.jpg) Orton in 2024 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Randal Keith Orton (1980-04-01)April 1, 1980 (age 45) Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S. |
Spouses | |
| Children | 2 |
| Relative(s) | Bob Orton Jr. (father) Barry Orton (uncle) Bob Orton (grandfather) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name | Randy Orton |
| Billed height | 6 ft 5 in (196 cm)[1] |
| Billed weight | 275 lb (125 kg)[1] |
| Billed from | St. Louis, Missouri[1] |
| Trained by | Bob Orton Jr. Fit Finlay Mid Missouri Wrestling Alliance Ohio Valley Wrestling[2] |
| Debut | March 18, 2000[3] |
| Military service | |
| Branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1998–1999 |
| Rank |  Private First Class |
| Unit |  1st Battalion, 4th Marines |
| Signature | |
 | |
Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an Americanprofessional wrestler. Since 2000, he is signed toWWE, where he performs on theSmackDown brand. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time,[4][5][6][7][8][9] 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 grandfatherBob Orton, fatherBob Orton Jr., and uncleBarry 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 toOhio Valley Wrestling (OVW), where he held theOVW Hardcore Championship twice.
Orton would debut on the main roster in 2002, soon joining theEvolutionstable, and as part of the group would become the youngestworld champion in WWE history after he won WWE'sWorld Heavyweight Championship in 2004.[1] He would be kicked out of the stable as a result, and enter singles competition. Orton has held theWWE Championship10 times and the World Heavyweight Championshipfour 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 in2013. Orton is recognized by WWE as having the third-most world championship victories in history at 14, only behind prominent rivalJohn Cena (17) andRic Flair (16) and tied withTriple H (also 14). In total, he has won 20 championships in WWE.
A prominent wrestler throughout his time in WWE, Orton has also won theRoyal Rumble twice (2009 and2017), and theMoney in the Bank ladder match once in2013. He is the17th Triple Crown and18th overall Grand Slam Champion, and has headlined numerous major WWE events, including their flagship annual event,WrestleMania, twice (25 and30). Since2021, he holds the record of mostpay-per-view (PPV) matches in WWE.[10]
Randal Keith Orton was born inKnoxville, Tennessee, on April 1, 1980, to a family of mostlyGerman ancestry.[11] His mother Elaine was a nurse[12] and his fatherBob Orton Jr. was a professional wrestler.[13][14] Orton is a grandson ofBob Orton and nephew ofBarry Orton, both professional wrestlers.[15] He has a younger brother named Nathan, who is a stand-up comedian,[16][17] and a younger sister named Rebecca.[18] Knowing the hardships of life as a professional wrestler, his parents tried to convince him to stay away from the business[13] and his father warned him that life in the ring meant a life on the road and away from family.[1]
Orton attendedHazelwood Central High School, where he was an amateur wrestler.[1][13] After graduating in 1998,[19] he enlisted with theUnited States Marine Corps. At the base, he received abad conduct discharge in 1999 aftergoing AWOL on two occasions and disobeying an order from a commanding officer.[20] Under theUniform Code of Military Justice, he was tried and convicted under a specialcourt-martial, subsequently spending 38 days in thebrig atCamp Pendleton.[15][20] He previously had a Marine tattoo on his left arm, but covered it up after receiving his bad conduct discharge.[20]
Orton made his wrestling debut in 2000 at the Mid-Missouri Wrestling Association-Southern Illinois Conference Wrestling (MMWA-SICW) inSt. Louis, Missouri, an offshoot of the historicSt. Louis Wrestling Club headed bySam Muchnick.[3] There, he was trained by both the staff of the promotion and his father,Bob Orton Jr.[15] He wrestled for the promotion where he performed with wrestlers such as Ace Strange and Mark Bland.[21] Orton alsorefereed a few matches with World Organized Wrestling (WOW), a promotion where his uncleBarry Orton worked.[22]
In 2000, Orton signed a deal with the thenWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF) and was sent to itsdevelopmental territory,Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) inLouisville, Kentucky, where he continued his training. During his time in OVW, he wrestled the likes ofRico Constantino andThe Prototype and teamed withBobby Eaton during atag team title tournament. He won theOVW Hardcore Championship twice by defeating Mr. Black on February 14, 2001, andFlash Flanagan on May 5, 2001, respectively.[23] 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 facedBilly Gunn. After taking the mic and promising to beat Gunn, Orton was defeated.[24] That fall he began appearing regularly on WWF house shows and dark matches, facingChuck Palumbo,Steven Richards andShawn 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 asBrock Lesnar andDave Bautista. In his farewell match in OVW, Orton was defeated by The Prototype (Cena).[25]
One of Orton's first official WWF appearances was March 16, 2002, atWrestleMania X8's Fan Axxess, where he was defeated byTommy Dreamer. Orton's first televised WWF match was a victory againstHardcore Holly onSmackDown! on April 25, 2002.[26] Soon after, Orton became aface and was placed in a rivalry with Holly.[26] In September 2002, Orton was traded to theRawbrand, where he defeated Stevie Richards in his debut on the show.[26] Within weeks of his debut on the Raw brand, Orton suffered ashoulder injury, leaving him sidelined for months.[26] While recovering, Orton still appeared onRaw in his ownRandy News Network (RNN) segment, a weekly vignette featuring him talking about his condition.[26] The show interrupted other segments of Raw programming, which caused Orton to slowly transition himself into anarcissistic and self-centeredheel.[27]
After his injury healed, Orton joined theEvolutionstable, which consisted ofRic Flair,Triple H, and relative newcomerBatista.[26] 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 betweenKevin Nash andShawn Michaels vs. Triple H. He then proceeded unmasked himself and re-joined the stable.[26] The group waspushed onRaw from 2003 to 2004, with the height of their dominance occurring afterArmageddon in 2003 when all of the men's titles onRaw were held by Evolution members.[28] In 2003, Orton spent much of his time helping Triple H overcome challenges for theWorld Heavyweight Championship.[29][30][31] He joined Triple H in anElimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship atSummerSlam on August 24, involved primarily to secure Triple H's title defense, and was eliminated byGoldberg, but the stable managed to fulfill its purpose and Triple H went on to eliminate Goldberg and retain his title.[32]
Orton then began proclaiming himself the "Legend Killer",[26] 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 defeatedShawn Michaels atUnforgiven on September 21 in the first of many high-profile matches billed as "Legend vs. Legend Killer".[33] During this time, Orton began using the move that would become his signature finisher, theRKO, ajumping cutter named after his initials.[34] He defeatedRob Van Dam for theIntercontinental Championship atArmageddon on December 14.[35] With this win, Orton started the longest Intercontinental Championship reign in seven years, holding the title for 210 days.[36] Orton continued to establish himself as a "Legend Killer" throughout 2004, challenging the semi-retired wrestlerMick Foley. Famed for his brutalhardcore matches, they wrestled in a hardcore match atBacklash for the title, where Orton won.[37] Orton named this match as the favourite of his career, also noticing it was the match where he earned the respect of the fans.[38] On July 11 atVengeance, he lost the title toEdge.[39]
After losing the Intercontinental Championship, Orton became the number one contender for theWorld Heavyweight Championship after winning a 20-man battle royal on the July 26 episode ofRaw.[40] AtSummerSlam on August 15, Orton defeatedChris Benoit to win the World Heavyweight Championship, thus becoming the youngestworld champion in WWE history at the age of 24.[41] Benoit congratulated Orton after the match, shaking his hand for showing the ability to "be a man".[42] The following night onRaw, after Orton successfully defended the title against Benoit in a rematch, Evolution threw Orton amock 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 pleasedthumbs-up and then abruptly changed it to a thumbs-down, which was followed by Batistadropping Orton to the mat.[citation needed] 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.[citation needed] Orton's breakup with Evolution led to him turningface when he continued to feud with his former stablemates.[citation needed] A month later, Orton lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Triple H atUnforgiven on September 12 after interference from Flair, Batista, andJonathan Coachman.[43]
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.[citation needed] AtTaboo Tuesday on October 19, Orton defeated Ric Flair in a fan-votedsteel cage match. After this, Orton experienced anotherpush, becominggeneral manager of the Raw brand for a week following a match stipulation atSurvivor Series on November 14 where he picked up the win for his team by last eliminating Triple H in afour-on-four Survivor Series elimination match.[44] 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 atNew Year's Revolution, Orton participated in anElimination 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.[45] On the January 10 episode ofRaw, Orton defeated Batista to earn a match against Triple H at theRoyal Rumble on January 30 for the World Heavyweight Championship, which he lost.[citation needed]
Orton began an on-screen relationship withStacy Keibler[26] and briefly feuded withChristian in February 2005.[citation needed] On the February 28Raw,Superstar Billy Graham made an appearance, in which he advised Orton to "go where no wrestler [had] gone before".[26]
Orton then produced a copy ofSmackDown! magazine, which featuredThe Undertaker on the cover.[26] Heeding Graham's advice, Orton said he would set himself apart from all other wrestlers by ending The Undertaker'sundefeated streak atWrestleMania.[citation needed] Throughout March 2005, Orton taunted The Undertaker, claiming he was unafraid of him. On the March 21Raw, Orton delivered anRKO to his unsuspecting on-screen girlfriend, Stacy Keibler, knocking herunconscious, thus turningheel once again.[46] During Orton'spromos, he ran for cover whenever signs of The Undertaker's appearance (lightning,darkness, orsmoke) occurred.[citation needed] When wrestlerJake Roberts advised Orton not to underestimate The Undertaker, Orton performed an RKO on Roberts as well.[26] In the weeks leading up to WrestleMania, Orton became more defiant and unafraid of The Undertaker, taunting and assaulting him in the ring following distractions from his father,"Cowboy" Bob Orton. AtWrestleMania 21 on April 3, Orton lost the heavily hyped match to The Undertaker.[47] 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.[48][49]
The next night onRaw, Orton faced Batista, who had become World Heavyweight Champion. Orton stated on-screen that his match with The Undertaker had aggravated a shoulder injury.[50] While sidelined, Orton appeared onRaw and claimed that he was ineligible for the WWE Draft Lottery due to his injury. He was informed by WWE ChairmanVince McMahon that he was indeed a candidate for the draft, leaving a possibility of a return toSmackDown!.[citation needed] Orton returned to WWE programming for SmackDown! on June 16, announcing that he was the second pick in the2005 draft lottery.[26] He rekindled his feud with The Undertaker, defeating him atSummerSlam on August 21 following a distraction from his father.[51] Two months later atNo Mercy on October 9, Orton and his father Bob Orton defeated The Undertaker in ahandicapcasket match and after the match, Randy Orton and his father Bob locked the Undertaker in the casket and, in a move similar to Kane at the1998 Royal Rumble, chopped holes in the top of the casket with an axe, poured gasoline over the casket and set it ablaze, kayfabe killing The Undertaker.[52][26] The following month, Orton replacedEddie Guerrero as a participant in the annual elimination match of Team SmackDown! against Team Raw atSurvivor Series on November 27, after having lost a qualifying match toRey Mysterio. In the match, Orton was the last remaining wrestler in the match for the third straight year, as he pinned Shawn Michaels to get the victory for Team SmackDown!.[26] After the match, The Undertaker returned by emerging from a flaming casket and attacked the SmackDown! superstars who came to the ring to celebrate Team SmackDown!'s victory.[26] On theSmackDown! episode after Survivor Series, The Undertaker interfered in a match between Rey Mysterio andBig Show after Kane interfered. Randy Orton RKO'd the Undertaker, he then struck the Undertaker with a tire iron and set him on the back of the lowrider Mysterio had driven to the ring, he then reversed the lowrider into the SmackDown! set, causing an explosion.[citation needed] The feud was finally settled with aHell in a Cell match atArmageddon on December 18.[citation needed] On the December 16 episode ofSmackDown!, The Undertaker entered the ring to deliver a promo while one of his druids appeared to be standing in the ring. The Undertaker sustained an RKO from Orton in a surprise attack. The druid revealed himself to be Orton's father, who gave Orton The Undertaker'surn, which according to the storyline allowed whoever held it to control The Undertaker.[citation needed] The Undertaker, however, beat Orton in the Hell in a Cell match at Armageddon, ending their nine-month-long feud.[53]
At theRoyal Rumble on January 29, 2006, Orton entered theRoyal Rumble match as the thirtieth and final wrestler, but he was eliminated by the eventual winner of the match Rey Mysterio, who earned a world championship atWrestleMania 22 on April 2.[53] Orton challenged him to a match for his title shot atNo Way Out on February 19.[54] In the weeks preceding No Way Out, Orton made controversial remarks about Eddie Guerrero, Mysterio's friend who had died a few months previously, in an attempt to gain villainheat.[55] Many fans felt the comments were highly distasteful so soon after Guerrero's death in November 2005.[citation needed] Orton defeated Mysterio at No Way Out, earning Mysterio's title shot for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania.[56] SmackDown! General ManagerTheodore Long re-added Mysterio to the WrestleMania title match, making it atriple threat match between Orton, Mysterio and then-championKurt Angle.[citation needed] At WrestleMania, however, Orton lost after he was pinned by Mysterio. On the following episode ofSmackDown!, Orton challenged Mysterio for the World Heavyweight Championship, but failed to win the title.[57]
On April 4, Orton was suspended for sixty days for "unprofessional conduct".[58] In an interview, Orton stated, "my conduct was unbecoming of a champion, which is what I will be again when I return".[59] To cover for the suspension, a scripted injury was devised, where Kurt Angle broke Orton's ankle during aKing of the Ring quarterfinal match on the April 14 episode ofSmackDown!.[60] Orton returned from his suspension in June to the Raw brand,[citation needed] where he entered a rivalry with Angle, culminating in matches atECW One Night Stand on June 11 (which he lost) andVengeance on June 25 (which he won) before engaging in a storyline feud withHulk Hogan. Orton began cutting promos insulting the aging Hogan and flirted with Hogan's then-eighteen-year-old daughterBrooke.[citation needed] AtSummerSlam on August 20, the two met in a "Legend vs. Legend Killer" match, which Hogan won.[61][62] He later defeatedCarlito atUnforgiven on September 17.
After the newly reformedD-Generation X (DX) (Triple H and Shawn Michaels) costEdge the WWE Championship, Edge approached Orton and asked him to join forces to defeat the team. Orton, whose championship reign had been ended by Triple H in 2004, agreed, forming the tag teamRated-RKO. The two defeated DX atCyber Sunday on November 5 with help from special guest refereeEric Bischoff, becoming the first team to defeat DX since their reunion in June and they quickly dominated the Raw brand's tag team division to becomeWorld Tag Team Champions by defeating Ric Flair andRoddy Piper on the November 13 episode ofRaw.[63][64] As part of theangle, Rated-RKO attacked Ric Flair with steel chairs to enrage DX on the November 27 episode ofRaw.[citation needed] AtNew Year's Revolution on January 7, 2007, Rated-RKO defended the World Tag Team Championship against DX, but the match was declared a no-contest when Triple H suffered alegitimate injury during the match. Afterwards, Rated-RKO were attacked by DX.[65] With Triple H out of action, Rated-RKO continued their on-screen rivalry with Michaels. At theRoyal Rumble on January 28, both men competed in theRoyal Rumble match and made it to the final four, but both were eliminated by Michaels. Michaels later teamed withWWE ChampionJohn Cena to defeat Rated-RKO to win the World Tag Team Championship the following night onRaw.[66] After losing the tag team titles, both Edge and Orton focused on the WWE Championship, causing friction between them. On the February 5, 2007, episode ofRaw, they lost a triple threat match against Michaels to earn a WWE Championship match atWrestleMania 23 on April 1. They both competed in theMoney in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania, but the match was won byMr. Kennedy. On the April 9 episode ofRaw, Orton and Michaels wrestled to a no contest in a number one contender's match for the WWE Championship after both men's shoulders were down during the pinfall. Finally, Orton and Edge faced off in a fatal four-way match for the title against Cena and Michaels atBacklash on April 29, however Cena retained the title after pinning Orton. On the April 30 episode ofRaw, they competed against each other in a singles match, which Edge won.[67] 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 anelevated DDT and arunning punt to the face. Orton defeated Michaels atJudgment Day on May 20 via knockout when Michaels suffered akayfabe concussion and collapsed during the match.[62] Orton continued his attacks when he engaged himself in feuds with Rob Van Dam atOne Night Stand on June 3 (after losing a stretcher match to Van Dam),[68] Ric Flair,[citation needed]Dusty Rhodes,[citation needed] andSgt. 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.
On the July 23 episode ofRaw, Orton was named number one contender for John Cena's WWE Championship.[citation needed] Three times before their scheduled bout atSummerSlam on August 26, Orton assaulted Cena with the RKO.[69] Orton lost the title match at SummerSlam when Cena pinned him after anFU.[70] The next night on the August 27 episode ofRaw, Orton demanded a rematch, but Raw General ManagerWilliam 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 withKing Booker, assaulting him before kicking his father, who was at ringside, in the head.[71] McMahon granted Orton his rematch atUnforgiven on September 16, which Orton won bydisqualification when Cena refused to stop punching him in the corner; however, Cena retained the championship because titles cannot change hands by disqualification.[72] After the match, Cena's father, who was again at ringside, kicked Orton in the head, which led to a match the next night on the September 17 episode ofRaw, in which Orton defeated Cena's father by disqualification after Cody Rhodes interfered while Cena was handcuffed to the ropes. Cena suffered a legitimate injury during a match withMr. Kennedy on the October 1 episode ofRaw, after which Orton attacked Cena with an RKO. After this, he adopted the nickname of "The Viper".[73] Orton then threw him outside the ring, and gave him an RKO on the broadcast table. Due to this injury, John Cena was forced to vacate the WWE Championship.
At the start ofNo Mercy on October 7, Mr. McMahon awarded Orton the WWE Championship.[74] Orton lost the title to Triple H in the opening match, but regained it later that night in aLast Man Standing match.[75] Orton then restarted his feud with Shawn Michaels, who returned on the October 8 episode ofRaw during Orton's championship coronation andsuperkicked him.[76] Michaels was chosen by fan voting overJeff Hardy andMr. Kennedy to meet Orton for the WWE Championship atCyber Sunday on October 28, where Orton was disqualified afterlow blowing Michaels, but retained the title.[77][78] They had a rematch atSurvivor Series on November 18 with a pre-match stipulation that if Michaels had used Sweet Chin Music, he would have lost andnever had another chance at the title, while if Orton was disqualified, he would have lost the championship; Orton pinned Michaels at Survivor Series after an RKO to retain the title.[79][80] Orton then began a feud with the returningChris Jericho, who challenged Orton for the WWE Championship atArmageddon on December 16, in which Jericho won by disqualification after interference from SmackDown! color commentatorJohn "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL), but Orton retained the title.[81] He then feuded with Jeff Hardy, during which he punted Hardy's brotherMatt in the head and Hardy performed aSwanton Bomb off the Raw set onto Orton on the January 14, 2008 episode ofRaw. He successfully defended the title against Hardy at theRoyal Rumble on January 27.[82] He then restarted his feud with John Cena, who had returned from injury to win the 2008Royal Rumble match.[82] Instead of taking his title shot atWrestleMania XXIV on March 30, as Royal Rumble winners typically do, Cena took it atNo Way Out on February 17 and defeated Orton, who intentionally got himself disqualified by slapping the referee to retain the title. The following night onRaw, 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.[83] At WrestleMania, Orton retained the WWE Championship against Cena and Triple H by pinning Cena after Triple H executed aPedigree on him.[84] The next month atBacklash on April 27, Orton lost the title to Triple H in afatal four-way elimination match, also including Cena andJohn "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL).[85] After failing to win it back atJudgment Day on May 18 in asteel cage match,[86] he faced Triple H for the title once more in a Last Man Standing match atOne Night Stand on June 1, which he lost after Triple H countered anRKO by throwing Orton over the top rope, legitimately breaking hiscollarbone and putting him out of action. During this time, he gained a new entrance theme, "Voices", performed by the bandRev Theory.[87]
Upon being medically cleared to return to the ring, Orton was reinjured in a motorcycle accident.[88][89] He returned on the September 1 episode ofRaw, criticizing all the champions, including World Tag Team ChampionsCody Rhodes andTed DiBiase, who he berated and slapped for lettingCryme Tyme steal their belts. This inspired them to try to gain Orton's respect.[90] They achieved this atUnforgiven on September 7 when, with new stablemateManu, they assaulted World Heavyweight ChampionCM Punk, forcing him to vacate his title before his scheduled defense that night.[91] Orton returned to in-ring action on the November 3 episode ofRaw, losing to Punk by disqualification when DiBiase interfered, resulting in Orton punting DiBiase in the head in retaliation.[92] AtSurvivor Series on November 23, Team Orton, which included Rhodes, defeated Team Batista with both Orton and Rhodes surviving as the sole survivors. On the December 1 episode ofRaw, Orton proposed that he, Rhodes and Manu form an alliance.[93][citation needed] The stable, called "The Legacy", debuted the next week, defeating Batista and Triple H, Orton's former Evolution stablemates, in a three-on-two handicap match.[94] AtArmageddon on December 14, Orton lost to Batista in a singles match.
Orton began feuding with the McMahon family on the January 19, 2009, episode ofRaw when he confronted both Mr. McMahon and Stephanie, claiming that he was worth more than her, and that she had become "worthless". This infuriated Mr. McMahon, who demanded that Orton apologize, or he'd terminate him on the spot. As Mr. McMahon was about to fire him, Orton attacked and punted him in the head, leading to him being carried out of the arena on a stretcher. At theRoyal Rumble on January 25, Orton won theRoyal Rumble match, last eliminating Triple H.[95] The next night onRaw, Orton claimed that he suffered fromIED, and that he was not responsible for his actions towards Mr. McMahon, claiming that he suffered a "loss of control" because of the disorder. He also claimed that WWE knew of the condition, but did nothing, and threatened to sue WWE for that reason, and also, if Stephanie were to fire him, threatened a second lawsuit forbreach of contract, due to the fact that he was legally entitled to compete at WrestleMania because he won the Royal Rumble. Though Stephanie teased firing Orton, she changed her mind and said that she had "bigger plans", leading toShane McMahon returning toRaw and attacking Orton. This led to Orton facing Shane in aNo Holds Barred match atNo Way Out on February 15, which he won. The next night onRaw, Orton faced Shane again in anunsanctioned match, which ended in a no contest when he punted Shane in the head, thus rendering him unable to continue the match. Stephanie then ran down to the ring to tend to her brother, but Orton attacked her with anRKO. This drewTriple H into the feud, who claimed that Orton "crossed the line" when he attacked Stephanie, his real-life wife. Later, Orton claimed that everything he had done was part of a plan to get revenge on Triple H after he kicked him out of Evolution back in 2004; according to Orton, Triple H "ruined his life", so Orton was going to do the same and take everything that Triple H cared about away from him. He challenged Triple H for the WWE Championship atWrestleMania 25 on April 5, where he was unsuccessful.[96] Orton won his third WWE Championship atBacklash on April 26 by pinning Triple H in asix-man tag team match between The Legacy and Triple H, Batista andShane McMahon. AtJudgment Day on May 17, Orton defended the championship against Batista, where he retained via disqualification after Rhodes and DiBiase interfered.[97] AtExtreme Rules on June 7, he lost the title to Batista in a steel cage match.[98] The following night onRaw, Orton and Legacy attacked Batista and injured his arm, forcing him to vacate the title.[99] On the June 15 episode ofRaw, Orton regained the title in a fatal four-way match againstBig Show, Triple H and John Cena. 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 atThe Bash on June 28 in aThree Stages of Hell match, which Orton won after interference from Legacy.[100] AtSummerSlam 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 atBreaking Point on September 13,[101] but regained it from Cena in a Hell in a Cell match atHell in a Cell on October 4.[102] AtBragging Rights on October 25, Orton again lost the championship to Cena in a one-hourIron Man match to end the feud.[103]
Orton then began a rivalry withKofi 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 ofRaw, 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 atSurvivor 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 ofRaw, leading to a match atTLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 13, which Orton won. The next night, he competed in a tournament to crown the2009 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.[104] Orton won a triple threat match on the January 11, 2010, episode ofRaw, with help from Rhodes and DiBiase, for the right to challengeSheamus at theRoyal Rumble on January 31 for the WWE Championship.[105] Orton lost by disqualification when Rhodes interfered, which prompted Orton to attack both Rhodes and DiBiase after the match.[106] On the February 15 episode ofRaw, Orton was again disqualified in a non-title rematch when Legacy interfered.[107] Orton and DiBiase both competed in the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match atElimination Chamber on February 21, where DiBiase eliminated Orton after hitting him with a pipe Rhodes had given him.[108] The next night on the February 22 episode ofRaw, during a six-man tag team match, Orton attacked them in retaliation, turningface for the first time since 2005.[109] AtWrestleMania XXVI on March 28, Orton defeated Rhodes and DiBiase in a triple threat match.[110]
After The Legacy disbanded, Orton spent most part of the year in World Title feuds. He unsuccessfully challengedJack Swagger for the World Heavyweight Championship atExtreme Rules on April 25.[111] AtFatal 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 fromThe Nexus. On July 18 atMoney in the Bank, Orton competed in a Money in the Bank ladder match for a WWE Championship contract, which was won byThe Miz[112] and, atSummerSlam 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.[113] Immediately afterward, Orton hit Sheamus with the chair and an RKO onto the broadcast table.
AtNight of Champions on September 19, Orton won the WWE Championship in asix-pack challenge elimination match.[114] After successfully defending the title against Sheamus in a Hell in a Cell match atHell in a Cell on October 3,[115] he feuded withWade Barrett, who was blackmailing John Cena to help him capture the title. Orton retained the title against him atBragging Rights on October 24 andSurvivor Series on November 21.[116][117] However, on the November 22 episode ofRaw, after Orton defeated Barrett again in a title match, he lost the championship to The Miz when he cashed hisMoney in the Bank contract.[118] Orton received his rematch against The Miz in a tables match atTLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 19 and theRoyal Rumble on January 30, 2011, but he lost both matches.[119]
The next month atElimination Chamber on February 20, Orton failed to win a WWE Championship number one contender Elimination Chamber match after being eliminated byCM Punk.[120] Over the next three weeks, Orton punted and injured all members of The New Nexus,Michael McGillicutty,David Otunga andMason Ryan.[121][122][123] AtWrestleMania XXVII on April 3, Orton defeated Punk after a mid-air RKO.[124] Three weeks later in the2011 WWE draft, Orton was drafted to the SmackDown brand and later beat Punk in a Last Man Standing Match atExtreme Rules on May 1, ending his feud with The New Nexus.[125]
On the May 6 episode ofSmackDown, Orton defeatedChristian to win theWorld Heavyweight Championship for the second time.[126] AtOver the Limit on May 22, Orton made his first successful title defense in a rematch against Christian. AtCapitol Punishment on June 19, Orton pinned Christian to retain the championship again, despite Christian's foot being under the bottom rope.[127][128] On July 17 atMoney 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.[129][130] A month later atSummerSlam on August 14, Orton regained the title when he defeated Christian in a No Holds Barred match.[131] Orton ended his feud with Christian when he retained the World Heavyweight Championship in a steel cage match on the August 30 episode ofSmackDown.[132] Orton then began a feud withMark Henry after Henry became the number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship.[133] Over the next few weeks, Henry regularly attacked Orton.[134][135][136][137] AtNight of Champions on September 18, Orton lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Henry,[138] and failed to regain it two weeks later in a Hell in a Cell match atHell 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 ofSmackDown, 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 atVengeance on October 23,[139] and again on the November 4SmackDown in a Street Fight.[140]
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 ofSmackDown, Orton lost a match to Barrett after Barrett poked Orton in the eye. On the November 14 episode ofRaw SuperShow, Orton won a rematch by disqualification after Team Barrett interfered.[141][142] Orton's team was defeated atSurvivor Series on November 20 with Barrett and Cody Rhodes being the sole survivors.[143] Barrett then began attacking and distracting Orton during matches.[144] AtTLC: Tables, Ladders, & Chairs on December 18, Orton defeated Barrett in a tables match after he put Barrett through the table with an RKO.[145] Barrett and Orton continued their feud on the December 23 episode ofSmackDown, where they brawled backstage and Orton hit Barrett with an RKO onto a car.[146] This led to a Falls Count Anywhere match on December 30 episode ofSmackDown, in which Barrett pushed Orton down a flight of stairs,[147] resulting in a herniated disc, which sidelined Orton for four weeks.[148][95] On the January 27, 2012, episode ofSmackDown, he returned to the ring and attacked Barrett. On the February 3 episode ofSmackDown, Orton defeated Barrett in a No Disqualification match to end the feud.[149]
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On the February 13 episode ofRaw SuperShow, Orton suffered a concussion after World Heavyweight ChampionDaniel 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 atElimination Chamber on February 19.[150] When Orton returned on the March 2 episode ofSmackDown, he feuded withKane and was defeated by him atWrestleMania XXVIII on April 1.[151] Orton defeated Kane on the nextSmackDown in a No Disqualification rematch[152] and atExtreme Rules on April 29 in a Falls Count Anywhere match to end the feud.[153] He participated in afatal four-way match atOver the Limit on May 20 for the World Heavyweight Championship, where Orton failed to win after Sheamus pinned Chris Jericho to retain the title.[154] On May 30, WWE suspended Orton for 60 days due to his second violation of the company's Talent Wellness Program.[155][156]
Orton returned on the July 30 episode ofRaw defeatingHeath Slater.[157] Orton began feuding withMr. Money in the BankDolph Ziggler[158][159] and defeated Ziggler atNight of Champions on September 16.[160] He began feuding withAlberto Del Rio on the September 28 episode ofSmackDown.[161][162] Orton defeated Del Rio atHell in a Cell on October 28 in a singles match and represented Team Foley as his team lost to Team Ziggler atSurvivor Series on November 18 in a traditional five-on-five elimination tag match.[163][164]
On the December 3 episode ofRaw, Orton began a feud withThe Shield, after he was attacked by them following a victory overBrad Maddox.[165] On the December 14 episode ofSmackDown, Orton was once again assaulted backstage by The Shield.[166] This was used to write him off television due to a shoulder injury.[167] Orton returned on the December 31 episode ofRaw, helpingRyback and Sheamus fend off The Shield.[168] AtElimination 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.[169] In late February, Orton aligned himself with Sheamus to feud with the Shield.[170] AtWrestleMania 29 on April 7, Orton, Sheamus and Big Show were defeated by The Shield, after which, both men were knocked out by Big Show.[171] The following night onRaw, 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.[172] Orton and Sheamus then teamed up to defeat Big Show in two handicap matches, first on the April 12SmackDown via count-out, and second on the April 15Raw via pinfall.[173][174] The feud between Big Show and Orton led to anExtreme Rules match atExtreme Rules on May 19, which Orton won.[citation needed]
After Extreme Rules, Orton began pairing with Daniel Bryan to face the Shield.[175][176] On the June 14SmackDown, Orton teamed with Bryan and Kane to end the Shield's unpinned and unsubmitted streak in televised six-man tag matches.[177][178] Three days later atPayback on June 16, Orton and Bryan unsuccessfully challenged forRoman Reigns andSeth Rollins' WWE Tag Team Championship.[179] The following night onRaw, Orton and Bryan faced off in a No Disqualification match, which Orton won via referee stoppage after Bryan suffered a legitimatenerve injury.[180] Four days later onSmackDown, Orton was defeated by Bryan in a singles match via countout.[181] Orton and Bryan faced each other for the third time on the nextRaw, but their match ended in a no-contest after both men were counted out.[182] Later that night, Orton was defeated by Bryan in a Street Fight Match after he was forced to submit to theYes! Lock with a kendo stick applied to the move.[183]
On July 14 atMoney in the Bank, Orton defeated Christian, CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Rob Van Dam, and Sheamus to win theWWE 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.[184] On August 18 atSummerSlam, 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, turningheel for the first time since 2010.[185] The following night onRaw, Orton was endorsed as the "face of the company" by Vince McMahon and the newly formedAuthority (Triple H and Stephanie McMahon).[186] On September 15 atNight of Champions, Orton lost the WWE Championship back to Bryan,[187] however, Triple H stripped Bryan of the title the next night onRaw, due to a fast count by refereeScott Armstrong, but refused to give the championship back to Orton.[188] Orton and Bryan faced off for the vacant title on October 6 atBattleground, but the match ended in a no contest after Big Show interfered and knocked out both men.[189] Orton once again challenged Bryan for the vacant championship atHell 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.[190] On November 24 atSurvivor Series, after retaining the title against Big Show, Orton was confronted by World Heavyweight Champion and long-time rival John Cena.[191] The following night onRaw, Cena suggested that there should only be "one champion" in WWE, so Triple H stated there would be a unification match at theTLC pay-per-view on December 15. At TLC, Orton defeated Cena in aTables, 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.[192] Orton retained the title at theRoyal Rumble on January 26, 2014 against Cena after interference byThe Wyatt Family.[193] On February 23 atElimination 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 atWrestleMania XXX on April 6 against Royal Rumble winnerBatista.[194] 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.[195]
The following night onRaw, 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 faceThe 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.[196] Later that night, Orton and Batista, along withKane, 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.[197] On the April 14 episode ofRaw, 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 ofEvolution.[198] AtExtreme Rules on May 4 andPayback on June 1, Evolution lost to The Shield.[199][200] On the June 9 episode ofRaw, The Authority automatically granted Orton a spot in theMoney in the Bank ladder match for the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship atMoney in the Bank on June 29, but he failed to win. On the July 21 episode ofRaw,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 atSummerSlam on August 17, which Reigns won. AtNight of Champions on September 21, Orton defeated Chris Jericho.[201]
On the October 13 episode ofRaw, Orton asked The Authority to face the loser of aNo Holds BarredContract on a Pole match betweenJohn Cena andDean Ambrose. Ambrose won the match, setting up aHell in a Cell match between Orton and Cena atHell in a Cell on October 26.[202] On theRaw before Hell in a Cell, Triple H revealed that the winner would receive a future WWE World Heavyweight Championship match againstBrock Lesnar. Later that night, Orton, Kane, andSeth Rollins defeated Cena and Ambrose in a handicap Street Fight after Orton pinned Ambrose, but he was immediately attacked by Rollins with aCurb Stomp post-match.[203] At Hell in a Cell, Orton lost to Cena.[204] On the October 27 episode ofRaw, Orton attacked Rollins, turningface in the process.[205] The following week onRaw, Orton attacked Rollins during his Intercontinental Championship match againstDolph 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 aCurb Stomp onto the steel steps on Orton.[206] He was carried on a stretcher after he sustained a scripted injury, so he could start filmingThe Condemned 2.
After a three-month hiatus, Orton returned atFastlane on February 22, 2015, by saving Dolph Ziggler,Erick Rowan andRyback from a post-match beatdown of Rollins, Big Show and Kane.[207] He feuded with The Authority's Seth Rollins, having a match atWrestleMania 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 atExtreme Rules on April 26[208] andPayback on May 17, losing both title matches.[209]
AtMoney in the Bank on June 14, Orton failed to win the championship contract ladder match, which was won bySheamus.[210] Following this, Orton began feuding with Sheamus after both men attacked each other and faced off in various tag-team matches; Orton defeated Sheamus atBattleground on July 19, but lost to Sheamus atSummerSlam on August 23.[211][212] On the September 7 episode ofRaw, Orton was attacked byThe Wyatt Family,[213] starting a feud that was booked to end in theHell in a Cell pre-show on October 25,[214] but canceled after Orton suffered a legitimate shoulder injury,[215] putting him out of action for the following months.[216]
On the July 7, 2016, episode ofSmackDown, Orton was revealed asBrock Lesnar's opponent forSummerSlam.[217] On July 19 at the2016 WWE draft, Orton was drafted to SmackDown, while Lesnar was drafted to Raw.[218] On July 24 atBattleground, Orton returned as a guest onChris Jericho'sHighlight 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 anRKO on Jericho.[219] On the July 26 episode ofSmackDown Live, Orton interrupted Intercontinental ChampionThe Miz during hisMiz TV segment before defeating Miz in a non-title match.[220] During Lesnar's promo on the August 1 episode ofRaw, Orton appeared and delivered anRKO to Lesnar.[221] The following night onSmackDown Live, Lesnar attacked Orton during his match, delivering anF-5 to Orton.[222] At SummerSlam, Lesnar defeated Orton bytechnical knockout after a series of elbows to the head, leaving Orton with an open wound that required 10 staples.[223]
On the August 23 episode ofSmackDown Live, Orton spoke about his match against Lesnar and declared that he and Lesnar would cross paths again beforeBray Wyatt interrupted him, therefore resuming their feud.[224] The following week onSmackDown Live, Orton accepted Wyatt's challenge for a match atBacklash, where Orton lost by forfeit after a backstage attack by Wyatt before the show.[225] 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.[226] Orton faced Wyatt atNo Mercy, where he lost due to a distraction by the returningLuke Harper.[227] On the October 11 episode ofSmackDown Live, Orton was teamed withKane in a tag team match against Wyatt and Harper, but once again lost the match due to distraction by Harper.[228] On the October 25 episode ofSmackDown 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.[229] On the November 1 episode ofSmackDown Live, Wyatt and Harper helped Orton win his match against Kane, thus confirming Orton's alliance with the group, turning heel in the process.[230]
That same night, Orton and Wyatt were revealed as members of Team SmackDown forSurvivor Series.[230] At Survivor Series, Team SmackDown defeated Team Raw, where Orton and Wyatt became the last two surviving members of their team.[231] On the November 29 episode ofSmackDown Live, Orton and Wyatt defeatedAmerican Alpha to earn a shot at theSmackDown Tag Team Championship againstHeath Slater andRhyno.[232] AtTLC: 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 theFreebird Rule.[233] On the December 27 episode ofSmackDown Live, they lost the SmackDown Tag Team Championship to American Alpha in afatal four-way tag team elimination match, after Orton accidentally hit Harper.[234] On January 29, 2017, at theRoyal Rumble, Orton won the Royal Rumble match for the second time in his career by lastly eliminating Roman Reigns.[235] Despite this, Orton came out after Wyatt successfully defended the WWE Championship and relinquished his shot at the title on the February 14 episode ofSmackDown Live, basically giving his full devotion to Wyatt and leaving the main event of WrestleMania in the air. On the February 28 episode ofSmackDown 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 atWrestleMania 33, turning face again.[citation needed] On the March 7 episode ofSmackDown Live, Orton defeatedAJ Styles to become the number one contender for the WWE Championship.[236] 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.[237][238] On the following episode ofSmackDown Live, Wyatt challenged Orton to a "House of Horrors" rematch,[239] but after Wyatt was moved to the Raw brand as a result of theSuperstar Shake-up, it was made a non-title match and scheduled for Raw'sPayback on April 30,[240] which he lost.[241]
On the April 18 episode ofSmackDown Live,Jinder Mahal, who was moved to the SmackDown brand as a result of the Superstar Shake-up, won asix-pack challenge to become the number one contender for the WWE Championship, after interference fromThe Singh Brothers.[242] The following week onSmackDown 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.[243] At Payback, Orton lost to Wyatt after Mahal attacked him with the title belt.[244] SmackDown commissionerShane McMahon later returned the belt to Orton.[245] On May 21 atBacklash, Orton lost the WWE Championship to Mahal after interference from The Singh Brothers and failed to regain it the following month atMoney in the Bank after The Singh Brothers again interfered.[246][247] On the June 27 episode ofSmackDown Live, Orton demanded a rematch for the title, which McMahon would grant him atBattleground, but with Mahal allowed to choose the stipulation (Mahal came out and chose aPunjabi Prison match). At Battleground, Orton was again defeated by Mahal whenThe Great Khali returned and attacked Orton, allowing Mahal to escape the Punjabi Prison to win.[248]
Orton started a feud withRusev, whom he defeated in 10 seconds atSummerSlam.[249] On the September 5 episode ofSmackDown Live, Orton lost toShinsuke Nakamura in a number one contender's match for the WWE Championship.[250] On the September 19 episode ofSmackDown Live, Orton defeatedAiden English; after the match, he was challenged by Rusev to an impromptu match, which he lost in 10 seconds after a distraction from English.[251] AtHell in a Cell, Orton defeated Rusev to end the feud.[252] On the October 24 episode ofSmackDown Live, Orton defeatedSami Zayn to qualify for a spot on Team SmackDown atSurvivor Series.[253] During the match, Orton eliminatedFinn Bálor and survived until only he and Team SmackDown captain Shane McMahon remained, but was eliminated byBraun Strowman. Team SmackDown ultimately went on to lose.[254] At theRoyal Rumble, Orton entered Royal Rumble match at #24 and eliminatedNXT ChampionAndrade "Cien" Almas before later being eliminated by Roman Reigns.[255]
During the following months, Orton was put in the orbit of theWWE United States Championship. He defeated the championBobby Roode atFastlane (thus becoming the 18thGrand Slam Champion[256]) but lost it atWrestleMania 34 againstJinder Mahal in a fatal four-way match also involving Roode andRusev.[257] He had another title match atBacklash against the new championJeff Hardy, but Orton lost again.[258] On May 18, WWE confirmed that Orton had undergone successful surgery to repair a medial meniscus tear in his left knee, sidelining him indefinitely.[259]
After a brief hiatus, Orton returned atExtreme Rules and attacked Jeff Hardy after Hardy's match against Shinsuke Nakamura for the United States Championship, turning heel in the process.[260] Two nights later onSmackDown Live, Orton interfered in the rematch and attacked Hardy again.[261] On the August 21 episode ofSmackDown Live, Orton and Hardy faced off in a match that ended in a no-contest, with Hardy continuing to attack Orton after the match.[262] AtHell in a Cell, Orton defeated Hardy in a Hell in a Cell match.[263] On the October 9 episode ofSmackDown Live, Orton defeated a returningBig Show to qualify for theWWE World Cup atCrown Jewel.[264] At Crown Jewel, he lost toRey Mysterio in the first round.[265] He then started a feud with Mysterio, stealing Mysterio's mask on the November 21 episode ofSmackDown Live and carrying it with him for a few weeks.[266] AtTLC, Orton lost to Mysterio in a chairs match.[267] At theRoyal 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.[268] Orton competed in theElimination Chamber match for the WWE Championship atElimination Chamber, where he eliminatedAJ Styles before being eliminated byKofi Kingston.[269]
He then started a feud with Styles, with the two berating each other about their history in the wrestling business. AtWrestleMania 35, Orton lost to Styles.[270] In July, Orton feuded with Kingston over the WWE Championship, having matches atSummerSlam[271] andClash of Champions, where Orton did not win the title.[272] AtCrown Jewel andSurvivor Series, Orton was part of two multi-tag matches, but his team lost both times.[273][274] As part of the2019 WWE draft, Orton was drafted toRaw.[275] On the November 11 episode ofRaw, Orton seemed like he was going to giveRicochet an RKO, but instead gave one to Styles (who turned heel during the summer), thus turning face.[276] He reignited his feud with Styles and faced him throughout December and January.[277]
At theRoyal Rumble on January 26, 2020, Orton entered the titular match at number 25 and eliminated Karl Anderson before he was eliminated by his formerRated-RKO tag team partnerEdge, who was returning to competition for the first time since retiring due to career-ending neck injuries in 2011.[278] The next night onRaw, 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 aLast Man Standing match atWrestleMania 36, which Orton lost. Their second match atBacklash, 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".[279] The following night onRaw, Edge's friend and former tag team partnerChristian challenged Orton to an unsanctioned match, which Orton won with assistance fromRic Flair.[280] 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 ChampionDrew McIntyre, failing to win the title atSummerSlam[281] andClash of Champions in an Ambulance match,[282] until he defeated McIntyre in a Hell in a Cell match atHell In A Cell, winning his tenth WWE Championship.[283] However, he would lose the title back to McIntyre on the November 16 episode ofRaw.[284]
Three weeks before his title loss, on October 26, 2020, Orton started a feud withBray Wyatt, now under his new gimmick, The Fiend, as well with his partnerAlexa Bliss. AtTLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 20, Orton defeated The Fiend in aFirefly Inferno match before setting his body on fire.[285] 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.[286] At theRoyal 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 onRaw, 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.[287]
AtElimination 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.[288] After Bliss repeatedly harassed and distracted him over the weeks, causing him to lose matches, Bliss challenged him to an Intergender Match atFastlane on March 21, which he accepted. At the event, Bliss attacked him with supernatural powers and Orton lost after interference from The Fiend.[289] On the following episode ofRaw, The Fiend attacked Orton again and a match between them was scheduled forWrestleMania 37.[290] 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.[291]
After WrestleMania, Orton began to work withRiddle as a tag team, named RK-Bro, thus turning face in the process.[292] They would defeatAJ Styles andOmos atSummerSlam to become theRaw Tag Team Champions, their first reign each. RK-Bro defeated Styles and Omos in a rematch atCrown Jewel to successfully retain the championships and end the feud between the two teams. AtSurvivor Series, RK-Bro defeatedSmackDown Tag Team ChampionsThe Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso).[293] With this match, Orton brokeKane's record for wrestling the most PPV matches in WWE history.[10] At the inauguralDay 1 premium live-event, Orton and Riddle successfully defended their championships againstThe Street Profits.
On the January 10, 2022, episode ofRaw, RK-Bro lost the Raw Tag Team Championship to Alpha Academy (Chad Gable andOtis), ending their reign at 142 days. However, exactly eight weeks later on the March 7 edition of theRaw, they regained the Raw Tag Team Championship in a Triple Threat match against Alpha Academy and the team ofKevin Owens andSeth 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 theRoyal Rumble, Orton entered the namesake contest as the penultimate entrant, scoring two eliminations before being eliminated by eventual winnerBrock Lesnar.[294] AtWrestleMania 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 signeeGable Steveson. Following WrestleMania, RK-Bro would be challenged byThe Usos to a championship unification match atWrestleMania 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 ofRaw, WWE and Riddle celebrated "20 Years of Orton" to open the show. In the main event, RK-Bro teamed with Ezekiel andCody 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 pittingDrew McIntyre and RK-Bro againstThe Bloodline, in which the latter emerged victorious whenRoman Reigns pinned Riddle. The following night onRaw, RK-Bro successfully defended the Raw Tag Team Championships against the Street Profits. On the May 20 episode ofSmackDown, following interference from Reigns, the Usos defeated RK-Bro to unify the Raw and SmackDown Tag Team Championships as theUndisputed 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.[295] During his hiatus in September 2023, Riddle was released from WWE, effectively ending RK-Bro.[296]
On the November 20, 2023, episode ofRaw, after an 18-month hiatus, it was revealed that Orton would be making his return atSurvivor 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 theWarGames match against Drew McIntyre andThe Judgment Day (Damian Priest,Finn Bálor,"Dirty" Dominik Mysterio, andJD McDonagh).[297] At the event, Orton was the last entrant into the match and his team won the match.[298] On the December 1 episode ofSmackDown, 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 andSolo Sikoa) attacked Orton, he subsequently signed withSmackDown.[299] In the following weeks, Orton vowed to get revenge on The Bloodline, defeating Sikoa and Uso in separate matches. AtRoyal Rumble, on January 27, 2024, Orton failed to capture theUndisputed WWE Universal Championship fromRoman Reigns in afatal four-way match also involvingAJ Styles andLA Knight.[300]
On the February 9 episode ofSmackDown, Orton defeated Sami Zayn to qualify for the men'sElimination Chamber match atElimination Chamber: Perth.[301] At the event, Orton eliminatedKevin Owens andLogan Paul before being the last person eliminated byDrew McIntyre after Paul struck Orton with brass knuckles.[302] On the March 15 episode ofSmackDown, Orton defeatedGrayson Waller after hitting him with an RKO. After the match, SmackDown General ManagerNick Aldis declared that Orton and Owens will challenge Paul for theUnited States Championship in atriple threat match atWrestleMania XL.[303] On Night 2 of the event on April 7, a person dressed as a bottle ofPrime attempted to interfere for Paul, later revealed to beIShowSpeed. After revealing his identity, Orton would go on to kick him and bark at him before hitting him with anRKO. Ultimately, Orton failed to win the title from Paul after pinning Owens.[304] On the April 26 episodeSmackDown, Orton saved Owens from an attack from The Bloodline's Solo Sikoa andTama Tonga. Later that night, it was announced that Orton and Owens would face The Bloodline atBacklash.[305] At the event on May 4, Orton and Owens lost to Sikoa and Tonga in a Tag Team Street Fight after interference fromTanga Loa, Tama's younger brother (who returned to WWE after ten years, when he previously performed as "Camacho").[306]
After Backlash, Orton participated in theKing of the Ring tournament, defeating Styles in the first round,[307]Carmelo Hayes in the quarterfinals,[308] Tonga in the semifinals, but lost toGunther in the finals atKing and Queen of the Ring in controversial fashion as Orton's shoulder was not fully on the mat when the referee counted the pin.[309] AtMoney in the Bank on July 6, Orton, Owens andCody Rhodes lost to the Bloodline's Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga and the debutingJacob Fatu in asix-man tag team match after interference from Tanga Loa.[310] On the 5 August episode ofRaw, Orton challengedGunther to a rematch for theWorld Heavyweight Championship after he claimed that he never lost the final match of the2024 King of the Ring, and it was confirmed forBash in Berlin on 31 August, with an added stipulation that if Orton won, he would trade brands with Gunther going toSmackDown and Orton going toRaw 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.[311]
AfterBad Blood went off the air, in storyline, Owens attacked Rhodes, turning Owens heel.[312] Owens (kayfabe) attacked Orton in the parking lot during the October 11 episode ofSmackDown.[313] Orton subsequently confronted WWE CCO Triple H on the October 25 episode ofSmackDown, who in turn scheduled a match between Orton and Owens at Crown Jewel,[314] At the event, however, both men brawled throughout the arena, thus the match never officially started.[315] On the November 8 episode ofSmackDown, 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.[316][317] Orton returned on March 1, 2025, atElimination Chamber, attacking Owens after his match against Zayn.[318]
Orton was originally scheduled to compete against Owens on Night 2 ofWrestleMania 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 byTNA World ChampionJoe Hendry, whom Orton defeated.[319] The following night onRaw, Orton attacked the now-villainous newly-crowned Undisputed WWE ChampionJohn Cena with an RKO, reigniting their storied rivalry.[320] Orton challenged Cena to a match for his championship on the April 25 episode ofSmackDown, but Cena declined, stating that the match should occur in Orton's hometown of St. Louis atBacklash.[321] At the event on May 10, Orton failed to win the title from Cena.[322]
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 defeatedAleister Black, Carmelo Hayes and LA Knight in the first round in a fatal four-way match,[323] and Sami Zayn in the semifinals.[324] However, he lost the finals to Cody Rhodes atNight of Champions on June 28.[325] AtSaturday Night's Main Event XL on July 12, Orton, with singerJelly Roll in his corner, defeated Drew McIntyre, with Logan Paul in the latter's corner.[326] On Night 1 ofSummerSlam on August 2, Orton teamed up with Jelly Roll in a tag team match against McIntyre and Paul in a losing effort.[327]
Orton's most notable move is his finishing maneuver, the RKO, ajumping variation of a cutter.[328][329] 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 bebotched.[330][331] The move was brought back in June 2020 as part of the feud between Orton andEdge where Orton used the Punt Kick to defeat Edge atBacklash. Orton would then start using the move regularly again.[332][333]
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 secondWWE 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.[334] He has said numerous times that he prefers playing thevillain, as it is easier and more natural for him.[335] In January 2008, Orton told411Mania: "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."[336]
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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.[337] Other big part of Orton’s look are his tattoos which he has multiple of, he got his first major tattoo during hisOVW days which was his iconic tribal barbed wire piece on his back.[338] Later on he gotsleeve 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.[339]
A formerMarine,[20] Orton was set to star in the action filmThe Marine 2 (2009), but was replaced byTed DiBiase Jr. after injuring his collarbone.[340] He had a supporting role as the father of a school bully in the comedy-drama filmThat's What I Am (2011).[341] He signed on to star in the action filmThe Marine 3: Homefront (2013),[342] but was replaced byThe Miz due to his checkered military career.[343][344][345] He later starred in the action films12 Rounds 2: Reloaded (2013)[346] andThe Condemned 2 (2015). He had a guest role as James Richards, a formerNavy SEAL and leader of a militia group, in a December 2016 episode of theUSA action seriesShooter.[347] He also had a supporting role in the comedy-drama filmChangeland (2019).
In 2004, Orton appeared on the talk showJimmy Kimmel Live! to promoteTaboo Tuesday.[348] In March 2007, he appeared alongsideEdge,John Cena andBobby Lashley on the game showDeal or No Deal.[349] He was the cover athlete for the video gameWWE '12.[350]
In October 2014, he became a popular figure onVine and the internet, when a trend began of clips of a superimposed Orton performing his signatureRKO move on internet "fail" victims.[351]
In 2024 rapperEladio Carrión made a song titled “RKO” in reference to Orton’s signature move, Orton made a cameo in the song’s official music video.[352]
Orton married Samantha Speno on September 21, 2007,[353][354] and they had a daughter together[355][356] before separating in late 2012 and divorcing in June 2013.[357] Orton married Kimberly Kessler, who was previously a member of his fan club, on November 14, 2015.[358] 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.[359] They reside inSt. Charles, Missouri.[360] In 2020 he and his wife started a clothing brand called Slthr.[361] Orton enjoys playing video games in his spare time.[362] Orton’s musical interest spans from rap to heavy metal and rock.[363]
Orton suffers fromhypermobility 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.[364]
On August 24, 2024 Orton threw out the ceremonial first pitch at aSt. Louis Cardinals game.[365]
In March 2007,Sports Illustrated posted an article on its website as part of its continuing series investigating asteroid andgrowth 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 obtainednandrolone,oxandrolone,stanozolol, andtestosterone, as well as ancillary drugsanastrozole andclomiphene citrate.[366] WWE simply claimed that the allegations preceded their Talent Wellness Program, launched in February 2006.[367]
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,[368][369] though nothing came of the investigation.[370]
Also in 2018, Orton's tattoo artist Catherine Alexander filed a lawsuit againstTake-Two Interactive and2K Games for their unapproved use of her copyrighted tattoos on his likeness in theirWWE 2K video game series.[371] She argued that the copying of the tattoos infringed on her rights as the licensed creator.[372] Take-Two arguedfair use; since there was a material dispute on that question the judge denied the company's motion forsummary judgement while granting Alexander's motion for the same on the copying issue, leaving fair use the only issue to try.[373] A trial was scheduled for September 2021, but was postponed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[374] 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.[375]
In October 2019, Orton received criticism for saying "nigga" while playing aCall of Duty game on a liveTwitch stream.[376]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | That's What I Am | Ed Freel | |
| 2013 | 12 Rounds 2: Reloaded | Nick Malloy | |
| 2015 | The Condemned 2 | Will Tanner | |
| 2016 | Countdown | Himself | |
| 2019 | Changeland | Martin |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | Himself | |
| 2007 | Deal or No Deal | ||
| 2010 | Lopez Tonight | ||
| 2016 | Shooter | James Richards | Episode: "Recon by Fire" |
| Year | Artist | Song | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Eladio Carrión | "RKO" | Himself |
| WWE Video Games | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | |
| 2002 | WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth | Video game debut | |
| 2003 | WWE WrestleMania XIX | ||
| WWE Raw 2 | |||
| WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain | |||
| 2004 | WWE Day of Reckoning | Cover athlete | |
| WWE Survivor Series | Cover athlete | ||
| WWE Smackdown! vs. Raw | |||
| 2005 | WWE WrestleMania 21 | ||
| WWE Day of Reckoning 2 | |||
| WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 | |||
| 2006 | WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007 | ||
| 2007 | WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 | ||
| 2008 | WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 | ||
| 2009 | WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 | Cover athlete | |
| 2010 | WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 | ||
| 2011 | WWE All Stars | Cover athlete | |
| WWE '12 | Cover athlete | ||
| 2012 | WWE WrestleFest | ||
| WWE '13 | |||
| 2013 | WWE 2K14 | ||
| 2014 | WWE 2K15 | ||
| 2015 | WWE Immortals | ||
| WWE 2K16 | |||
| 2016 | WWE 2K17 | ||
| 2017 | WWE Champions | ||
| WWE Tap Mania | |||
| WWE 2K18 | |||
| WWE Mayhem | |||
| 2018 | WWE 2K19 | ||
| 2019 | WWE 2K20 | ||
| 2020 | WWE 2K Battlegrounds | ||
| 2022 | WWE 2K22 | ||
| 2023 | WWE 2K23 | ||
| 2024 | WWE 2K24 | ||
| 2025 | WWE 2K25 | ||
His [Barry's] nephew Randy actually began his career with WOW as a referee.
Randy Orton 03/12/14 Orlando, FL
Benoit left the ring and then returned and extended his hand saying, "Be a man." The two shook hands
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.
{{cite web}}:|last= has numeric name (help)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."
WWE has dropped Randy Orton from "The Marine: Homefront" .. following complaints that Orton, who went AWOL from the Marines and was dishonorably discharged.
,Cagematch,Wrestlingdata,Internet Wrestling Database
