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{{Infobox Wrestler
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**[[Professional wrestling aerial attacks#Crossbody|Diving crossbody]]
**[[Professional wrestling aerial attacks#Crossbody|Diving crossbody]]
**[[Boston crab|Elevated Boston crab]]
**[[Boston crab|Elevated Boston crab]]
**[[DDT (professional wrestling)#Elevated DDT|Elevated DDT]]
**[[DDT (professional wrestling)#Elevated DDT|Elevated DDT]] from the second rope
**[[Professional wrestling attacks#European uppercut|European uppercut]]
**[[Professional wrestling attacks#European uppercut|European uppercut]]
**[[Neckbreaker#Gutwrench elevated neckbreaker|Gutwrench elevated neckbreaker]]
**[[Neckbreaker#Gutwrench elevated neckbreaker|Gutwrench elevated neckbreaker]]
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**[[Dropkick|Standing dropkick]]
**[[Dropkick|Standing dropkick]]
**[[Professional wrestling holds#Chinlock|Wrenching chinlock]]
**[[Professional wrestling holds#Chinlock|Wrenching chinlock]]
**[[Kick in the head]] (He started using this as a storyline move against Shawn Michaels, Rob Van Dam and Tommy Dreamer.)


*'''Managers'''
*'''Managers'''

Revision as of 13:21, 31 May 2007

Randy Orton
File:RandyOrton-05.jpg
Born (1980-04-01) April 1, 1980 (age 44)
United States Knoxville, Tennessee
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Randy Orton
Billed height6 ft 5 in (196 cm)
Billed weight245 lb (111 kg)
Billed fromSt. Louis, Missouri
Trained by"Cowboy" Bob Orton
South Broadway Athletic Club
Ohio Valley Wrestling
Debut2000

Randal "Randy" Keith Orton[1] (born on April 1 1980), nicknamed The Legend Killer, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment wrestling on its RAW brand. Orton is a third-generation professional wrestler; his grandfather, Bob Orton, Sr., father, "Cowboy" Bob Orton, and uncle, Barry O, were all professional wrestlers.

Career

Orton made his professional wrestling debut in 2000 with the MMWA-SICW in St. Louis, Missouri. There he was trained by such wrestlers there as Ron Powers, Gary Jackson, Mark Bland, Jeremy Lightfoot, Phil E. Blunt and promoter Tony Costa as well as his father, Cowboy Bob Orton. This is an organization that was an off-shoot of the old Wrestling at the Chase headed by Sam Munchnick between 1950-1983. Randy Orton then had a match with another St. Louis group, Central Championship Wrestling, with O.G. Stevie B.

World Wrestling Entertainment

Before long, Orton signed a developmental deal with WWE and was sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling in Louisville. His earliest appearance on WWE television was in a match against Billy Gunn, on the May 6 2001 edition of Sunday Night Heat.

2002-2003

Orton debuted on WWE programming on the April 25, 2002, episode of SmackDown!, defeating Hardcore Holly[2]. He made little impact as a face on SmackDown! and although he almost defeated Undertaker for the WWE Undisputed Championship[3], he was then drafted to RAW. In Orton's debut match for 'RAW' after being introduced by Jim Ross, he defeated Steven Richards[4].

Orton then began a heel turn but this was drawn out over several months. While sidelined with a separated shoulder, Orton launched the Randy News Network, a weekly vignette which featured Orton explaining the current status of his shoulder. He also provided an e-mail address by which fans could contact him to express their support. His smug, self-centered attitude, coupled with the fact that the RNN usually interrupted important interviews or interesting segments, gradually turned the fans against him.

Upon his return on January 20 2003, Orton helped Triple H, Ric Flair and Batista beat down Scott Steiner, a rival of Triple H's[5]. Triple H later called the foursome Evolution. The stable was briefly disbanded shortly thereafter when both Orton and Batista were sidelined with injuries, but reconvened in May 2003[6]. At this point Orton was given the gimmick of "The Legend Killer" which saw him defeat or humiliate numerous "legendary" wrestlers and celebrities. Orton gained infamy when he spat in the face of wrestling legend Harley Race[7]. It is during this time that he began using what would become his signature finisher, the "RKO" which was taken from his initials.

This was also the year in which Orton would begin to get involved in high profile matches. At SummerSlam 2003, he would compete in the Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship against stablemate and defending champion Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Bill Goldberg, Chris Jericho, and Kevin Nash. Orton held his own in the match, though he basically was in it to help Triple H keep the title[8]. At Unforgiven 2003 on September 21, Orton defeated Shawn Michaels in what would be the first of many a high profile match billed as "Legend vs. Legend Killer", with the help of his stablemate and mentor Ric Flair[9]. Orton went on to defeat Rob Van Dam for the WWE Intercontinental Championship at Armageddon 2003 on December 14[10]. Two significant things about this night were that all the male-owned titles on Raw were in Evolution's grasp, and that this reign with the Intercontinental Title he became the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion in the past seven years, holding the title for seven months.

2004-2005

File:Randy-ic-champion.jpg
Randy Orton as the Intercontinental Champion

Randy started the year 2004 off by feuding with Mick Foley, which began when Orton challenged Foley to a match in December 2003 in which Foley walked out[11]. Soon after, Orton began showing several vignettes in which Foley was labeled as a coward. Foley returned to team up with The Rock against Orton, Ric Flair and Batista at WrestleMania XX in a handicap match which saw Orton pin Foley[12]. The two men met a month later at Backlash in a hardcore rules match, which Orton also won[13].

In July, at Vengeance 2004, Edge defeated Orton to win the Intercontinental Championship, ending Orton's seven month reign as champion[14].

On the July 26 2004, episode of RAW, Orton won a twenty-man battle royal last eliminating Chris Jericho to become the number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship[15]. On August 15 at SummerSlam 2004, Orton defeated the World Heavyweight Champion Chris Benoit by pinfall to capture his first World Heavyweight Championship, making him the youngest ever World Heavyweight Champion in the WWE at the age of twenty-four. After the match, Orton and Benoit shook hands with Benoit encouraging Orton to "be a man"[16].

After successfully defending the belt against Benoit on RAW the next night, Orton and Evolution celebrated the win. During the celebration, Batista had Orton on his shoulders and Triple H gave him a thumbs-up; which then turned into a thumbs down. Orton was then brutalized by Batista, Flair, and Triple H[17]. He was thrown out of Evolution the next week on RAW after he refused to hand his World Heavyweight Championship over to Triple H when requested, instead spitting on Triple H and striking him in the face with the belt and became a face as a result of this[18]. He feuded with Triple H over the World Heavyweight Championship for a month before losing to Triple H on September 12 at Unforgiven 2004[19].

Orton continued to feud with his former stablemates. On September 13, during Triple H's celebration of his newly obtained title, Randy Orton jumped out of a cake and dominated Evolution, leaving Triple H humiliated and covered in cake[20]. After he was scheduled to take part in a match in late October that would see him prohibited from challenging Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship if he lost, Orton had an added incentive to see Triple H lose the title[21].

Orton, along with Maven, Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit, emerged victorious at Survivor Series 2004 in a match which entitled the winners to each be General Manager for one of the four weeks following the event[22]. On the November 29, 2004, episode of RAW, Orton booked a battle royal for the World Heavyweight Championship in the belief that this would ensure that Triple H lost the title. However, Vince McMahon overruled Orton, changing the battle royal to a number one contender match.

After the World Heavyweight Championship was vacated on December 13[23], Orton was chosen to face Triple H, Chris Benoit, Edge, Batista and Chris Jericho in an Elimination Chamber match at New Year's Revolution 2005 on January 9 to determine a new champion. Triple H pinned Orton to win the match.[24].

After defeating Batista the next night on Raw in a #1 Contenders match[25], Orton was unsuccessful in his attempt to win back the World Heavyweight Championship from Triple H at the 2005 Royal Rumble on January 30[26]. After Batista's push began, Orton was marginalized. He began an onscreen relationship with Stacy Keibler and briefly feuded with Christian. After "Superstar" Billy Graham advised Orton to "go where no wrestler has gone before"[27], Orton challenged veteran SmackDown! wrestler The Undertaker to a match at WrestleMania 21, making the ambitious claim that he would defeat The Undertaker, thus ending Undertaker's undefeated WrestleMania streak[28].

This feud saw Orton hitting the RKO on Jake Roberts, who had warned him about facing The Undertaker[29]. Only two weeks before WrestleMania, Orton cemented his heel status by knocking Stacy Keibler out with the RKO; ending their on-screen angle. He went on to slap The Undertaker and assault him following a distraction by his father, Cowboy Bob Orton. Despite interference from his father, Orton was defeated by The Undertaker at WrestleMania 21.

In storyline terms, a match with Batista on the night following WrestleMania aggravated Orton's shoulder problems stemming from the previous night (in actuality he was sidelined for several months while recuperating from his third genuine shoulder injury). While injured, Orton appeared on the May 16 2005, episode of RAW, declaring his intention to gain revenge on Batista by defeating him for the World Heavyweight Championship. Orton claimed that he could not be drafted to SmackDown! as a result of his injury, but was informed by Vince McMahon that he was in fact an eligible candidate for the draft.

Orton returned to WWE television on the June 16, 2005 episode of SmackDown!, attacking The Undertaker and announcing that he was the second SmackDown! pick in the 2005 draft lottery. He made his in-ring return on August 11 2005, fighting Kamala to a draw. Orton went on to defeat The Undertaker at SummerSlam following a distraction from his father, the returning Cowboy Bob Orton, who was disguised as a fan. After SummerSlam, an overconfident Orton announced on the first episode of Friday Night SmackDown! that he was opening a retirement fund for The Undertaker. However, The Undertaker made his return by setting the over sized check ablaze with a mysterious bolt of lightning. Orton began to become a full heel as fans started to dislike him as Bob Orton, Jr. began to help him win more matches, as it looked as if Orton were to lose matches against opponents like Hardcore Holly and Rey Mysterio.

After losing to The Undertaker on an episode of SmackDown!, Orton and The Undertaker began taunting each other using caskets. This led to Orton and his father facing The Undertaker in a handicap casket match at No Mercy 2005. The Ortons defeated The Undertaker after Bob Orton blinded The Undertaker with foam from a fire extinguisher, enabling his son to strike him with a chair. After sealing The Undertaker in the casket, Orton set the casket on fire and struck it with an axe.

At Survivor Series, Orton took Eddie Guerrero's place on "Team SmackDown!". Orton became the sole survivor of his team for a third time, pinning HBK to win the match for "Team SmackDown!". As Orton celebrated following the match, The Undertaker made his return, chasing Orton from the ring and indiscriminately attacking several other members of the SmackDown! roster.

On a special live episode of SmackDown! on November 29, 2005, Orton placed The Undertaker on the trunk of one of Eddie Guerrero's lowriders and reversed the car through the SmackDown! stage, setting it on fire and the car to "explode". The Undertaker retorted by playing mind games with Orton over the next several weeks, leading to a Hell in a Cell match between the two being scheduled for Armageddon 2005. On December 16 2005 Orton lured The Undertaker to the ring by declaring his "retirement". When The Undertaker entered the ring, one of the druids who typically accompanied him to the ring remained at ringside. The Undertaker was distracted as a result, enabling Orton to attack him and deliver an RKO. The "druid" then revealed himself to be Bob Orton, and gave Orton The Undertaker's signature urn to strike him with. At Armageddon 2005, The Undertaker defeated Orton in a Hell in a Cell match after delivering the Tombstone Piledriver to both Orton and his father, finally ending their nine-month-long feud.

2006

File:Rated-rko-2007.jpg
Rated-RKO

Two weeks after Armageddon, Orton agreed to represent an injured Booker T in the fifth match of his "best of seven" series with Chris Benoit over the WWE United States Championship. As Booker T had won three of the matches already fought, Orton only needed to beat Benoit once to win the series for Booker. Orton lost to Benoit following botched interference from Booker T's wife Sharmell. He faced Benoit the following week, but lost once again after Orlando Jordan interfered on Benoit's behalf. On the January 13, 2006, episode of SmackDown!, Orton defeated Benoit, thus winning the United States Championship for Booker T and finishing the series four-three. The following week saw him face Orlando Jordan in a match because Orlando had interfered with Booker and Sharmell's celebration by attacking him in the middle of the ring. Orton won the match by a distraction from Booker and Sharmell which allowed him to hit the RKO for the win. The following week, Orton lost to Benoit in a no holds barred match.

Orton took part in the 2006 Royal Rumble match on January 29 2006. Despite entering at number thirty, Orton was eliminated by the second entrant, Rey Mysterio. On the following SmackDown!, Orton challenged Mysterio to put his title shot on the line at No Way Out 2006, with Mysterio accepting his challenge. In the weeks preceding No Way Out, Orton made several controversial remarks about Eddie Guerrero. At No Way Out, Orton defeated Mysterio, earning himself a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 22. However, on the following episode of SmackDown!, General Manager Theodore Long readded Mysterio to the match, turning it into a triple threat match between Orton, Mysterio and World Heavyweight Champion Kurt Angle. Orton protested the decision but was told by Long to accept it or lose his own shot at the title. On April 2, 2006, at WrestleMania 22, Angle lost his title after Orton was pinned by Mysterio.

On April 4 2006, WWE stated that Orton was suspended for sixty days for "unprofessional conduct", On April 7, 2006, in an interview with WWE.com, Orton stated, "my conduct was unbecoming of a champion, which is what I will be again when I return".[30] On April 12 2006, WWE stated that Orton had suffered a broken ankle at the hands of Kurt Angle during the previous night's SmackDown! taping, shortly after losing to Angle in a King of the Ring first round match. In July 2006, Orton claimed that he had been suspended for smoking marijuana backstage at a SmackDown! taping. While suspended, Orton spent four weeks at an anger management clinic in Atlanta, Georgia.[31]

Orton returned from his suspension on the June 5 2006, episode of RAW, attacking Kurt Angle and accepting Angle's open challenge for a match at One Night Stand. Four days before the show, at WWE vs. ECW Head to Head, Orton announced that his contract with SmackDown! had expired, and that he was once again a member of the RAW roster. Orton went on to lose to Angle at One Night Stand, but would win in a rematch at Vengeance.

Throughout July 2006, Orton would involve himself in a feud with WWE Legend Hulk Hogan by flirting with Hogan's 18 year old daughter Brooke. This feud would culminate in a match at SummerSlam 2006 which would see Hogan victorious.

After the suspension had been lifted in October, Orton joined with Edge to feud with DX (Shawn Michaels and Triple H), dubbing themselves Rated-RKO. Rated-RKO would go on the become the first team to defeat DX in a match since their reformation before going on to win the World Tag Team Championships from Ric Flair and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper.

2007

File:Randy-orton-pose-backlash.jpg
Orton performing his signature pose

In 2007, Rated-RKO continued their feud with DX while attacking Ric Flair (a friend of DX), using the attacks on Flair as emotional leverage to enrage DX. This resulted in a match at New Years Revolution on January 7 where Rated-RKO's World Tag Team titles were on the line. The match was declared a No-Contest, and Triple H suffered a legit right quadriceps injury during the match.

With Triple H out of action, Rated-RKO continued to feud with remaining DX member Shawn Michaels. On January 29 2007, Rated-RKO lost the World Tag Team Championships to Shawn Michaels and WWE Champion John Cena. Seeds of a split between Rated-RKO began forming over the next several months while they were feuding with Michaels and Cena. Orton competed at Backlash for the WWE title, but lost when Michaels superkicked John Cena and Cena landed on Orton for the inadvertent pin.

At Judgment Day 2007 a wounded and concussed Shawn Michaels collapsed in the ring during the match. Due to the collapse, the referee was forced to stop the match and award the victory to Orton. Michaels was then taken out of the arena on a stretcher and was joined by his wife in the ring. Orton then began to feud with ECW's Rob Van Dam, during a match between the two on RAW, Orton would concuss Van Dam in a similar fashion as he did to Michaels, including using an RKO.

Wrestling facts

  • Finishing and signature moves
File:Finisher-rko.jpg
Randy Orton hitting the RKO on Shawn Michaels

Championships and accomplishments

File:Rko-worldchamp.jpg
Orton as the youngest World Heavyweight Champion

Personal life

Orton graduated from Hazlewood Central Highschool in 1998, found in the Hazlewood School district of Missouri. Before becoming a wrestler, Orton enlisted with the United States Marine Corps. Orton was dishonorably discharged about a year later after going AWOL on two separate occasions, and disobeying an order from a commanding officer. Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, Private First Class Orton was tried and convicted under a special court-martial, and was put into a military prison for thirty eight days. As this was before a change of law in 2002, Orton did not become a felon as a result.

While on RAW, Orton was accused of harassing fellow WWE employees Amy Weber and Rochelle Loewen, leading to the departure of Weber from the company, while Loewen was transferred to SmackDown! (she was later released). Loewen (who has called Orton "an animal") claimed that he vandalized her possessions and subjected her to harrassment.[32] However, it should be noted that Orton's friend Mark Jindrak refuted several of Loewen's accusations in an interview with Voice of Wrestling, and claimed that Orton had apologized to Loewen at the time of the 2005 Royal Rumble, and that fellow Diva Search contestant (and eventual winner) Christy Hemme denied what she knew of the allegations in an interview with The Sun.[33]

Orton suffers from hypermobile shoulders.[34] This has contributed to several shoulder injuries.

In November 2005, Orton announced his engagement to his girlfriend, Samantha Speno.[35]. They married in the fall of 2006.[36]

Orton has got a tattoo of his wife's name 'Samantha' on his right arm. He also has designed signature tattoos on his wrists, upper biceps and on his upper back finishing his shoulders.[37]

Orton who is the oldest, has two siblings: His sister Becky and his brother Nathan.

Orton's three favorite matches are: Shawn Michaels vs Bret Hart - WrestleMania XII - Iron Man Match, Shawn Michaels vs Razor Ramon - WrestleMania X - Ladder Match and Randy Orton vs Mick Foley - Backlash - Hardcore Rules Match. [38]

On March 19 2007, Sports Illustrated posted on its website an article in its continuing series investigating a steroid and HGH ring used by a number of professional athletes in several sports. That article mentioned several current and former WWE wrestlers, including Orton who was alleged to have obtained clomiphene citrate and the steroids stanozolol, nandrolone, anastrozole, oxandrolone, and testosterone.[39] WWE has since made a statement on this situation, mentioning that the allegations preceded the Talent Wellness program WWE launched in February 2006.[40]

References

  1. ^ Name search engine
  2. ^ RAW - SmackDown - 25th April 2002 Results
  3. ^ SmackDown - 30th May 2002 Results
  4. ^ RAW - 23rd September 2002 Results
  5. ^ RAW - 20th January 2003 Results
  6. ^ RAW - 26th May 2003 Results
  7. ^ RAW - 26th April 2004 Results
  8. ^ SummerSlam 2003 Results
  9. ^ Unforgiven 2003 Results
  10. ^ Armageddon 2003 Results
  11. ^ RAW - 15th December 2003 Results
  12. ^ WrestleMania XX Results
  13. ^ Backlash 2004 Results
  14. ^ Vengeance 2004 Results
  15. ^ RAW - 26th July 2004 Results
  16. ^ SummerSlam 2004 Results
  17. ^ RAW - 16th August 2004 Results
  18. ^ RAW - 23rd August 2004 Results
  19. ^ Unforgiven 2004 Results
  20. ^ RAW - 13th September 2004 Results
  21. ^ RAW - 25th October 2004 Results
  22. ^ Survivor Series 2004 Results
  23. ^ RAW - 13th December 2004 Results
  24. ^ New Year's Revolution 2005 Results
  25. ^ RAW - 10th January 2005 Results
  26. ^ Royal Rumble 2005 Results
  27. ^ RAW - February 28 2005 Results
  28. ^ RAW - 7th March 2005 Results
  29. ^ RAW - 14th March 2005 Results
  30. ^ Brown, Timothy "Randy Orton Speaks Out On His Suspension"
  31. ^ Randy Orton Reveals The Reason Behind Suspension
  32. ^ WWE Diva Rochelle Loewen talks about hazing from Randy Orton, claims he hated her
  33. ^ Rothstein, Simon."Hemme is Christy clear", The Sun.
  34. ^ An interview with Randy Orton, conducted by Silvervision
  35. ^ Randy Orton Interview
  36. ^ St louis Post article
  37. ^ Randy Orton Picture
  38. ^ Randy Orton's three favorite matches
  39. ^ "Wrestlers allegedly tied to drug ring". Retrieved March 22. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  40. ^ "A Statement From World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc". Retrieved March 22. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
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