Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Randy Orton
How Randy Orton built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Randal Keith Orton, known as Randy Orton, is a highly acclaimed American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE's SmackDown brand. Widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time, he boasts a career spanning over two decades. Notably, Orton holds the tied-third most world championship reigns in WWE history, highlighting his sustained success and dominance in the wrestling world.
2000: Wrestling Debut
In 2000, Randy Orton made his wrestling debut at the Mid-Missouri Wrestling Association-Southern Illinois Conference Wrestling (MMWA-SICW) in St. Louis, Missouri.
2000: Signing with WWF and joining OVW
In 2000, Randy Orton signed a deal with the then World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and was sent to its developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) in Louisville, Kentucky, to continue his training.
2000: Signing with WWE
In 2000, Randy Orton signed with WWE and began his professional wrestling career.
February 14, 2001: OVW Hardcore Championship Win
On February 14, 2001, Randy Orton defeated Mr. Black to win the OVW Hardcore Championship.
May 1, 2001: WWF House Show Appearance
On May 1, 2001, Randy Orton made his first appearance at a WWF house show, facing Billy Gunn, and was defeated.
May 5, 2001: Second OVW Hardcore Championship Win
On May 5, 2001, Randy Orton defeated Flash Flanagan to win the OVW Hardcore Championship for a second time.
March 16, 2002: WrestleMania X8 Fan Axxess Appearance
On March 16, 2002, Randy Orton made one of his first official WWF appearances at WrestleMania X8's Fan Axxess, where he was defeated by Tommy Dreamer.
April 25, 2002: Televised WWF Match Debut
On April 25, 2002, Randy Orton's first televised WWF match was a victory against Hardcore Holly on SmackDown!.
September 2002: Trade to Raw and Injury
In September 2002, Randy Orton was traded to the Raw brand, where he defeated Stevie Richards. Shortly after, he suffered a shoulder injury, sidelining him for months. During recovery, he appeared in Randy News Network (RNN) segments.
2002: Main Roster Debut
In 2002, Randy Orton debuted on the main roster of WWE and soon joined the Evolution stable.
2002: OVW Class of 2002
In 2002, Randy Orton's promotion to the main roster made him a member of OVW's legendary Class of 2002.
May 2003: Return to Evolution
On May 26, 2003, Randy Orton returned as a masked man and rejoined the Evolution stable.
2004: Evolution's Dominance
From 2003 to 2004, Randy Orton was a member of the Evolution stable, which dominated Raw, holding all of the men's titles after Armageddon in 2003.
2004: Appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
In 2004, Randy Orton appeared on the talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! to promote Taboo Tuesday.
2004: Championship reign ended by Triple H
In 2004, Randy Orton's championship reign was ended by Triple H. This event later contributed to Orton's alliance with Edge to defeat Triple H and Shawn Michaels.
2004: "Legend Killer" Gimmick and Intercontinental Championship
Throughout 2004, Randy Orton adopted the "Legend Killer" gimmick, feuded with wrestling legends, and won the Intercontinental Championship from Rob Van Dam at Armageddon, holding it for 210 days. He defeated Mick Foley at Backlash in a hardcore match, which he named as the favourite of his career, also noticing it was the match where he earned the respect of the fans. On July 11 at Vengeance, he lost the title to Edge.
January 9, 2005: Elimination Chamber match
On January 9, 2005, Randy Orton participated in an Elimination Chamber match for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship at New Year's Revolution, where he was the last man eliminated by Triple H.
February 2005: On-screen relationship with Stacy Keibler
In February 2005, Randy Orton began an on-screen relationship with Stacy Keibler and briefly feuded with Christian. Superstar Billy Graham advised Orton to "go where no wrestler [had] gone before".
March 2005: Feud with The Undertaker
Throughout March 2005, Randy Orton taunted The Undertaker, claiming he was unafraid of him, and set out to end his WrestleMania streak. He delivered an RKO to Stacy Keibler, turning heel. He lost to The Undertaker at WrestleMania 21 on April 3. 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.
2005: Turning face
In 2005, Randy Orton turned face for the first time since 2005, when he attacked Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase in retaliation for their interference in his matches.
2005: Feud with The Undertaker continues
In 2005, the feud between Randy Orton and The Undertaker continued, with Orton defeating The Undertaker at SummerSlam and No Mercy. At No Mercy on October 9, Orton and his father Bob Orton defeated The Undertaker in a handicap casket match, where they locked the Undertaker in the casket and set it ablaze. Orton then replaced Eddie Guerrero on Team SmackDown! at Survivor Series on November 27, and was the last remaining wrestler, winning the match for Team SmackDown!. The Undertaker returned after the match. The feud was settled at Armageddon on December 18, with The Undertaker defeating Orton in a Hell in a Cell match.
January 29, 2006: Royal Rumble
On January 29, 2006, at the Royal Rumble, Randy Orton participated in the Royal Rumble match as the final entrant, but was ultimately eliminated by Rey Mysterio, who won the match and earned a world championship opportunity at WrestleMania 22.
2006: World Heavyweight Championship win
In 2006, Randy Orton won WWE's World Heavyweight Championship, becoming the youngest world champion in WWE history.
January 7, 2007: Rated-RKO vs DX at New Year's Revolution
On January 7, 2007, at New Year's Revolution, Rated-RKO defended the World Tag Team Championship against DX. The match ended in a no-contest due to a legitimate injury sustained by Triple H, after which DX attacked Rated-RKO.
February 5, 2007: Triple Threat Match on Raw
On February 5, 2007, Edge and Orton participated in a triple threat match against Shawn Michaels on Raw to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 23. They were unsuccessful.
March 2007: Appearance on Deal or No Deal
In March 2007, Randy Orton appeared alongside Edge, John Cena, and Bobby Lashley on the game show Deal or No Deal.
2007: Character Shift
In late 2007, Randy Orton's character shifted to a more unstable and treacherous personality, leading to the adoption of the "Viper" and "Apex Predator" nicknames.
January 14, 2008: Jeff Hardy performs a Swanton Bomb
On January 14, 2008, Jeff Hardy performed a Swanton Bomb off the Raw set onto Randy Orton, during their feud over the WWE Championship.
January 2008: Orton Discusses Playing a Heel
In January 2008, Randy Orton discussed his preference for playing a heel character, stating it felt natural to him.
January 19, 2009: Confrontation with the McMahon family
On January 19, 2009, Randy Orton confronted Mr. McMahon and Stephanie McMahon on Raw, claiming he was worth more and that Stephanie had become "worthless". This led to Orton attacking Mr. McMahon and punting him in the head, resulting in McMahon being carried out on a stretcher.
2009: Replaced in The Marine 2
In 2009, Randy Orton was initially set to star in The Marine 2 but was replaced by Ted DiBiase Jr. due to a collarbone injury.
January 11, 2010: Winning a Triple Threat Match
On January 11, 2010, Randy Orton won a triple threat match on Raw, with assistance from Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase, earning the right to challenge Sheamus for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble.
January 30, 2011: WWE Championship Match at the Royal Rumble
On January 30, 2011, Randy Orton faced The Miz for the WWE Championship in a tables match at the Royal Rumble, but he was unsuccessful.
2011: Supporting Role in That's What I Am
In 2011, Randy Orton had a supporting role as the father of a school bully in the comedy-drama film That's What I Am.
January 27, 2012: Orton returns to attack Wade Barrett
On January 27, 2012, Randy Orton returned to the ring on SmackDown after being sidelined for four weeks due to a herniated disc, and attacked Wade Barrett.
2012: Punt Kick Banned
In 2012, Randy Orton's punt kick was legitimately banned by WWE management due to the ease of imitation and risk of injury.
February 17, 2013: Elimination Chamber Match
On February 17, 2013, at Elimination Chamber, Randy Orton eliminated Mark Henry and Chris Jericho in an Elimination Chamber match before being the last man eliminated by Jack Swagger.
2013: WWE World Heavyweight Champion
In 2013, Randy Orton unified the World Heavyweight Championship with the WWE Championship, becoming the WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
2013: Replaced in The Marine 3: Homefront
In 2013, Randy Orton was replaced by The Miz in The Marine 3: Homefront due to his checkered military career.
October 2014: Popularity on Vine
In October 2014, a trend emerged online featuring clips of Randy Orton performing his RKO move on internet "fail" victims, increasing his popularity on Vine.
February 22, 2015: Randy Orton Returns at Fastlane
On February 22, 2015, Randy Orton made his return at Fastlane, saving Dolph Ziggler, Erick Rowan, and Ryback from a post-match beatdown by Seth Rollins, Big Show, and Kane.
2015: Starred in The Condemned 2
In 2015, Randy Orton starred in the action film The Condemned 2.
July 7, 2016: Orton vs. Lesnar at SummerSlam
On the July 7, 2016, episode of SmackDown, it was revealed that Randy Orton would face Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam.
December 2016: Guest Role on Shooter
In December 2016, Randy Orton had a guest role as James Richards on the USA action series Shooter.
January 29, 2017: Randy Orton Wins Royal Rumble
On January 29, 2017, Randy Orton won the Royal Rumble match for the second time in his career, last eliminating Roman Reigns.
2017: Second Royal Rumble Win
In 2017, Randy Orton won the Royal Rumble for the second time.
January 27, 2019: Royal Rumble 2019
On January 27, 2019, at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view, Randy Orton entered the Royal Rumble match at number 29, eliminating Rey Mysterio before being eliminated by Andrade, ending their feud.
2019: Supporting Role in Changeland
In 2019, Randy Orton had a supporting role in the comedy-drama film Changeland.
January 26, 2020: Randy Orton Enters Royal Rumble 2020
On January 26, 2020, at the Royal Rumble, Randy Orton entered the titular match at number 25 and eliminated Karl Anderson before being eliminated by his former Rated-RKO tag team partner Edge, who was returning to competition after retiring due to career-ending neck injuries in 2011.
June 2020: Return of the Punt Kick
In June 2020, the punt kick was brought back during the feud between Randy Orton and Edge. Orton used it to defeat Edge at Backlash, after which he began to use the move regularly again.
October 26, 2020: Feud with The Fiend Begins
On October 26, 2020, Randy Orton began a feud with Bray Wyatt, now known as The Fiend, and Alexa Bliss.
2021: Most Pay-Per-View Matches Record
Since 2021, Randy Orton holds the record for the most pay-per-view (PPV) matches in WWE.
January 10, 2022: RK-Bro Loses Raw Tag Team Championship
On January 10, 2022, RK-Bro, consisting of Randy Orton and Riddle, lost the Raw Tag Team Championship to Alpha Academy, ending their reign at 142 days.
September 2023: Riddle Released From WWE
In September 2023, during Randy Orton's hiatus, Riddle was released from WWE, effectively ending RK-Bro.
November 20, 2023: Orton Returns to WWE
On November 20, 2023, it was revealed that Randy Orton would return at Survivor Series: WarGames as part of Cody Rhodes' team.
January 27, 2024: Orton Fails to Capture Championship at Royal Rumble
On January 27, 2024, at Royal Rumble, Randy Orton was unable to win the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship from Roman Reigns in a fatal four-way match.
2024: King of the Ring Tournament
In 2024, after Backlash, Randy Orton participated in the King of the Ring tournament, making it to the finals but ultimately losing to Gunther.
March 1, 2025: Orton Returns at Elimination Chamber
On March 1, 2025, Randy Orton returned at Elimination Chamber, attacking Kevin Owens after his match.
2025: King of the Ring and SummerSlam
In 2025, Randy Orton participated in the King of the Ring tournament again, reaching the finals for the second consecutive year but lost to Cody Rhodes. He later teamed with Jelly Roll at SummerSlam in a losing effort against Drew McIntyre and Logan Paul.
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