RKO OUT OF NO WHERE! Randal Keith Orton, better known as Randy Orton, is one of the most exciting superstars in WWE history. Orton is a third generation professional wrestler and boasts a myriad of championship title reigns. After debuting in 2002, Orton quickly joined the faction, Evolution, where he began to gain momentum.
Early on in his career, Orton was known for his arrogance and lack of respect for older superstars on the roster. This attitude gave him the nickname of "Legend Killer", and he would later go on to defeat a plethora of legends. With time, Orton's skillset matured and with this maturity came a complete different set of skills. The Viper was born, a star that can strike at any moment.
10 Legend Killer: Rivalries
As a member of Evolution, Orton was involved in some shady activities to help Triple H retain his title at whatever cost. Orton's first major rivalry came against his former group leader Triple H. Orton would feud with his former Evolution partners for some time and defeated the group on occasion. Orton would go on to have notable rivalries against Ric Flair, Undertaker, John Cena and many other notable superstars during this period. Orton was ruthless to any opponent he was locked in a rivalry with and fans could not get enough of him.
9 Viper: Legacy
With Randy Orton being a third generation professional wrestler, he had big shoes to fill when entering the so-called family business. Orton's impact on the WWE is apparent; whether you love him or hate him, the moment his music starts there will be a huge pop. With Orton being a nine time WWE Champion and a four time World Heavyweight Champion, he has the hardware to back up his talk. Orton is without a doubt worthy of entering the hall of fame when he decides to hang up the laces and this can be dedicated to his fantastic work inside the ring.
8 Legend Killer: Memorable Moments
To go along with great rivalries, Orton also created memorable moments for the WWE Universe. First making his presences felt by becoming the youngest ever World Heavyweight Champion in WWE history. Orton then went on a rampage in the early 2000's, attacking any legend that he felt was disrespectful. Orton would brutalize his opponents in the ring and often beat them down before or after matches.
The pinnacle of Orton's persona came in the form of punt style kick to the side of his opponent's head. From Shawn Michaels to Rob Van Dam, Orton was on a path of destruction that led him on a collision course with John Cena and became WWE Champion shortly after.
7 Viper: Title Reigns
While under the persona of Legend Killer, Randy Orton was involved in many championship storylines, however he was often on the short end of the stick. When Orton transitioned to his viper persona, his championship success began to sway into his favor. Orton was often in the middle of feuds with champions and often coming out at as the victorious heel. During this time period, Orton has had multiple reigns as World Heavyweight Champion: WWE Champion and United States Champion. If Orton is involved in a rivalry, it is more than likely the rival is a champion.
6 Legend Killer: Perfect Heel
Orton as the Legend Killer had the ability to feud with any baby face on the roster and make most fans hate him. Orton's arrogance initially rubbed fans the wrong way, but his rivalries with notable baby faces drove fans to dislike him even more. Orton loved the way the fans hated him and that energy fed him to become even more arrogant. Orton was often the opponent to any baby face needing a rival due to his ability to have great chemistry with a majority of superstars on the roster.
5 Viper: Insane RKOs
The RKO is one of more well known and replicated finishers in WWE history. Orton's ability to connect with his finisher at a moments notice emulated that of a striking viper. Opponents often make the mistake of assuming Orton is finished to walk into an unsuspecting RKO. An instance that jumps out in the minds of fans is when Randy Orton delivered an absolutely devastating RKO to Neville during a Money In The Bank match. Orton has also launched Seth Rollins by countering his finisher and ending the match with another devastating RKO.
4 Legend Killer: Great Transition
During Orton's first initial push, the WWE began transition from the Attitude Era towards a different direction (Ruthless Aggression Era). Orton's moniker of being a legend killer was a great platform to transition off of due to the fact that he was willing to do just about anything to defeat his opponent.
Just as John Cena was seen as the promotions lead baby face, Orton would take on the role as one of the lead heels for this era. Orton rarely backed down from a challenge and was a tactician in the ring.
3 Viper: Seamless
In the early years of Randy Orton's career, he was typically the heel in a majority of his storylines. Whether that be attacking legends, or interfering with championship matches, Orton always found a way to irk the fans. However as time went on, Orton gained the ability to be a face or heel and could do both well. Depending on his opponent, Orton can produce chemistry with practically any superstar on the roster. Fans can love Orton during storylines, but then grow to hate him as his opponent changes. This ability keeps storylines fresh and could be a key reason as to why Orton has been relevant for so long.
2 Legend Killer: Marquee Star
After his rivalry with his former Evolution teammates, Orton was soon paired with Edge to form the formidable tag team, Rated RKO. While teamed with Edge, Orton would be locked in notable feuds and developed his skill set even further. They even took the reformed D-Generation X out of action by injuring Triple H. During this time period, Orton would be propelled even further to superstardom with many fans loving his arrogant attitude. Following the disbanding of team Rated RKO, Orton would remain in the main event picture and frequently challenged for championships.
1 Viper: Apex Predator
Since making the transition from being a legend killer, Orton has been able to refine his skillset through intense rivalries and great matches. Orton has had notable main event matches with John Cena, Undertaker, Triple H. However, he has also had feuds at the mid-card level. While these main events have all been memorable, Orton's ability to put on a great match at any level is undeniable Notably at WrestleMania 34, Orton was locked in a brutal fatal four-way match, where Orton hit three consecutive RKOs and nearly secured the victory. Main event or mid-card, Randy Orton is guaranteed to bring his best. Fans have learned to expect the unexpected during a match involving Randy Orton as anything can happen outta nowhere.