Early Life and Background
Randy Orton was born on April 1, 1980 in Knoxville, Tennessee. He comes from a storied wrestling family as his grandfather Bob Orton Sr., father “Cowboy” Bob Orton, and uncle Barry O were all professional wrestlers.
From an early age, Orton was interested in following the family tradition and becoming a pro wrestler himself. As a child, he would often accompany his father to wrestling events and absorbed the world of sports entertainment.
Orton’s early interests included wrestling, obviously, but also other sports like football and amateur wrestling. He was an athletic youth and earned All-State honors as a linebacker in high school. Outside of sports, Orton enjoyed listening to music and playing video games in his spare time.
Professional Wrestling Career – Training and Early Days
Randy Orton began his professional wrestling training at a very young age under the tutelage of his father, WWE Hall of Famer “Cowboy” Bob Orton. Growing up in a wrestling family, Orton learned fundamentals and skills from his father as well as other wrestling veterans.
Orton made his professional debut in 2000 at the age of 20, wrestling for Mid-Missouri Wrestling Association-Southern Illinois Conference Wrestling under the ring name The Invader. He would go on to wrestle for promotions like Hardcore Wrestling Federation and Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling while developing his in-ring skills.
Orton signed a developmental contract with WWE in 2001 and was sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling to continue his training. There he competed under the ring name Randy Orton, developing the “Legend Killer” persona that would bring him mainstream popularity. Orton wrestled the likes of Rico Constantino and The Prototype (John Cena) in OVW and impressed WWE officials, earning a spot on the main roster in 2002.
Orton made his WWE television debut in April 2002 and was involved in storylines with several established wrestlers like Hardcore Holly and Tommy Dreamer early on. This allowed him to learn from veterans and helped cement his cocky “Legend Killer” character leading up to Evolution.
Evolution and First World Championship
Randy Orton joined Evolution, a dominant and infamous faction led by Triple H, in 2003. This association with top stars helped establish Orton as a rising talent in WWE. He was involved in memorable feuds and storylines as part of Evolution.
One of Orton’s first major feuds during this period was against Mick Foley. At Backlash in 2004, Orton defeated Foley in a hardcore match. This was an important moment in Orton’s early career as it showcased his skills against a WWE legend. Orton continued to gain momentum with Evolution’s backing.
Later that year, Orton won his first World Heavyweight Championship after defeating Chris Benoit at SummerSlam 2004. At just 24 years old, he was the youngest world champion in WWE history. Orton’s title win demonstrated that WWE saw great potential in him as a future headliner. However, his time as champion was short-lived, as Triple H betrayed him to take the title. This kicked off a memorable rivalry between Orton and his former Evolution mentor.
The Legend Killer
Randy Orton adopted his infamous “Legend Killer” persona in 2003, which involved him disrespecting and challenging wrestling veterans and legends. He cemented this gimmick by defeating several established names in the business.
At SummerSlam 2003, Orton defeated WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels. This was an important victory for Orton’s career as it established him as a rising star capable of beating some of the all-time greats.
Over the next couple of years, Orton continued targeting legends and mocking their accomplishments. He defeated hardcore icon Mick Foley in a bloody hardcore match at Backlash 2004. Orton’s disrespectful antics such as spitting in the face of Harley Race angered fans and generated immense heel heat.
One of Orton’s most memorable rivalries was with The Undertaker in 2005. At WrestleMania 21, the brash, young Orton claimed he would end The Undertaker’s undefeated WrestleMania streak. However, The Undertaker emerged victorious in the end.
Orton also feuded with other legends like Hulk Hogan and “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair during this time. His feuds and victories over these respected veterans cemented his “Legend Killer” moniker and elevated him to main-event status in WWE.
Legacy Faction and Championships
In 2008, Randy Orton formed the Legacy faction alongside Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr. This alliance helped cement Orton as one of the top stars in WWE.
Orton won the 2009 Royal Rumble match, earning himself a title opportunity at WrestleMania 25 against Triple H. At WrestleMania, Orton lost the match. However, he regained the WWE Championship in a six-man tag team match at Backlash.
Over the next few months, Orton defended the WWE Championship against Triple H, Batista, and John Cena. He held the title until October 2009 when he lost it to John Cena in an Iron Man match at Bragging Rights.
In 2010, Orton won the Royal Rumble match for the second year in a row, setting up another WWE Championship opportunity at WrestleMania. At the event, Orton defeated Cena and Batista in a triple-threat match to capture his sixth WWE Championship.
During his time with Legacy, Orton cemented himself as a top star in WWE with multiple WWE Championship reigns. His alliance with Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr. helped establish him as a powerful force within the company.
Feuds and Rivalries
Throughout his career, Randy Orton has had many intense feuds and rivalries with top WWE superstars that have captivated fans. Some of his most notable feuds include:
John Cena
Orton and Cena have had one of WWE’s most storied rivalries, facing each other countless times over their careers. They feuded when Orton was part of Evolution and Cena was rising as a young star. Their rivalry intensified when Cena became WWE Champion, leading to memorable matches at SummerSlam 2007, Unforgiven 2007, and others. Their feud continued on and off for years, including matches at Hell in a Cell 2014 and Royal Rumble 2015.
Triple H
As part of Evolution, Orton initially had Triple H’s backing. But after winning the World Heavyweight Championship in 2004, Triple H turned on Orton out of jealousy. This kicked off an intense feud, culminating in Orton defeating Triple H at Unforgiven 2004 to become the youngest World Champion. Their feud reignited in 2009, including Orton assaulting Triple H’s wife Stephanie McMahon. They had brutal matches at WrestleMania 25, Backlash 2009, and The Bash 2009.
The Shield
In 2013, Orton aligned with Triple H and The Authority against The Shield faction of Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose. This led to numerous matches between Orton and The Shield members, including a clean sweep for The Shield at WrestleMania 30. Orton defeated Rollins for the WWE Championship at Money in the Bank 2016. And at WrestleMania 36, Orton faced off against Edge who had reunited with Rollins.
Undertaker
Orton’s feud with the legendary Undertaker led to notable matches at WrestleManias 21 and 22, where The Undertaker emerged victorious both times. But Orton got his revenge in 2005, defeating Undertaker in a casket match. Their feud reignited in 2005 leading to a Hell in a Cell match that Undertaker won.
Christian
Former tag team partners Orton and Christian engaged in a bitter feud in 2011 over the World Heavyweight Championship. This included memorable matches at Over the Limit 2011, Capitol Punishment 2011, Money in the Bank 2011, and SummerSlam 2011. Their feud got intensely personal, involving Orton’s punt kick concussing Christian.
Brock Lesnar
In 2016, Orton challenged Lesnar for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam, starting a heated feud. They had a brutal match with lots of blood. Although Lesnar won, Orton delivered a surprise RKO leaving both men battered and bruised. Lesnar would get revenge by attacking Orton after a match in early 2017.
Orton’s career has been defined by these intense feuds and rivalries with top stars that brought out his vicious in-ring style and personality. His feuds have created unforgettable moments and matches over his long career.
The Viper – Current Persona
Randy Orton adopted his current persona as “The Viper” in 2007 after splitting from Evolution. This persona was characterized by Orton’s more calculating and sinister demeanor.
Orton would often slither and coil like a snake around the ring and attack opponents with swift and sudden strikes like a viper. His finishing moves also aligned with the snake persona, including the RKO (Randy Orton Knockout) which could strike from nowhere.
As the Viper, Orton has played both heel and face alignments over the years. Major storylines have included:
- Feuding with Triple H and the McMahon-Helmsley faction in 2009. Orton won the Royal Rumble but lost to Triple H at WrestleMania 25.
- Joined The Legacy faction with Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr. and engaged in rivalries with Triple H, Batista, John Cena, and others.
- A rivalry with Christian in 2011 over the World Heavyweight Championship. This feud became known for intense matches and controversies.
- Alliances and feuds with The Wyatt Family, Kane, Seth Rollins, and other top stars from 2013-2016.
- Joining The Authority and becoming WWE World Heavyweight Champion again in 2016.
- Feuding with Brock Lesnar over the WWE Championship in 2016-2017. Their match at SummerSlam 2016 ended with a TKO victory for Lesnar.
- A heated rivalry with Jeff Hardy upon Hardy’s WWE return in 2017-2018.
Orton continues to be a major heel character on WWE programming today. His “Viper” persona has cemented him as one of the most cunning and dangerous superstars of his generation.
Notable Accomplishments and Championships
Randy Orton is one of the most decorated wrestlers in WWE history. He has held a total of 13 World Championship titles, including 9 WWE Championships and 4 World Heavyweight Championships.
Orton won his first World Championship at the young age of 24, making him the youngest World Champion in WWE history at the time. He went on to become the 17th WWE Triple Crown Champion and the 16th WWE Grand Slam Champion.
Some of Orton’s other major accomplishments include:
- Winning the Royal Rumble match in 2009 and 2017
- Headlining multiple WrestleManias
- Winning the 2013 Money in the Bank ladder match
- Being ranked 1 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2008
- Having the 7th most combined days as WWE Champion
Orton has held numerous other championships in WWE, including the Intercontinental Championship, the United States Championship, and the World Tag Team Championship. He is tied for the most reigns as Intercontinental Champion in WWE history with 7.
Overall, Orton’s impact and longevity at the top of WWE for nearly two decades cements his status as an all-time great. His 13 World Championship reigns put him behind only John Cena and Ric Flair for the most in company history. Orton continues to be a major star and draw in WWE today.
Personal Life
Randy Orton was married to his first wife Samantha Speno from 2007 to 2013. The couple have a daughter together named Alanna Marie Orton, who was born in 2008.
In 2015, Orton married Kimberly Kessler and they have a daughter named Brooklyn Rose Orton, born in 2016, and two sons named Cash and Ace.
Orton has also faced criticism at various times for his anger issues and bullying of fellow wrestlers. There were reports of Orton defecating in wrestlers’ bags and trashing hotel rooms during his early career. He was accused of harassing fellow wrestler Kofi Kingston with racial slurs and bullying rookie wrestlers. Orton has admitted to being immature and irresponsible during the early stages of his career. Visit our Website TimeSpeed Magazine.
Legacy and Impact
Randy Orton is considered one of the greatest heels (villains) in wrestling history. His persona as “The Legend Killer” and his evolution into “The Viper” has made him one of WWE’s top stars for over 15 years.
Orton is a 13-time world champion and has headlined multiple WrestleMania. His feuds with legends like The Undertaker, Triple H, John Cena, and others have produced some of WWE’s most memorable matches and storylines.
Orton’s heel mannerisms like his slow psychotic behavior and his signature pose of lowering to the mat and pounding his fists are among the most recognizable in wrestling. His RKO finishing maneuver is one of the most popular finishers with fans.
Orton’s longevity and consistency at the top of WWE for over a decade and a half has cemented his legacy as an all-time great. His influence is seen in many current wrestlers who emulate his calculated and menacing in-ring style. Orton remains active today and continues to be one of WWE’s biggest stars and greatest villains. His impact on the wrestling industry will be felt for generations to come.
