Randy Orton

**Randal Keith Orton** (born April 1, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and actor.

## Background

### WrestleMania 21 (2005)

The feud first started on the March 7 edition of *Raw* when Orton challenged Undertaker to a match at WrestleMania billed as "*Legend vs. Legend Killer*" match. Orton had been inspired by WWE Hall of Fame member, Superstar Billy Graham, who encouraged him to "go where no wrestler has gone before". Three days later on *SmackDown*, Undertaker accepted Orton's challenge.

On the March 14 episode of *Raw*, during Chris Jericho's "Highlight Reel" segment, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, attempted to give Orton advice about his match with Undertaker at WrestleMania, but received an RKO by Orton when Orton wasn't cooperating. On March 17, a contract signing for the match was scheduled to take place, and was attended by the SmackDown General Manager, Theodore Long, and Raw General Manager, Eric Bischoff. The Undertaker immediately signed the contract; however, before Orton signed the contract, he cut a promo on the Undertaker, stating that he has nothing but respect for him and then claimed that the legend of the Undertaker will become a myth when his 12–0 undefeated streak at WrestleMania, would soon be 12–1. Afterwords, he then slapped the Undertaker. Orton fled the ring after the Undertaker began to fill the arena with smoke, and didn't sign the contract.

The next week on *Raw*, Orton claimed that his confidence was at an all-time high, despite what happened on *SmackDown* the week before. Shortly thereafter, Orton turned into a villain and furthered his *Legend Killer* gimmick by performing an RKO on Stacy Keibler, who was his girlfriend at the time. Orton taunted the Undertaker for the next couple weeks, but the Undertaker responded with taunts of his own, as he attacked other superstars. On the final SmackDown! before WrestleMania, Orton's father, "Cowboy" Bob Orton, begged the Undertaker to have mercy on Orton. It ultimately proved to be a set-up, however, as Orton attacked the Undertaker and performed an RKO on him just to show an example of what could happen at WrestleMania when he faces the Undertaker.

## In wrestling

* **Finishing moves**
	+ Full nelson slam – OVW; used as a signature in WWE thereafter
	+ *O-Zone* (Overdrive)
	+ *RKO* (Jumping cutter, sometimes used at an elevated position or as a sudden counter to an opponent, with theatrics) – 2003–present

* **Signature moves**
	+ Corner clothesline
	+ Diving crossbody
	+ Dropkick
	+ Elevated DDT, most often performed on a wrestler hanging from the middle rope
	+ European uppercut
	+ Gutwrench elevated neckbreaker
	+ Inverted headlock backbreaker
	+ Leaping knee drop
	+ Lou Thesz press followed by mounted punches
	+ Multiple suplex variations
		- Belly-to-back, sometimes onto the barricade
		- Exploder
		- Side belly-to-belly
		- Slingshot
		- Super – adopted from his father
	+ Olympic slam
	+ Snap scoop powerslam
	+ Swinging neckbreaker
* **With Batista**
	+ **Double team finishing moves**
		- *Batista Bomb* (Batista) into an inverted *RKO* (Orton) combination
* **Managers**
	+ Bob Orton
	+ Lita
	+ Ric Flair
	+ Stacy Keibler

## Championships and accomplishments

* **World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE**
	+ World Heavyweight Championship (4 times)
	+ World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Edge
	+ WWE Championship (9 times)
	+ WWE Intercontinental Championship (1 time)
	+ WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper
	+ Money in the Bank (2013)
	+ Royal Rumble (2009, 2017)
	+ Seventeenth Triple Crown Champion
	+ Slammy Award for Hashtag of the Year (2014) – #RKOOuttaNowhere