orton feuded with the WWE Champion Drew McIntyre, failing to win the title at SummerSlam[270] and Clash of Champions in an Ambulance match,[271] until he defeated McIntyre in a Hell in a Cell match at Hell In A Cell, winning his tenth WWE Championship.[272] However, he would lose the title back to McIntyre on the November 16 episode of Raw.[273]
Three weeks before his title loss, on October 26, 2020, Orton started a feud with Bray Wyatt, now under his new gimmick, The Fiend, as well with his partner Alexa Bliss. At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 20, Orton defeated The Fiend in a Firefly Inferno match before setting his body on fire.[274] Despite his victory over the Fiend, Orton would deal with the repercussions by dealing with Alexa Bliss (who aligned with The Fiend earlier) over the following weeks. After instigating Triple H into agreeing to face him in a No Holds Barred match, Bliss interfered and threw a fireball at Orton to end it in a no contest.[275] At the Royal Rumble on January 31, Orton entered as the second participant and continued his feud with a returning Edge, who entered as the first participant. Due to injuries inflicted on him by Edge, Orton left the match to be tended to by medical personnel without actually being eliminated. Orton returned to the match at the very end to eliminate Edge, but was then himself eliminated. The following night on Raw, Orton challenged Edge to one final match to again try to end his wrestling career but was defeated by him due to the interference of Bliss ending his feud with Edge.[276]
At Elimination Chamber on February 21, Orton competed in the Raw Elimination Chamber match for Drew McIntyre's WWE Championship, but was the first man eliminated by Kofi Kingston.[277] After Bliss repeatedly harassed and distracted him over the weeks, causing him to lose matches, Bliss challenged him to an Intergender Match at Fastlane on March 21, which he accepted. At the event, Bliss attacked him with supernatural powers and Orton lost after interference from The Fiend.[278] On the following episode of Raw, The Fiend attacked Orton again and a match between them was scheduled for WrestleMania 37.[279] On Night 2 of the event on April 11, Orton defeated The Fiend after Bliss seemingly turned on The Fiend by distracting him, allowing Orton to land the RKO and pin him for the win.[280]
After WrestleMania, Orton began to work with Riddle as a tag team, named RK-Bro, thus turning face in the process.[281] They would defeat AJ Styles and Omos at SummerSlam to become the Raw Tag Team Champions, their first reign each. RK-Bro defeated Styles and Omos in a rematch at Crown Jewel to successfully retain the championships and end the feud between the two teams. At Survivor Series, RK-Bro defeated SmackDown Tag Team ChampionsThe Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso).[282] With this match, Orton broke Kane's record for wrestling the most PPV matches in WWE history.[4] At the inaugural Day 1 premium live-event, Orton and Riddle successfully defended their championships against The Street Profits.
On the January 10, 2022, episode of Raw, RK-Bro lost the Raw Tag Team Championship to Alpha Academy (Chad Gable and Otis), ending their reign at 142 days. However, exactly eight weeks later on the March 7 edition of the Raw, they regained the Raw Tag Team Championship in a Triple Threat match against Alpha Academy and the team of Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins. The win gave Orton and Riddle each their second Raw Tag Team Championship reign and Orton's fourth tag team championship reign overall. Later, during the Royal Rumble, Orton entered the namesake contest as the penultimate entrant, scoring two eliminations before being eliminated by eventual winner Brock Lesnar.[283] At WrestleMania 38, RK-Bro successfully defended the Raw Tag Team Championship against Alpha Academy and the Street Profits in a triple threat tag team match. After the match, the duo would celebrate with new WWE signee Gable Steveson. Following WrestleMania, RK-Bro would be challenged by The Usos to a championship unification match at WrestleMania Backlash with, both the Raw and SmackDown Tag Team Championships on the line. Orton would later accept the challenge on RK-Bro's behalf. On the April 25 episode of Raw, WWE and Riddle celebrated "20 Years of Orton" to open the show. In the main event, RK-Bro teamed with Ezekiel and Cody Rhodes to defeat the team of the Usos, Seth Rollins, and Kevin Owens, after Orton delivered four RKOs.
The WrestleMania Backlash match between RK-Bro and the Usos was later changed to a six-man tag team non-title match pitting Drew McIntyre and RK-Bro against The Bloodline, in which the latter emerged victorious when Roman Reigns pinned Riddle. The following night on Raw, RK-Bro successfully defended the Raw Tag Team Championships against the Street Profits. On the May 20 episode of SmackDown, following interference from Reigns, the Usos defeated RK-Bro to unify the Raw and SmackDown Tag Team Championships as the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship. A few days later, it was announced that Orton had suffered a legitimate back injury and was expected to be on hiatus for the rest of 2022.[284] During his hiatus in September 2023, Riddle was released from WWE, effectively ending RK-Bro.[285]
On the November 20, 2023, episode of Raw, after an 18-month hiatus, it was revealed that Orton would be making his return at Survivor Series: WarGames on November 25 as the fifth member of Cody Rhodes' team (which also included Jey Uso, Sami Zayn, and Seth "Freakin" Rollins) in the WarGames match against Drew McIntyre and The Judgment Day (Damian Priest, Finn Bálor, "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio, and JD McDonagh).[286] At the event, Orton was the last entrant into the match and his team won the match.[287] On the December 1 episode of SmackDown, it was revealed that Orton was a free agent, and a contract signing happened that night to determine which brand Orton would sign with, and after SmackDown's The Bloodline (Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa) attacked Orton, he subsequently signed with SmackDown.[288] In the following weeks, Orton vowed to get revenge on The Bloodline, defeating Sikoa and Uso in separate matches. At Royal Rumble, on January 27, 2024, Orton failed to capture the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship from Roman Reigns in a fatal four-way match also involving AJ Styles and LA Knight.[289]
On the February 9 episode of SmackDown, Orton defeated Sami Zayn to qualify for the men's Elimination Chamber match at Elimination Chamber: Perth.[290] At the event, Orton eliminated Kevin Owens and Logan Paul before being the last person eliminated by Drew McIntyre after Paul struck Orton with brass knuckles.[291] On the March 15 episode of SmackDown, Orton defeated Grayson Waller after hitting him with an RKO. After the match, SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis declared that Orton and Owens will challenge Paul for the United States Championship in a triple threat match at WrestleMania XL.[292] On Night 2 of the event on April 7, IShowSpeed, dressed as a bottle of Prime, attempted to interfere for Paul, before revealing his face shortly after. Afterwards, Orton would go on to kick him and bark at him before hitting him with an RKO. Ultimately, Orton failed to win the title from Paul after pinning Owens.[293] On the April 26 episode SmackDown, Orton saved Owens from an attack from The Bloodline's Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga. Later that night, it was announced that Orton and Owens would face The Bloodline at Backlash.[294] At the event on May 4, Orton and Owens lost to Sikoa and Tonga in a Tag Team Street Fight after interference from Tanga Loa, Tama's younger brother (who returned to WWE after ten years, when he previously performed as "Camacho").[295]
After Backlash, Orton participated in the King of the Ring tournament, defeating Styles in the first round,[296]Carmelo Hayes in the quarterfinals,[297] Tonga in the semifinals, but lost to Gunther in the finals at King and Queen of the Ring in controversial fashion as Orton's shoulder was not fully on the mat when the referee counted the pin.[298] At Money in the Bank on July 6, Orton, Owens and Cody Rhodes lost to the Bloodline's Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga and the debuting Jacob Fatu in a six-man tag team match after interference from Tanga Loa.[299] On the August 5 episode of Raw, Orton challenged Gunther to a rematch for the World Heavyweight Championship after he claimed that he never lost the final match of the 2024 King of the Ring, and it was confirmed for Bash in Berlin on August 31, with an added stipulation that if Orton won, he would trade brands with Gunther going to SmackDown and Orton going to Raw as the championship is exclusive to the Raw brand. At the event on August 31, Orton failed to win the title from Gunther, thus keeping him on the SmackDown brand.[300]
After Bad Blood went off the air, in storyline, Owens attacked Rhodes, turning Owens heel.[301] Owens (kayfabe) attacked Orton in the parking lot during the October 11 episode of SmackDown.[302] Orton subsequently confronted WWE CCO Triple H on the October 25 episode of SmackDown, who in turn scheduled a match between Orton and Owens at Crown Jewel,[303] At the event, however, both men brawled throughout the arena, thus the match never officially started.[304] On the November 8 episode of SmackDown, Orton was attacked by Owens with a package piledriver, this was used to write him off television due to cervical cord neurapraxia, a nerve injury to the spinal cord.[305][306] Orton returned on March 1, 2025, at Elimination Chamber, attacking Owens after his match against Zayn.[307]
Orton was originally scheduled to compete against Owens on Night 2 of WrestleMania 41, but the match was canceled as Owens suffered a legitimate neck injury and was unable to compete. Instead, Orton issued an open challenge at the event, which was answered by TNA World ChampionJoe Hendry, whom Orton defeated.[308] The following night on Raw, Orton attacked the now-villainous newly-crowned Undisputed WWE Champion John Cena with an RKO, reigniting their storied rivalry.[309] Orton challenged Cena to a match for his championship on the April 25 episode of SmackDown, but Cena declined, stating that the match should occur in Orton's hometown of St. Louis at Backlash.[310] At the event on May 10, Orton failed to win the title from Cena.[311] Following Backlash, Orton participated in the 2025 King of the Ring tournament as part of the SmackDown brand and reached the finals for the second year in a row. He defeated Aleister Black, Carmelo Hayes and LA Knight in the first round in a fatal four-way match,[312] and Sami Zayn in the semifinals.[313] However, he lost the finals to Cody Rhodes at Night of Champions on June 28.[314] At Saturday Night's Main Event XL on July 12, Orton, with singer Jelly Roll in his corner, defeated Drew McIntyre, with Logan Paul in the latter's corner.[315] On Night 1 of SummerSlam on August 2, Orton teamed up with Jelly Roll in a tag team match against McIntyre and Paul in a losing effort.[316] At the Royal Rumble on January 31, 2026, Orton entered the match at #29 and finished in third place, eliminating Je'Von Evans before being eliminated by Gunther.[317]
At Elimination Chamber on February 28, Orton won the namesake match for the second time in his career by last eliminating Cody Rhodes, earning an Undisputed WWE Championship match at WrestleMania 42.[318] On the March 13 episode of SmackDown, Orton attacked the newly-crowned Undisputed WWE Champion Rhodes during the contract signing segment, turning heel for the first time since 2021.[319]
Orton's most notable move is his finishing maneuver, the RKO, a jumping variation of a cutter.[320][321] The name is a pun on his initials (Randal Keith Orton) with "Randy-KO". He also previously used a punt kick, which saw him run up to an opponent on their hands and knees and kick them in the head; within a storyline, this usually caused a concussion or some other sort of severe head injury to his opponent, and was often used to write off the on-screen characters of wrestlers who were scheduled to take time off. However, the move was legitimately banned by WWE management in 2012 due to the ease of imitation by viewers and the risk of injury should the move be botched.[322][323] The move was brought back in June 2020 as part of the feud between Orton and Edge where Orton used the Punt Kick to defeat Edge at Backlash. Orton would then start using the move regularly again.[324][325]
During his initial years in WWE, Orton's gimmick was that of "the Legend Killer", a young and cocky talent who disrespected and usually defeated several legends. In late 2007, in the midst of his second WWE Championship reign, his character changed to a more unstable and treacherous personality. He then adopted the nicknames of "the Viper" and "the Apex Predator" due to his untrustworthy, snake-like character.[326] He has said numerous times that he prefers playing the villain, as it is easier and more natural for him.[327] In January 2008, Orton told 411Mania: "It's easy for me to go out there and be a prick on the show because it's me times ten. And even though you probably don't like me anyway, give me five minutes and I'll make you not like me more. Being a heel is fun. It comes so natural."[328]
Fashion and appearance
Randy Orton’s evolution from 2003 to 2024
Throughout his career Orton’s in ring gear has mostly stayed the same, usually consisting of a typical pair of wrestling trunks, knee pads and wrist bands. During his entrances he often wears a sleeveless jacket with his signature viper logo on the back. He has kept his hair length relatively short throughout his tenure however during his run in 2009 he made the decision to shave his head bald, to give himself a more menacing look.[329] Other big part of Orton’s look are his tattoos which he has multiple of, he got his first major tattoo during his OVW days which was his iconic tribal barbed wire piece on his back.[330] Later on he got sleeve tattoos on both of his arms that he debuted in 2008, which consists of skeletons, a bible quote and references to his family. He also has one additional matching tattoo on his stomach which his wife also has.[331]
Acting career
A former Marine,[14] Orton was set to star in the action film The Marine 2 (2009), but was replaced by Ted DiBiase Jr. after injuring his collarbone.[332] He had a supporting role as the father of a school bully in the comedy-drama film That's What I Am (2011).[333] He signed on to star in the action film The Marine 3: Homefront (2013),[334] but was replaced by The Miz due to his checkered military career.[335][336][337] He later starred in the action films 12 Rounds 2: Reloaded (2013)[338] and The Condemned 2 (2015). He had a guest role as James Richards, a former Navy SEAL and leader of a militia group, in a December 2016 episode of the USA action series Shooter.[339] He also had a supporting role in the comedy-drama film Changeland (2019).
In October 2014, he became a popular figure on Vine and the internet, when a trend began of clips of a superimposed Orton performing his signature RKO move on internet "fail" victims.[343]
In 2024 rapper Eladio Carrión made a song titled “RKO” in reference to Orton’s signature move, Orton made a cameo in the song’s official music video.[344]
Orton married Samantha Speno on September 21, 2007,[345][346] and they had a daughter together[347][348] before separating in late 2012 and divorcing in June 2013.[349] Orton married Kimberly Kessler, who was previously a member of his fan club, on November 14, 2015.[350] They have a daughter together, who is Orton's second child and Kessler's fourth, and he is also the step-father of Kessler's three sons from her previous marriage.[351] They reside in St. Charles, Missouri.[352] In 2020 he and his wife started a clothing brand called Slthr.[353] Orton enjoys playing video games in his spare time.[354] Orton’s musical interest spans from rap to heavy metal and rock.[355]
Orton suffers from hypermobility in both of his shoulders, which has been the cause of nearly all of his most notable injuries throughout his career, sidelining him through incidents ranging from performing one of his signature taunts during a match to innocuous things such as taking out the trash at home.[356]
On August 24, 2024, Orton threw out the ceremonial first pitch at a St. Louis Cardinals game.[357]
Controversies and legal issues
In March 2007, Sports Illustrated posted an article on its website as part of its continuing series investigating a steroid and growth hormone ring used by a number of professional athletes in several sports. The article mentioned several current and former WWE wrestlers, including Orton, who was alleged to have obtained nandrolone, oxandrolone, stanozolol, and testosterone, as well as ancillary drugs anastrozole and clomiphene citrate.[358] WWE simply claimed that the allegations preceded their Talent Wellness Program, launched in February 2006.[359]
In August 2018, Orton was investigated by WWE for sexual harassment when it was claimed that he had exposed himself to new members of the company's writing staff during his early career,[360][361] though nothing came of the investigation.[362]
Also in 2018, Orton's tattoo artist Catherine Alexander filed a lawsuit against Take-Two Interactive and 2K Games for their unapproved use of her copyrighted tattoos on his likeness in their WWE 2K video game series.[363] She argued that the copying of the tattoos infringed on her rights as the licensed creator.[364] Take-Two argued fair use; since there was a material dispute on that question the judge denied the company's motion for summary judgement while granting Alexander's motion for the same on the copying issue, leaving fair use the only issue to try.[365] A trial was scheduled for September 2021, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[366] The trial went ahead in October 2022, with the judge ruling in favor of Alexander and declaring that she was entitled to $3,750 in damages.[367]
In October 2019, Orton received criticism for saying "nigga" while playing a Call of Duty game on a live Twitch stream.[368]
12"MMWA-SICW Archive— March 18, 2000 results". Mid-Missouri Wrestling Association-Southern Illinois Conference Wrestling. Archived from the original on February 10, 2008. Retrieved August 14, 2007.
1234Zack Zeigler. "Orton's tattoo secrets". World Wrestling Entertainment. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved October 11, 2007.
↑"MMWA-SICW archives — April 22, 2000". Mid-Missouri Wrestling Association-Southern Illinois Conference Wrestling. April 22, 2000. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved March 23, 2008.
↑Powell, John (April 18, 2004). "Feature bouts save Backlash". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved August 26, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
↑Clevett, Jason (August 16, 2004). "Orton-Benoit, Guerrero-Angle save SummerSlam". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved November 18, 2009. Benoit left the ring and then returned and extended his hand saying, "Be a man." The two shook hands{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
↑Sokol, Chris (November 15, 2004). "Orton survives at Series". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved August 26, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
↑Evans, Anthony (January 21, 2005). "Power Slam Magazine, issue 127". Tripper strikes back (New Years Revolution 2005). SW Publishing. pp.30–31.
↑Wade, Ryan (March 28, 2005). "Inside the Squared Circle". Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise. Randy Orton... stated on Monday that he had a simple message for anyone who doubted his ability to bring the Undertaker's 13–0 record at WrestleMania to a crashing halt. After having to drag the answer he wanted out of his female companion, Stacy Keibler, Orton clearly knew that Keibler didn't like his chances in the big match. Orton sent his message to all the people who doubted him by way of a RKO to Keibler.
↑Sokol, Chris (October 9, 2005). "Latest WWE PPV unmerciful". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved August 26, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
12"2007 Wrestling Almanac & Book of Facts". Wrestling's Historical Cards. Kappa Publishing. 2007. p.119.
↑Sokol, Chris (February 20, 2006). "Main events salvage No Way Out". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved May 12, 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
↑Hurley, Oliver (April 20, 2006). "Power Slam Magazine, issue 142". WrestleMania In Person (WrestleMania 22). SW Publishing. pp.16–19.
↑Brown, Blackjack (April 9, 2006). "More Triple H, ECW on tap". Chicago Sun-Times: A65.
↑Elliott, Brian (November 6, 2006). "K-Fed costs Cena at Cyber Sunday". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved January 17, 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
↑Robinson, Bryan (November 7, 2007). "The music is silenced". World Wrestling Entertainment. Archived from the original on December 20, 2008. Retrieved February 7, 2008.
↑Robinson, Bryan (December 16, 2007). "Saved by a 'wrestling god'". World Wrestling Entertainment. Archived from the original on December 19, 2007. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
12Robinson, Bryan (January 28, 2008). "Fate on the Legend Killer's side". World Wrestling Entertainment. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved August 26, 2009.
↑Baines, Tim (November 22, 2008). "Maturity arrives for Randy Orton". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved November 25, 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
↑Sitterson, Aubrey (September 1, 2008). "Forgive, don't forget". World Wrestling Entertainment. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved April 19, 2009.
↑Sitterson, Aubrey (April 26, 2009). "Punter's quarry". World Wrestling Entertainment. Archived from the original on April 30, 2009. Retrieved April 26, 2009.
↑Tello, Craig (June 7, 2009). "Steel of fortune". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
↑"Wounded Animal". World Wrestling Entertainment. June 9, 2009. Retrieved June 16, 2009.
↑Sitterson, Aubrey (September 13, 2009). "Results: Quitting time". World Wrestling Entertainment. Archived from the original on April 9, 2016. Retrieved August 14, 2009.
↑Tello, Craig (October 4, 2009). "Results: Serpent's Structure". World Wrestling Entertainment. Archived from the original on September 26, 2011. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
↑Plummer, Dale (January 11, 2010). "Raw: Iron Mike and DX reunite". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved March 3, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
↑"Scrapped from 'Marine' Flick Over Military Past". TMZ.com. April 2, 2012. A rep for WWE tells us, "WWE demonstrated poor judgment in signing Randy Orton for the 3rd installment of the film." The rep adds, "Despite Randy's popularity, the fact that he was dishonorably discharged from the USMC made it inappropriate for him to be cast in this film."
↑Johnson, Mike (April 3, 2012). "Randy dropped from marine 3". PWInsider. Retrieved March 18, 2012. WWE has dropped Randy Orton from "The Marine: Homefront" .. following complaints that Orton, who went AWOL from the Marines and was dishonorably discharged.
↑Koha, Nui Te (January 4, 2008). "Wrestling the truth". Herald Sun. Australia. Archived from the original on October 22, 2009. Retrieved April 1, 2009.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
Private First Class 
1st Battalion, 4th Marines 
