Randy Orton has been a part of many legendary rivalries throughout his stellar WWE career. However, some of his first few feuds during his time as a rookie, and as a member of Evolution were a mixture of good and bad.
It was inevitable that Randy Orton was going to be a professional wrestler as he is a third-generation superstar. His accolades speak for themselves as a 14-time WWE World Champion and a Grand Slam Champion in WWE. Unfortunately, Orton got injured in 2002 but his calling came a year later in 2003 when he moved to Raw and joined Evolution.
Orton went from strength to strength during his time as a member of Evolution. He captured the Intercontinental Championship in late 2003, and he wasted no time by claiming his first World Heavyweight Title at SummerSlam 2004. The Legend Killer did not shy away from feuding with legends, and his class came through.
10 Goldust
As a member of Evolution, Randy Orton briefly feuded with Goldust alongside Batista, Triple H, and Ric Flair. Goldust and Booker T split up as they lost a World Tag Team Championship match, and The Game sent Orton and Batista on an assignment to do some dirty work for him.
Goldust was clearly upset as his partnership with Booker T came to an end, and Orton and Batista took advantage of The Bizarre One. They threw him into electrical wiring, and Goldust was electrocuted. The whole angle was illogical, and Goldust was not a threat to Evolution in any way, shape, or form.
9 Scott Steiner
Scott Steiner's return to WWE in 2002 was doomed right from the start. He engaged in a couple of dreadful World Heavyweight Championship matches with Triple H at Royal Rumble 2003 and No Way Out 2003. Naturally, as a member of Evolution, Orton would feud with Steiner.
Steiner was on a receiving end from a beatdown from Steiner, who assaulted him like a pack of dogs. Big Poppa Pump managed to pick up a win over Orton in a tag team match on the February 24, 2003 edition of Raw but it was a short and forgettable feud.
8 Hardcore Holly
When Randy Orton burst onto the scene in 2002, his first significant rivalry was against Hardcore Holly. Holly was no-nonsense and would not hesitate to be rough inside the squared circle. Nevertheless, Holly was the perfect opponent for Orton to get some matches under his belt.
Orton upset Holly on the April 25, 2002 edition of SmackDown and he backed it up a week later albeit by disqualification. There's no doubt that Orton wasn't the finished article but his feud with Holly helped him settle with life on the main roster.
7 Booker T
Booker T was in a rich vein of form in 2003, and he became a legitimate threat to Triple H's World Heavyweight Championship. However, Randy Orton and Batista dished out some punishment to Booker to give The Game a significant advantage leading into WrestleMania XIX.
Booker had refused to stay down and he should have beaten The Game for the World Heavyweight Title at WrestleMania. Moreover, Orton mixed it up in the ring with Booker which further enhanced his development.
6 Goldberg
Goldberg became public enemy number one of Evolution as he targetted Triple H's World Heavyweight Championship. Randy Orton stepped up to the plate and he had a few matches with Goldberg in 2003.
Orton may have ended up on the losing side in his matches with Goldberg but they were enthralling affairs to watch as Orton pushed Goldberg to the limit. Moreover, The Legend Killer pretended to be Goldberg's tag team partner in his match with Ric Flair and Triple H, but it was a ruse as they viciously beatdown Goldberg.
5 Shelton Benjamin
Randy Orton's Intercontinental Championship reign was sensational, and he defeated all challenges that came his way. Moreover, Shelton Benjamin had his eyes set on ending Orton's six-month stranglehold on the Intercontinental Title at Bad Blood 2004.
Their chemistry together was brilliant, and Benjamin had already earned upset victories over Triple H and Ric Flair. Benjamin earned a victory over Orton leading into this title bout. Ultimately, when it mattered with the gold on the line, Orton raised his level and retained his championship.
4 Rob Van Dam
Randy Orton picked up many handy wins in 2003 but something was missing, and that was some silverware. At Armageddon, Orton challenged Rob Van Dam for the Intercontinental Championship with Orton's bitter rival Mick Foley keeping a watchful eye on proceedings as the special guest referee.
They knocked it out of the park with an exceptional Intercontinental Title match. RVD is a high-level caliber worker, so it's no surprise that they had a great match. The Legend Killer prevailed and became the new Intercontinental Champion. Orton and RVD battled a few more times in 2004 with Orton always getting the upper hand.
3 Edge
It seemed that no one could take the Intercontinental Championship away from Randy Orton but a returning Edge wasn't afraid to take Orton on. Edge was drafted from SmackDown to Raw in the 2004 draft lottery. Their rivalry was captivating to watch, and Orton finally had another major rivalry to sink his teeth in.
Orton and Edge's Intercontinental Title match at Vengeance 2004 doesn't get spoken about enough, but it is a hidden gem. They battled for 26 minutes, and Edge brought Orton's 210-day reign as Intercontinental Champion to a halt. Orton didn't dwell on his loss for too long, as the following month, he became the World Heavyweight Champion.
2 Shawn Michaels
Factions naturally have the same rivalry but Shawn Michaels had individual rivalries with Evolution. However, Michaels' feud with Orton in 2003 was special. Orton became The Legend Killer and HBK was the veteran. Unforgiven happened to be Orton's first singles match on a WWE pay-per-view.
Orton got the better of Michaels all thanks to Flair's interference, but it was a special moment in the early stages of Orton's career. Moreover, Orton outlasted Michaels in their traditional Survivor Series elimination match at Survivor Series 2003 with more brilliance.
1 Mick Foley
Randy Orton came of age during his rivalry with Mick Foley. In 2003, Orton kicked the Hardcore Legend down a flight of stairs at Madison Square Garden. Orton also spit in Foley's face when the latter walked out of their match for the Intercontinental Title in December '03. Nonetheless, at WrestleMania XX, Orton executed a jaw-dropping RKO on Foley to pick up a victory in their two-on-three handicap match.
Whilst, their feud wasn't a long one it was certainly memorable. At Backlash 2004, Orton's Intercontinental Championship reign was in huge jeopardy as he battled Foley in a brutal hardcore match. The match was outstanding, and Orton proved on his lonesome that he is capable of beating big names. Foley was selfless as he elevated Orton to new heights.