Randy Orton

Not to be confused withRandy Dorton.

Randy Orton
Orton in 2018
Birth name	Randal Keith Orton
Born	(1980-04-01)April 1, 1980 Knoxville, Tennessee,U.S.
Spouse(s)	Samantha Speno ​ ​ (m.2007;div.2013)​ Kimberly Kessler ​ ​ (m.2015)​
Children	2
Relatives	Bob Orton Jr.(father) Barry Orton(uncle) Bob Orton(grandfather)
Professional wrestling career
Billed height	6 ft 5 in (196 cm)
Billed weight	250 lb (113 kg)
Billed from	St. Louis, Missouri
Trained by	Bob Orton Jr. Fit Finlay Mid Missouri Wrestling Alliance Ohio Valley Wrestling
Debut	March 18, 2000
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Marine Corps
Years of service	1998–1999
Rank	Private First Class
Unit	1st Battalion, 4th Marines

Randal Keith Orton(born April 1, 1980) is an Americanprofessional wrestler.He is currently signed toWWE,where he performs on theSmackDown brand.With the tied-third most world championship reigns in history, and a career spanning over 20 years, Orton is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.

Orton is a third-generation professional wrestler; his grandfatherBob Orton,fatherBob Orton Jr.,and uncleBarry Ortonwere all wrestlers.Before being signed by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE), he trained in and wrestled for the Mid-Missouri Wrestling Association and Southern Illinois Conference Wrestling. He was then signed by the WWF and was sent toOhio Valley Wrestling(OVW), where he held theOVW Hardcore Championshiptwice.He became a member of thestableEvolutionshortly after his WWE debut, which quickly led to anIntercontinental Championshipreign, his first championship with the company.He also acquired themoniker"The Legend Killer" during a storyline where he began disrespecting and then physically attackingWWE Hall of Famersand wrestling veterans.

At the age of 24, Orton became the youngestworld championin WWE history after he won theWorld Heavyweight Championship.With this win, he departed from Evolution and afeudwith his former stablemates began. In 2006, Orton joined forces withEdgein a tag team known asRated-RKO.Together, they held theWorld Tag Team Championship.After Rated-RKO disbanded in mid-2007, Orton gained two WWE Championship reigns in one night, becoming the second youngest two-time WWE Champion at the age of 27.He formed the groupThe LegacywithCody RhodesandTed DiBiase Jr.in 2008. They disbanded in 2010, and Orton returned to singles competition. From 2013 to 2015, he was aligned withThe Authority,who named him the "face of the WWE". In 2016, he joinedThe Wyatt Family,winning theSmackDown Tag Team ChampionshipwithBray WyattandLuke Harperbefore turning on them in 2017. He won his firstUnited States Championshipin 2018, becoming the18th overall Grand Slam Championafter already having been the17th Triple Crown Champion.

Orton's rivalry withJohn Cenais one of the longest rivalries in WWE history and ranked among its greatest.Orton has held the WWE Championship10 times and WWE's World Heavyweight Championship four times. He was thefinal holderof the World Heavyweight Championship, which he unified with the WWE Championship to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion atTLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairsin 2013.Orton is recognized by WWE as having the third-most world championship victories in history at 14, behindJohn CenaandRic Flair(both 16) and tied withTriple H(also 14). All totaled, he has won 20 championships in WWE.

Orton is also the winner of the2013Money in the Bank ladder match,as well as a two-timeRoyal Rumble matchwinner (2009and2017) and has headlined multipleWWE pay-per-view events,includingWrestleMania 25andWrestleMania XXX.Following his match at the2021Survivor Series,he brokeKane's record for wrestling the most PPV matches in WWE history.

Early life

Orton as aUnited States Marinein 1998

Randal Keith Orton was born inKnoxville, Tennessee,on April 1, 1980, to nurse Elaineand professional wrestlerBob Orton Jr.He is a grandson ofBob Ortonand nephew ofBarry Orton,both professional wrestlers.He has a younger brother named Nathan, who is a stand-up comedian,and a younger sister named Rebecca.Knowing the hardships of life as a professional wrestler, his parents tried to convince him to stay away from the businessand his father warned him that life in the ring meant a life on the road and away from family.

Orton attendedHazelwood Central High School,where he was an amateur wrestler.After graduating in 1998,he enlisted with theUnited States Marine Corps.At the base, he received abad conduct dischargein 1999 aftergoing AWOLon two occasions and disobeying an order from a commanding officer.Under theUniform Code of Military Justice,he was tried and convicted under a specialcourt-martial,subsequently spending 38 days in thebrigatCamp Pendleton.He previously had a Marine tattoo on his left arm, but covered it up after receiving his bad conduct discharge.

Professional wrestling career

Training and early career (2000–2001)

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 Clubheaded bySam Muchnick.There, he was trained by both the staff of the promotion and his father,Bob Orton Jr.He wrestled for the promotion where he performed with wrestlers such as Ace Strange and Mark Bland.Orton alsorefereeda few matches with World Organized Wrestling (WOW), a promotion where his uncleBarry Ortonworked.

World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE (2000–present)

Ohio Valley Wrestling (2000–2002)

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 ConstantinoandThe Prototypeand teamed withBobby Eatonduring atag teamtitle tournament. He won theOVW Hardcore Championshiptwice by defeating Mr. Black on February 14, 2001, andFlash Flanaganon May 5, 2001, respectively.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.That fall he began appearing regularly on WWF house shows and dark matches, facingChuck Palumbo,Steven RichardsandShawn 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 LesnarandDave Batista.

Main roster debut; Evolution (2002–2004)

Main article:Evolution

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 HollyonSmackDown!on April 25, 2002.Soon after, Orton became afaceand was placed in a series of matches with Holly.In September 2002, Orton was traded to theRawbrand,where he defeated Stevie Richards in his debut on the show.Within weeks of his debut on the Raw brand, Orton suffered ashoulder injury,leaving him sidelined for months.While recovering, Orton still appeared onRawin his ownRandy News Network(RNN) segment, a weekly vignette featuring him talking about his condition.The show interrupted other segments of Raw programming, which caused Orton to slowly transition himself into anarcissisticand self-centeredheel.

After his injury healed, Orton joined theEvolutionstable,which consisted ofRic Flair,Triple H,and relative newcomerBatista.The group waspushedonRawfrom 2003 to 2004, with the height of their dominance occurring afterArmageddonin 2003 when all of the men's titles onRawwere held by Evolution members.In 2003, Orton spent much of his time helping Triple H overcome challenges for theWorld Heavyweight Championship.He joined Triple H in anElimination Chambermatch for the World Heavyweight Championship atSummerSlam,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.

Orton then began proclaiming himself the "Legend Killer", 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 MichaelsatUnforgivenin the first of many high-profile matches billed as "Legend vs. Legend Killer".During this time, Orton began using the move that would become his signature finisher, theRKO,ajumping cutternamed after his initials.He defeatedRob Van Damfor theIntercontinental ChampionshipatArmageddonin December 2003.With this win, Orton started the longest Intercontinental Championship reign in seven years, holding the title for 210 days.Orton continued to establish himself as a "Legend Killer" throughout 2004, challenging the semi-retired wrestlerMick Foley.Famed for his brutalhardcore matchesand ability to handle excruciating pain, Foley challenged Orton to a hardcore "Legend vs. Legend Killer" match for his Intercontinental Championship, which Orton reluctantly accepted. AtBacklash,Orton defeated Foley in ahardcore matchto retain the Intercontinental Championship,which included spots involving a table covered inbarbed wire,fire, a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire (a signature weapon of Foley's named "Barbie" ), and Orton being thrown onto hundreds ofthumbtacks.Orton later spat in the face ofHarley Raceon the April 26 episode ofRaw.Two months later atBad Blood,he retained the Intercontinental Championship againstShelton Benjamin.In July atVengeance,he lost the title toEdge.

World Heavyweight Champion (2004–2005)

Orton became the youngestWorld Heavyweight Championin WWE history atSummerSlamin August 2004.

After losing the Intercontinental Championship, Orton became the number one contender for theWorld Heavyweight Championshipafter winning a 20-man battle royal on July 26.AtSummerSlam,Orton defeatedChris Benoitfor the championship, thus becoming the youngestworld championin WWE history at the age of 24.Benoit congratulated Orton after the match, shaking his hand for showing the ability to "be a man".The following night onRaw,after Orton successfully defended the title against Benoit in a rematch, Evolution threw Orton amockcelebration 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-upand then abruptly changed it to a thumbs-down, which was followed by BatistadroppingOrton to the mat.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.Orton's breakup with Evolution led to him turningfacewhen he continued to feud with his former stablemates.A month later, Orton lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Triple H atUnforgivenafter interference from Flair, Batista, andJonathan Coachman.

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.AtTaboo Tuesday,Orton defeated Ric Flair in asteel cage match.After this, Orton experienced anotherpush,becominggeneral managerof the Raw brand for a week following a match stipulation atSurvivor Serieswhere he picked up the win for his team by last eliminating Triple H in afour-on-four Survivor Series elimination match.He continued to feud with Triple H, using his authority to place his opponents at severe disadvantages during title defenses.In January 2005 atNew Year's Revolution,Orton participated in anElimination Chambermatch for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship, where he was the last man eliminated by Triple H after interference from Ric Flair and Batista.On the January 10 episode ofRaw,Orton defeated Batista to earn a match against Triple H at theRoyal Rumblefor the World Heavyweight title, which he lost.

Feud with The Undertaker (2005–2006)

Orton began an on-screen relationship withStacy Keiblerand briefly feuded withChristianin February 2005.On the February 28Raw,Superstar Billy Grahammade an appearance, in which he advised Orton to "go where no wrestler [had] gone before".

Orton showing off his signature pose in August 2005

Orton then produced a copy ofSmackDown!magazine, which featuredThe Undertakeron the cover.Heeding Graham's advice, Orton said he would set himself apart from all other wrestlers by ending The Undertaker'sundefeated streakatWrestleMania.Throughout March 2005, Orton taunted The Undertaker, claiming he was unafraid of him. On the March 21Raw,Orton delivered anRKOto his unsuspecting on-screen girlfriend, Stacy Keibler, knocking herunconscious,thus turningheelonce again.During Orton'spromos,he ran for cover whenever signs of The Undertaker's appearance (lightning,darkness,orsmoke) occurred.When wrestlerJake Robertsadvised Orton not to underestimate The Undertaker, Orton performed an RKO on Roberts as well.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,Orton lost the heavily hyped match.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.

Orton at a WWEhouse showin 2005

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.While sidelined, Orton appeared onRawand claimed that he was ineligible for the WWE Draft Lottery due to his injury. He was informed by WWE ChairmanVince McMahonthat he was indeed a candidate for the draft, leaving a possibility of a return toSmackDown!Orton returned to WWE programming for SmackDown! on June 16, announcing that he was the second pick in the2005 draft lottery.He rekindled his feud with The Undertaker, defeating him atSummerSlamfollowing a distraction from his father.Two months later atNo Mercy,Orton and his father Bob Orton defeated The Undertaker in ahandicapcasket matchand 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.The following month, Orton replaced the lateEddie Guerreroas a participant in the annual elimination match of Team SmackDown! against Team Raw atSurvivor Series,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!.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.On theSmackDown!episode after Survivor Series, The Undertaker interfered in a match between Rey Mysterio andBig Showafter 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.The feud was finally settled with aHell in a Cellmatch atArmageddon.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.The Undertaker, however, beat Orton in the Hell in a Cell match at Armageddon, ending their nine-month-long feud.

Rated-RKO (2006–2007)

Main article:Rated-RKO

After Armageddon, Orton entered the2006 Royal Rumble matchas 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.Orton challenged him to a match for his title shot atNo Way Out.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.Many fans felt the comments were highly distasteful so soon after Guerrero's death in November 2005.Orton won at No Way Out, earning Mysterio's title shot for the World Heavyweight Championship atWrestleMania 22.SmackDown! General ManagerTheodore Longre-added Mysterio to the WrestleMania 22 title match, making it atriple threat matchbetween Orton, Mysterio and then-championKurt Angle.On April 2 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.

On April 4, Orton was suspended for sixty days for "unprofessional conduct".In an interview, Orton stated, "my conduct was unbecoming of a champion, which is what I will be again when I return".To cover for the suspension, a scripted injury was devised, where Kurt Angle broke Orton's ankle during aKing of the Ringquarterfinal match.Orton returned from his suspension in June to the Raw brand,where he entered a rivalry with Angle, culminating in matches atECW One Night Stand(which he lost) andVengeance(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.AtSummerSlam,the two met in a "Legend vs. Legend Killer" match, which Hogan won.He later defeated Carlito, at Unforgiven the following month.

Edgeand Orton asRated-RKOin 2006

After the newly reformedD-Generation X(DX) (Triple H and Shawn Michaels) costEdgethe 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 Sundaywith 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 Championsby defeating Ric Flair andRoddy Piperon the November 13 episode ofRaw.As part of theangle,Rated-RKO attacked Ric Flair with steel chairs to enrage DX on the November 27 episode ofRaw.AtNew Year's Revolution,Rated-RKO defended the World Tag Team Championship against DX, but the match was declared a no-contest when Triple H suffered alegitimateinjury during the match. Afterwards, Rated-RKO were attacked by DX.With Triple H out of action, Rated-RKO continued their on-screen rivalry with Michaels. At theRoyal Rumble,both men competed in theeponymous matchand made it to the final four, but both were eliminated by Michaels. Michaels later teamed withWWE ChampionJohn Cenato defeat Rated-RKO to win the World Tag Team Championship the following night onRaw.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.They both competed in theMoney in the Bank ladder matchat 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,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.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 DDTand arunning puntto the face. Orton defeated Michaels atJudgment Dayvia knockout when Michaels suffered akayfabeconcussion and collapsed during the match.Orton continued his attacks when he engaged himself in feuds with Rob Van Dam atOne Night Stand(after losing a stretcher match to Van Dam),Ric Flair,Dusty Rhodes,andSgt. Slaughter.During this time the commentators noted how Orton slithered around and stalked his victims like a snake; this led to "The Viper" becoming a nickname for Orton.

WWE Champion (2007–2008)

Orton during his first reign asWWE Championin 2007

On the July 23 episode ofRaw,Orton was named number one contender for John Cena's WWE Championship.Three times before their scheduled bout atSummerSlam,Orton assaulted Cena with the RKO.Orton lost the title match at SummerSlam when Cena pinned him after anFU.The next night on the August 27 episode ofRaw,Orton demanded a rematch, but Raw General ManagerWilliam Regaldenied 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.McMahon granted Orton his rematch atUnforgiven,which he won bydisqualificationwhen Cena refused to stop punching him in the corner; however, Cena retained the championship because titles cannot change hands by disqualification.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. Kennedyon the October 1 episode ofRaw,after which Orton attacked Cena with an RKO. After this, he adopted the nickname of "The Viper".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,Mr. McMahon awarded Randy Orton the WWE Championship, which John Cena had vacated due to injury.Orton lost the title to Triple H in the opening match, but regained it later that night in aLast Man Standingmatch.Orton then restarted his feud with Shawn Michaels, who returned on the October 8 episode ofRawduring Orton's championship coronation andsuperkickedhim.Michaels was chosen by fan voting overJeff HardyandMr. Kennedyto meet Orton for the WWE Championship atCyber Sunday,where Orton was disqualified afterlow blowingMichaels, but retained the title.They had a rematch atSurvivor Serieswith a pre-match stipulation that if Michaels had used Sweet Chin Music, he would have lost andnever had another chanceat 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.Orton then began a feud with the returningChris Jericho,who challenged Orton for the WWE Championship atArmageddon,in which Jericho won by disqualification after interference from SmackDown! color commentatorJohn "Bradshaw" Layfield(JBL), but Orton retained the title.He then feuded with Jeff Hardy, during which he punted Hardy's brotherMattin the head and Hardy performed aSwanton Bomboff the Raw set onto Orton. He successfully defended the title against Hardy at theRoyal Rumble.He then restarted his feud with John Cena, who had returned from injury to win the 2008Royal Rumble match.Instead of taking his title shot atWrestleMania XXIV,as Royal Rumble winners typically do, Cena took it atNo Way Outand 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.At WrestleMania, Orton retained the WWE Championship against Cena and Triple H by pinning Cena after Triple H executed aPedigreeon him.The next month atBacklash,Orton lost the title to Triple H in afatal four-way elimination match,also including Cena andJohn "Bradshaw" Layfield(JBL).After failing to win it back atJudgment Dayin asteel cage match,he faced Triple H for the title once more in a Last Man Standing match atOne Night Stand,which he lost after Triple H countered anRKOby throwing Orton over the top rope, legitimately breaking hiscollarboneand putting him out of action. During this time, he gained a new entrance theme, "Voices", performed by the bandRev Theory.

The Legacy (2008–2010)

Main article:The Legacy (professional wrestling)

See also:Cena–Orton rivalry

Orton (middle) withCody RhodesandTed DiBiaseas part ofThe Legacyin 2009

Upon being medically cleared to return to the ring, Orton was reinjured in a motorcycle accident.He returned toRawon September 1, criticizing all the champions, including World Tag Team ChampionsCody RhodesandTed DiBiase,who he berated and slapped for lettingCryme Tymesteal their belts. This inspired them to try to gain Orton's respect.They achieved this atUnforgivenwhen, with new stablemateManu,they assaulted World Heavyweight ChampionCM Punk,forcing him to vacate his title before his scheduled defense that night.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.AtSurvivor Series,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.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.AtArmageddon,Orton lost to Batista in a singles match.

Orton after winning the2009 Royal Rumble match

Orton began feuding with the McMahon family on the January 19, 2009, episode ofRawwhen 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. On January 25, Orton won theRoyal Rumblematch,last eliminating Triple H.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 McMahonreturning toRawand attacking Orton. This led to Orton facing Shane in aNo Holds Barred matchatNo Way Out,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 Hinto 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,where he was unsuccessful.He won it the next month atBacklashby pinning Triple H in asix-man tag team matchbetween The Legacy and Triple H, Batista andShane McMahon.AtJudgment Day,Orton defended the championship against Batista, where he retained via disqualification after Rhodes and DiBiase interfered.AtExtreme Rules,he lost the title to Batista in a steel cage match.The following night onRaw,Orton and Legacy attacked Batista and injured his arm, forcing him to vacate the title.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 Bashin aThree Stages of Hell match,which Orton won after interference from Legacy.AtSummerSlam,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" matchatBreaking Point,but regained it from Cena in a Hell in a Cell match atHell in a Cell.AtBragging Rights,Orton again lost the championship to Cena in a one-hourIron Man matchto end the feud.

Orton with a shaved head in 2009

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,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 & Chairson 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.Orton won a triple threat match on January 11, 2010, episode ofRaw,with help from Rhodes and DiBiase, for the right to challengeSheamusat theRoyal Rumblefor the WWE Championship.Orton lost by disqualification when Rhodes interfered, which prompted Orton to attack both Rhodes and DiBiase after the match.On the February 15 episode ofRaw,Orton was again disqualified in a non-title rematch when Legacy interfered.Orton and DiBiase both competed in the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match atElimination Chamber,where DiBiase eliminated Orton after hitting him with a pipe Rhodes had given him.The next night on the February 22 episode ofRaw,during a six-man tag team match, Orton attacked them in retaliation, turning himface.AtWrestleMania XXVI,Orton defeated Rhodes and DiBiase in a triple threat match.

World Heavyweight Championship reigns (2010–2013)

After The Legacy disbanded, Orton spent most part of the year in World Title feuds. He unsuccessfully challengedJack Swaggerfor the World Heavyweight Championship atExtreme Rulesin April.AtFatal 4-Wayin June, 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 Mizand, atSummerSlam,he faced the WWE Champion Sheamus in a match that ended in a disqualification, giving Orton the win, but not the title.Immediately afterward, Orton hit Sheamus with the chair and an RKO onto the broadcast table.

Orton atTribute to the Troopsin December 2010

AtNight of Champions,Orton won the WWE Championship in asix-pack challenge elimination match.After successfully defending the title against Sheamus in a Hell in a Cell match atHell in a Cell,he feuded withWade Barrett,who was blackmailing Cena to help him capture the title. Orton retained the title against him atBragging RightsandSurvivor Series.However, on the November 22 episode ofRaw,after Orton defeated Barrett again in a title match, he lost the championship against The Miz when he cashed hisMoney in the Bankcontract.Orton received his rematch against The Miz in a tables match atTLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairsand theRoyal Rumble,but he lost both matches.

The next month atElimination Chamber,Orton failed to win a WWE Championship number one contender Elimination Chamber match after being eliminated byCM Punk.Over the next three weeks, Orton punted and injured all members of The New Nexus,Michael McGillicutty,David OtungaandMason Ryan.AtWrestleMania XXVII,Orton defeated Punk after a mid-air RKO.Two 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,ending his feud with The New Nexus.

On the May 6 episode ofSmackDown,Orton defeatedChristianto win theWorld Heavyweight Championshipfor the second time.AtOver the Limit,Orton made his first successful title defense in a rematch against Christian. AtCapitol Punishment,Orton pinned Christian to retain the championship again, despite Christian's foot being under the bottom rope.In July 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.A month later atSummerSlam,Orton regained the title when he defeated Christian in a No Holds Barred match.Orton ended his feud with Christian when he retained the World Heavyweight Championship in a steel cage match on the August 30 episode ofSmackDown.Orton then began a feud withMark Henryafter Henry became the number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship.Over the next few weeks, Henry regularly attacked Orton.AtNight of Champions,Orton lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Henry,and failed to regain it two weeks later in a Hell in a Cell match atHell in a Cell.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.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,and again on the November 4SmackDownin a Street Fight.

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.Orton's team was defeated atSurvivor Serieswith Barrett and Cody Rhodes being the sole survivors.Barrett then began attacking and distracting Orton during matches.AtTLC: Tables, Ladders, & Chairs,Orton defeated Barrett in a tables match after he put Barrett through the table with an RKO.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.This led to a Falls Count Anywhere match on December 30 episode ofSmackDown,in which Barrett pushed Orton down a flight of stairs,resulting in a herniated disc, which sidelined Orton for four weeks.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.

Orton atWrestleMania XXVIII

On the February 13 episode ofRaw SuperShow,Orton suffered a concussion after World Heavyweight ChampionDaniel Bryansmashed 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.When Orton returned on the March 2 episode ofSmackDown,he feuded withKaneand was defeated by him atWrestleMania XXVIII.Orton defeated Kane on the nextSmackDownin a No Disqualification rematchand atExtreme Rulesin a Falls Count Anywhere match to end the feud.He participated in afatal four-way matchatOver the Limitfor the World Heavyweight Championship, where Orton failed to win after Sheamus pinned Chris Jericho to retain the title.On May 30, WWE suspended Orton for 60 days due to his second violation of the company's Talent Wellness Program.

Orton returned on the July 30 episode ofRawdefeatingHeath Slater.Orton began feuding withMr. Money in the BankDolph Zigglerand defeated Ziggler atNight of Champions.He began feuding withAlberto Del Rioon the September 28 episode ofSmackDown.Orton defeated Del Rio atHell in a Cellin a singles match and represented Team Foley as his team lost to Team Ziggler atSurvivor Seriesin a traditional five-on-five elimination tag match.

On the December 3 episode ofRaw,Orton began a feud withThe Shield,after he was attacked by them following a victory overBrad Maddox.On the December 14 episode ofSmackDown,Orton was once again assaulted backstage by The Shield.This was used to write him off television due to a shoulder injury.Orton returned on the December 31 episode ofRaw,helpingRybackand Sheamus fend off The Shield.AtElimination Chamber,Orton eliminated Mark Henry and Chris Jericho before being the last man eliminated by Jack Swagger.In late February, Orton aligned himself with Sheamus to feud with the Shield.AtWrestleMania 29,Orton, Sheamus and Big Show were defeated by The Shield, after which, both men were knocked out by Big Show.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.Orton and Sheamus then teamed up to defeat Big Show in two handicap matches, first on the April 12SmackDownvia count-out, and second on the April 15Rawvia pinfall.The feud between Big Show and Orton led to anExtreme Rules matchatExtreme Rules,which Orton won.

After Extreme Rules, Orton began pairing with Daniel Bryan to face the Shield.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.Three days later atPayback,Orton and Bryan unsuccessfully challenged forRoman ReignsandSeth Rollins' WWE Tag Team Championship.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.Four days later onSmackDown,Orton was defeated by Bryan in a singles match via countout.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.Later that night, Orton was defeated by Bryan in a Street Fight Match after he was forced to submit to theYes! Lockwith a kendo stick applied to the move.

The Authority (2013–2015)

Main article:The Authority

See also:Cena–Orton rivalry

Orton asWWE Championin November 2013

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.On August 18 atSummerSlam,Orton turnedheelafter he 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.The following night on Raw, Orton was endorsed as the "face of the company" by Vince McMahon and the newly formedAuthority(Triple H and Stephanie McMahon).On September 15 atNight of Champions,Orton lost the WWE Championship back to Bryan,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.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.Orton once again challenged Bryan for the vacant championship atHell in a Cell,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.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.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 theTLCpay-per-view. On December 15, Orton defeated Cena at TLC to unify both titles, and becoming the first WWE World Heavyweight Champion as well as officially being recognized as the final World Heavyweight Champion.Orton retained the title at theRoyal Rumbleagainst Cena after interference byThe Wyatt Family.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 XXXagainst Royal Rumble winnerBatista.On April 6 at WrestleMania XXX, 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.

Orton (left) andBatistain April 2014

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 Usosfor 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.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 Shieldinterrupted by spearing Triple H and taking out Orton, Batista, and Kane, causing the match to end in a no-contest.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.AtExtreme RulesandPayback,Evolution lost to The Shield.On the June 9 episode ofRaw,The Authority automatically granted Orton a spot in the2014Money in the Bank ladder matchfor the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship, but he failed to win. On the July 21 episode ofRaw,Roman Reignsattacked 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,which Reigns won. AtNight of Champions,Orton defeated Chris Jericho.

Orton celebrating after defeatingSeth RollinsatWrestleMania 31in March 2015

On the October 13 episode ofRaw,Orton asked The Authority to face the loser of aNo Holds BarredContract on a Pole matchbetweenJohn CenaandDean Ambrose.Ambrose won the match, setting up aHell in a Cellmatch between Orton and Cena.On theRawbefore the event, Triple H revealed that the winner would receive a future WWE World Heavyweight Championship match againstBrock Lesnar.Later that night, Orton, Kane, andSeth Rollinsdefeated Cena and Ambrose in a handicap Street Fight after Orton pinned Ambrose, but he was immediately attacked by Rollins with aCurb Stomppost-match.At Hell in a Cell, Orton lost to Cena.On the October 27 episode ofRaw,Orton attacked Rollins, turningfacein the process.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 Stomponto the steel steps on Orton.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 atFastlaneon February 22, 2015, by saving Dolph Ziggler,Erick RowanandRybackfrom a post-match beatdown of Rollins, Big Show and Kane.He feuded with The Authority's Seth Rollins, having a match atWrestleMania 31where Orton defeated Rollins. After WrestleMania, with Rollins as the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Orton faced Rollins atExtreme RulesandPayback,losing both title matches.

AtMoney in the Bank,Orton failed to win the championship contract ladder match, which was won bySheamus.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,but lost to Sheamus atSummerSlam.On the September 7 episode ofRaw,Orton was attacked byThe Wyatt Family,starting a feud that was booked to end in theHell in a Cellpre-show,but canceled after Orton suffered a legit shoulder injury,putting him out of action for the following months.

The Wyatt Family (2016–2017)

On the July 7, 2016, episode ofSmackDown,Orton was revealed asBrock Lesnar's opponent forSummerSlam.On July 19 at the2016 WWE draft,Orton was drafted to SmackDown, while Lesnar was drafted to Raw.On July 24 atBattleground,Orton returned as a guest onChris Jericho'sHighlight Reelto 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 anRKOon Jericho.On the July 26 episode ofSmackDown Live,Orton interrupted Intercontinental ChampionThe Mizduring hisMiz TVsegment before defeating Miz in a non-title match.During Lesnar's promo on the August 1 episode ofRaw,Orton appeared and delivered anRKOto Lesnar.The following night onSmackDown Live,Lesnar attacked Orton during his match, delivering anF-5to Orton.At SummerSlam, Lesnar defeated Orton bytechnical knockoutafter a series of elbows to the head, leaving Orton with an open wound that required 10 staples.

Orton withLuke HarperandBray Wyattas one-third of theSmackDown Tag Team Championsin 2016

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 Wyattinterrupted him, therefore resuming their feud.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.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.Orton faced Wyatt atNo Mercy,where he lost due to a distraction by the returningLuke Harper.On the October 11 episode ofSmackDown Live,Orton was teamed withKanein a tag team match against Wyatt and Harper, but once again lost the match due to distraction by Harper.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.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.

That same night, Orton and Wyatt were revealed as members of Team SmackDown forSurvivor Series.At Survivor Series, Team SmackDown defeated Team Raw, where Orton and Wyatt became the last two surviving members of their team.On the November 29 episode ofSmackDown Live,Orton and Wyatt defeatedAmerican Alphato earn a shot at theSmackDown Tag Team ChampionshipagainstHeath SlaterandRhyno.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.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.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.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.On the March 7 episode ofSmackDown Live,Orton defeatedAJ Stylesto become the number one contender for the WWE Championship.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.On the following episode ofSmackDown Live,Wyatt challenged Orton to a "House of Horrors" rematch,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'sPaybackon April 30,which he lost.

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 challengeto become the number one contender for the WWE Championship, after interference fromThe Singh Brothers.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.At Payback, Orton lost to Wyatt after Mahal attacked him with the title belt.SmackDown commissionerShane McMahonlater returned the belt to Orton.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 Bankafter The Singh Brothers again interfered.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 Khalireturned and attacked Orton, allowing Mahal to escape the Punjabi Prison to win.

United States Champion (2017–2018)

Orton started a feud withRusev,whom he defeated in 10 seconds atSummerSlam.On the September 5 episode ofSmackDown Live,Orton lost toShinsuke Nakamurain a number one contender's match for the WWE Championship.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.AtHell in a Cell,Orton defeated Rusev to end the feud.On the October 24 episode ofSmackDown Live,Orton defeatedSami Zaynto qualify for a spot on Team SmackDown atSurvivor Series.During the match, Orton eliminatedFinn Bálorand survived until only he and Team SmackDown captain Shane McMahon remained, but was eliminated byBraun Strowman.Team SmackDown ultimately went on to lose.At theRoyal Rumble,Orton entered Royal Rumble match at #24 and eliminatedNXT ChampionAndrade "Cien" Almasbefore later being eliminated by Roman Reigns.

During the following months, Orton was put in the orbit of theWWE United States Championship.He defeated the championBobby RoodeatFastlane(thus becoming the 18thGrand Slam Champion) but lost it atWrestleMania 34againstJinder Mahalin a fatal four-way match also involving Roode andRusev.He had another title match atBacklashagainst the new championJeff Hardy,but Orton lost again.On May 18, WWE confirmed that Orton had undergone successful surgery to repair a medial meniscus tear in his left knee, sidelining him indefinitely.

Return of the Legend Killer (2018–2020)

After a brief hiatus, Orton returned atExtreme Rulesand attacked Jeff Hardy after Hardy's match against Shinsuke Nakamura for the United States Championship, turning heel in the process.Two nights later onSmackDown Live,Orton interfered in the rematch and attacked Hardy again.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.AtHell in a Cell,Orton defeated Hardy in a Hell in a Cell match.On the October 9 episode ofSmackDown Live,Orton defeated a returningBig Showto qualify for theWWE World CupatCrown Jewel.At Crown Jewel, he lost toRey Mysterioin the first round.He then started a feud with Mysterio, stealing Mysterio's mask on the November 21 episode ofSmackDown Liveand carrying it with him for a few weeks.AtTLC,Orton lost to Mysterio in a chairs match.At theRoyal Rumblepay-per-view on January 27, 2019, Orton entered the namesake match at number 29, eliminating Mysterio before he was himself eliminated by Andrade.Orton competed in theElimination Chambermatch for the WWE Championship atElimination Chamber,where he eliminatedAJ Stylesbefore being eliminated byKofi Kingston.

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.In July, Orton feuded with Kingston over the WWE Championship, having matches atSummerSlamandClash of Champions,where Orton did not win the title.AtCrown JewelandSurvivor Series,Orton was part of two multi-tag matches, but his team lost both times.As part of the2019 WWE draft,Orton was drafted toRaw.On the November 11 episode ofRaw,Orton seemed like he was going to giveRicochetan RKO, but instead gave one to AJ Styles (who turned heel during the summer), thus turning face.He reignited his feud with Styles and faced him throughout December and January.

At theRoyal Rumbleon January 26, 2020, Orton entered the titular match at number 25 and eliminated Karl Anderson before he was eliminated by his formerRated-RKOtag team partnerEdge,who was returning to competition for the first time since retiring due to career-ending neck injuries in 2011.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 matchatWrestleMania 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".The following night onRaw,Edge's friend and former tag team partnerChristianchallenged Orton to an unsanctioned match, which Orton won with assistance fromRic Flair.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 atSummerSlamandClash of Championsin an Ambulance match,until he defeated McIntyre in a Hell in a Cell match atHell In A Cell,winning his tenth WWE Championship.However, he would lose the title back to McIntyre on the November 16 episode ofRaw.

Feud with The Fiend (2020-2021)

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 & Chairson December 20, Orton defeated The Fiend in aFirefly Inferno matchbefore setting his body on fire.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.At theRoyal Rumbleon 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.

AtElimination Chamberon 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.After Bliss repeatedly harassed and distracted him over the weeks, causing him to lose matches, Bliss challenged him to an Intergender Match atFastlaneon March 21, which he accepted. At the event, Bliss attacked him with supernatural powers and Orton lost after interference from The Fiend.On the following episode ofRaw,The Fiend attacked Orton again and a match between them was scheduled forWrestleMania 37.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.

RK-Bro (2021–2022)

Main article:RK-Bro

After WrestleMania, Orton began to work withRiddleas a tag team, named RK-Bro, thus turning face in the process.They would defeat AJ Styles and Omos atSummerSlamto become theRaw Tag Team Champions,their first reign each. RK-Bro defeated Styles and Omos in a rematch atCrown Jewelto 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).With this match, Orton brokeKane's record for wrestling the most PPV matches in WWE history.At the inauguralDay 1premium 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 GableandOtis), 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 OwensandSeth 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.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 Usosto a championship unification match atWrestleMania Backlashwith, 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 Rhodesto 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 McIntyreand RK-Bro againstThe Bloodline,in which the latter emerged victorious whenRoman Reignspinned 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.During his hiatus in September 2023, Riddle was released from WWE, effectively ending RK-Bro.

Return from injury (2023–present)

On the November 20, 2023, episode ofRaw,after an 18-month hiatus, it was revealed that Orton would be making his return atSurvivor Series: WarGameson November 25 as the fifth member of Cody Rhodes' team (which also included Jey Uso,Sami Zayn,and Seth "Freakin" Rollins) in theWarGames matchagainst Drew McIntyre andThe Judgment Day(Damian Priest,Finn Bálor,"Dirty" Dominik Mysterio,andJD McDonagh).At the event, Orton was the last entrant into the match and his team won the match.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.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 ChampionshipfromRoman Reignsin afatal four-way matchalso involving AJ Styles andLA Knight.

On the February 9 episode ofSmackDown,Orton defeated Sami Zayn to qualify for the men'sElimination Chamber matchatElimination Chamber: Perth.At the event, Orton eliminatedKevin OwensandLogan Paulbefore being the last person eliminated byDrew McIntyreafter Paul struck Orton with brass knuckles.

On the March 15 episode ofSmackDown,Orton defeatedGrayson Wallerafter hitting him with an RKO. After the match, SmackDown General ManagerNick Aldisdeclared that Orton and Owens will challenge Paul for theUnited States Championshipin atriple threat matchatWrestleMania XL.On Night 2 of the event on April 7, a person dressed as a bottle ofPrimeattempted 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.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 France.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.

After Backlash, Orton participated in theKing of the Ring tournament,defeating AJ Styles in the first round,Carmelo Hayesin the quarterfinals,Tonga in the semifinals, but lost toGuntherin the finals atKing and Queen of the Ring.AtMoney in the Bankon July 6, Orton, Owens andCody Rhodeslost to the Bloodline's Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga and the debutingJacob Fatuin a Six-Man Tag Team Match after interference from Tanga Loa.

Professional wrestling style and persona

Orton executing the RKO onAJ Stylesin 2021

Orton's most notable move is his finishing maneuver, the RKO, ajumping variation of a cutter.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.The move was brought back in June 2020 as part of the feud between Orton andEdgewhere Orton used the Punt Kick to defeat Edge atBacklash.Orton would then start using the move regularly again.

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 Championshipreign, 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.He has said numerous times that he prefers playing thevillain,as it is easier and more natural for him.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."

Acting career

A formerMarine,Orton was set to star in the action filmThe Marine 2(2009), but was replaced byTed DiBiase Jr.after injuring his collarbone.He had a supporting role as the father of a school bully in the comedy-drama filmThat's What I Am(2011).He signed on to star in the action filmThe Marine 3: Homefront(2013),but was replaced byThe Mizdue to his checkered military career.He later starred in the action films12 Rounds 2: Reloaded(2013)andThe Condemned 2(2015). He had a guest role as James Richards, a formerNavy SEALand leader of a militia group, in a December 2016 episode of theUSAaction seriesShooter.He also had a supporting role in the comedy-drama filmChangeland(2019).

Other media

In 2004, Orton appeared on the talk showJimmy Kimmel Live!to promoteTaboo Tuesday.In March 2007, he appeared alongsideEdge,John CenaandBobby Lashleyon the game showDeal or No Deal.He was the cover athlete for the video gameWWE '12.

In October 2014, he became a popular figure onVineand the internet, when a trend began of clips of a superimposed Orton performing his signatureRKOmove on internet "fail"victims.

Personal life

Orton married Samantha Speno on September 21, 2007,and they had a daughter togetherbefore separating in late 2012 and divorcing in June 2013.Orton married Kimberly Kessler, who was previously a member of his fan club, on November 14, 2015.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.They reside inSt. Charles, Missouri.

Orton suffers fromhypermobilityin 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.

Controversies and legal issues

In March 2007,Sports Illustratedposted an article on its website as part of its continuing series investigating asteroidandgrowth hormonering 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 drugsanastrozoleandclomiphene citrate.WWE simply claimed that the allegations preceded their Talent Wellness Program, launched in February 2006.

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,though nothing came of the investigation.

Also in 2018, Orton's tattoo artist Catherine Alexander filed a lawsuit againstTake-Two Interactiveand2K Gamesfor their unapproved use of her copyrighted tattoos on his likeness in theirWWE 2Kvideo game series.She argued that the copying of the tattoos infringed on her rights as the licensed creator.Take-Two arguedfair use;since there was a material dispute on that question the judge denied the company's motion forsummary judgementwhile granting Alexander's motion for the same on the copying issue, leaving fair use the only issue to try.A trial was scheduled for September 2021, but was postponed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.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.

In October 2019, Orton received criticism for saying "nigga"while playing aCall of Dutygame on a liveTwitchstream.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role
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

Television

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"

Music videos

Year	Artist	Song	Role
2024	Eladio Carrión	Eladio Carrión: RKO	Randy Orton

Video games

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

Championships and accomplishments

Orton is a 10-timeWWE Champion(on his left shoulder) and a four-timeWorld Heavyweight Champion(on his right shoulder), making him an overall 14-timeworld championin WWE.

Orton asUnited States ChampionatWrestleMania 34

Orton is an overall four-time Tag Team Champion in WWE, including aWorld Tag Team Championshipreign withEdgeasRated RKO.

• The Baltimore Sun
  • Wrestler of the Year (2009)
• Guinness Book of World Records
  • Most appearances on pay-per-view for a male WWE wrestler
• Ohio Valley Wrestling
  • OVW Hardcore Championship(2 times)
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • Feud of the Year(2009)vs.Triple H
  • Most Hated Wrestler of the Year(2007, 2009)
  • Most Improved Wrestler of the Year(2004)
  • Most Popular Wrestler of the Year(2010)
  • Rookie of the Year(2001)
  • Wrestler of the Year(2009, 2010)
  • Ranked No. 1 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in thePWI 500in 2008
• World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
  • WWE Championship(10 times)
  • World Heavyweight Championship(4 times)
  • WWE Intercontinental Championship(1 time)
  • WWE United States Championship(1 time)
  • World Tag Team Championship(1 time) – withEdge
  • WWE Raw Tag Team Championship(2 times) – withRiddle
  • WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship(1 time) – withBray WyattandLuke Harper
  • Money in the Bank(2013)
  • Royal Rumble(2009,2017)
  • 17th Triple Crown Champion
  • 10th Grand Slam Champion(under current format;18th overall)
  • Slammy Award(2 times)
    • Hashtag of the Year (2014) –#RKOOuttaNowhere
    • Rivalry of the Year (2020)vs. Edge
  • WWE Year-End Awardfor Shocking Moment of the Year (2018) –TearingJeff Hardy's ear
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter
  • Most Improved(2004)
  • Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic(2006)Exploiting the death ofEddie Guerrero( "Eddie's down there... in Hell!" promo)
  • Most Overrated(2013)
  • Worst Feud of the Year(2013) –as member of The Authority vs. Big Show
  • Worst Feud of the Year(2017)vs.Bray Wyatt
  • Worst Feud of the Year (2021)vs. "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt andAlexa Bliss
  • Worst Worked Match of the Year(2017)vs.Bray WyattatWrestleMania 33

Further reading

• James Guttman (2006).World Wrestling Insanity: The Decline and Fall of a Family Empire.Toronto. p. 235.ISBN1-55022-728-9.
• "2007 Wrestling Almanac & Book of Facts".Wrestling's Historical Cards.Kappa Publishing. 2007.

External links

• Randy OrtononWWE.com
• Randy Orton's profile atCagematch.net,Wrestlingdata.com,Internet Wrestling Database
• Randy OrtononX
• Randy OrtonatIMDb