History of Randy Orton in Timeline

Randy Orton, an American professional wrestler signed to WWE's SmackDown brand since 2000, is considered among the greatest of all time. With a career spanning over two decades, he holds the tied-third most world championship reigns in wrestling history. His impact and longevity have solidified his status as a top performer in the industry.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles

April 1, 1980: Randal Keith Orton's Birth

On April 1, 1980, Randal Keith Orton, who would become the professional wrestler Randy Orton, was born.

Others born on this day/year

1998: Graduating High School and Enlisting

In 1998, after graduating from Hazelwood Central High School, where he was an amateur wrestler, Randy Orton enlisted in the United States Marine Corps.

1998: Kane's actions at the Royal Rumble

In a move similar to Kane at the 1998 Royal Rumble, Randy Orton and his father Bob Orton locked the Undertaker in a casket and chopped holes in the top of the casket with an axe, poured gasoline over the casket and set it ablaze, kayfabe killing The Undertaker.

1999: Bad Conduct Discharge from the Marines

In 1999, Randy Orton received a bad conduct discharge from the United States Marine Corps after going AWOL on two occasions and disobeying an order, subsequently spending 38 days in the brig at Camp Pendleton.

1999: End of the 20th Century

The year 1999 marks the end of the 20th century, concluding the period from 1975 to 1999.

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, where he was trained by the staff of the promotion and his father, Bob Orton Jr.

2000: Signing with WWF and Joining OVW

In 2000, Randy Orton signed a deal with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and was sent to its developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) in Louisville, Kentucky, for further training.

2000: Signing with WWE

In 2000, Randy Orton signed with WWE and started performing on the SmackDown brand.

February 14, 2001: Winning the OVW Hardcore Championship

On February 14, 2001, Randy Orton won the OVW Hardcore Championship by defeating Mr. Black.

May 1, 2001: First WWF House Show Appearance

On May 1, 2001, Randy Orton made his first WWF house show appearance, facing Billy Gunn.

May 5, 2001: Second OVW Hardcore Championship win

On May 5, 2001, Randy Orton won the OVW Hardcore Championship for the second time by defeating Flash Flanagan.

March 16, 2002: WWF Appearance at WrestleMania X8 Fan Axxess

On March 16, 2002, Randy Orton made one of his first WWF appearances at WrestleMania X8's Fan Axxess, where he was defeated by Tommy Dreamer.

April 25, 2002: Televised WWF Match Victory

On April 25, 2002, Randy Orton had his first televised WWF match, securing a victory against Hardcore Holly on SmackDown!.

September 2002: Trade to Raw and Shoulder Injury

In September 2002, Randy Orton was traded to the Raw brand, defeating Stevie Richards in his debut before suffering a shoulder injury that sidelined him for months.

2002: Part of the OVW Class of 2002

In 2002, Randy Orton's promotion to the main roster made him a member of OVW's Class of 2002, alongside John Cena, Brock Lesnar, and Dave Batista.

February 2003: Injury

In February 2003, Randy Orton sustained another injury.

May 2003: Return as a Masked Man and Rejoining Evolution

In May 2003, specifically on the 26th, Randy Orton returned as a masked man, interfering in a match and then unmasking to rejoin the Evolution stable.

2004: Dominance of Evolution

From 2003 to 2004, Evolution dominated Raw, with their peak occurring after Armageddon in 2003 when all the men's titles on Raw were held by Evolution members.

2004: Appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

In 2004, Randy Orton appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to promote Taboo Tuesday.

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2004: Championship reign ended by Triple H

In 2004, Randy Orton's championship reign had been ended by Triple H, leading to Orton and Edge forming the tag team Rated-RKO to defeat Triple H and Shawn Michaels.

2004: Establishment as a Legend Killer and Intercontinental Championship Reign

Throughout 2004, Randy Orton established himself as the "Legend Killer," feuding with wrestling legends. He won the Intercontinental Championship and held it for 210 days. This reign included defeating Mick Foley in a hardcore match at Backlash on April 18. He lost the title to Edge on July 11 at Vengeance.

January 9, 2005: Elimination Chamber Match at New Year's Revolution

On January 9, 2005, at New Year's Revolution, Randy Orton participated in an Elimination Chamber match for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship, where he was the last man eliminated by Triple H after interference from Ric Flair and Batista.

February 2005: On-Screen Relationship and Advice from Superstar Billy Graham

In February 2005, Randy Orton began an on-screen relationship with Stacy Keibler and briefly feuded with Christian. He also received advice from Superstar Billy Graham to 'go where no wrestler had gone before'.

March 2005: Taunting The Undertaker and Turning Heel

Throughout March 2005, Randy Orton taunted The Undertaker, claiming he was unafraid of him and stating he would end The Undertaker's undefeated streak at WrestleMania. He also delivered an RKO to his on-screen girlfriend, Stacy Keibler, turning heel once again.

November 2005: Eddie Guerrero's death

In November 2005, Eddie Guerrero died. Orton made controversial remarks about Eddie Guerrero in an attempt to gain villain heat.

2005: Feud with The Undertaker

In 2005, Randy Orton continued his feud with The Undertaker, defeating him at SummerSlam following a distraction from his father.

January 29, 2006: Royal Rumble Match

On January 29, 2006, at the Royal Rumble, Randy Orton entered as the final wrestler, but was eliminated by Rey Mysterio.

February 2006: WWE launches Talent Wellness Program

In February 2006, WWE launched their Talent Wellness Program, which WWE claimed was after the allegations against wrestlers including Orton.

2006: Forming Rated-RKO

In 2006, Randy Orton joined forces with Edge to form the tag team Rated-RKO, and together they won the World Tag Team Championship.

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, but the match was declared a no-contest when Triple H suffered an injury.

February 5, 2007: Triple threat match on Raw

On February 5, 2007, Randy Orton and Edge lost a triple threat match against Shawn Michaels to earn a WWE Championship match at WrestleMania 23.

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.

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March 2007: Sports Illustrated publishes article alleging steroid use by Randy Orton

In March 2007, Sports Illustrated published an article alleging that Randy Orton obtained nandrolone, oxandrolone, stanozolol, testosterone, anastrozole, and clomiphene citrate.

September 21, 2007: Randy Orton marries Samantha Speno

On September 21, 2007, Randy Orton married Samantha Speno.

2007: Winning two WWE Championship reigns

In mid-2007, after Rated-RKO disbanded, Randy Orton won two WWE Championship reigns in one night, becoming the second-youngest two-time WWE Champion.

January 14, 2008: Attack on Matt Hardy

On the January 14, 2008 episode of Raw, Randy Orton punted Jeff Hardy's brother Matt in the head and Jeff Hardy performed a Swanton Bomb off the Raw set onto Orton.

January 2008: Orton describes his heel character

In January 2008, Randy Orton said, "It's easy for me to go out there and be a prick on the show because it's me times ten... Being a heel is fun. It comes so natural."

2008: Forming The Legacy

In 2008, Randy Orton formed the wrestling group The Legacy with Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr., acting as the leader of the group.

January 19, 2009: Feud with the McMahon family begins

On the January 19, 2009, episode of Raw, Randy Orton began feuding with the McMahon family after confronting Mr. McMahon and Stephanie.

2009: Winning the Royal Rumble match

In 2009, Randy Orton won the Royal Rumble match.

January 11, 2010: Orton wins triple threat match to challenge Sheamus

On January 11, 2010, Randy Orton, with assistance from Rhodes and DiBiase, won a triple threat match on Raw. This victory granted him the opportunity to challenge Sheamus for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble.

2010: The Legacy Disbands

In 2010, The Legacy, the wrestling group led by Randy Orton, disbanded.

January 30, 2011: Orton loses rematch against The Miz

On January 30, 2011, Randy Orton had his rematch against The Miz at the Royal Rumble for the WWE Championship in a tables match, but lost the match.

January 27, 2012: Orton returns and attacks Barrett

On January 27, 2012, Randy Orton made his return to the ring on SmackDown and immediately attacked Wade Barrett.

2012: Randy Orton separates from Samantha Speno

In late 2012, Randy Orton separated from his then-wife, Samantha Speno.

February 17, 2013: Orton is eliminated at Elimination Chamber

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.

June 2013: Randy Orton's divorce from Samantha Speno is finalized

In June 2013, Randy Orton's divorce from Samantha Speno was finalized, following their separation in late 2012.

2013: Unifying the WWE and World Heavyweight Championships

At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs in 2013, Randy Orton unified the WWE Championship and the World Heavyweight Championship to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion.

2013: Money in the Bank Win & Alliance with The Authority

In 2013, Randy Orton won the Money in the Bank ladder match and, after cashing in the contract, aligned himself with The Authority.

January 26, 2014: Orton retains WWE World Heavyweight Championship

On January 26, 2014, at the Royal Rumble, Randy Orton retained the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against John Cena after interference by The Wyatt Family.

October 2014: Randy Orton becomes popular on Vine

In October 2014, Randy Orton became popular on Vine and the internet due to a trend of superimposing clips of him performing his RKO move on internet "fail" victims.

February 22, 2015: Orton returns at Fastlane

On February 22, 2015, Randy Orton returned at Fastlane and saved Dolph Ziggler, Erick Rowan, and Ryback from a post-match beatdown by Rollins, Big Show, and Kane.

November 14, 2015: Randy Orton marries Kimberly Kessler

On November 14, 2015, Randy Orton married Kimberly Kessler, a former member of his fan club.

2015: Being Named the Face of WWE

In 2015, while aligned with The Authority, Randy Orton was named the "face of the WWE".

July 7, 2016: Orton revealed as Lesnar's SummerSlam opponent

On the July 7, 2016, episode of SmackDown, Randy Orton was revealed as Brock Lesnar's opponent for SummerSlam.

December 2016: Guest Role in Shooter

In December 2016, Randy Orton had a guest role as James Richards, a former Navy SEAL and leader of a militia group, in an episode of the USA action series Shooter.

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2016: Joining The Wyatt Family

In 2016, Randy Orton became a member of The Wyatt Family, a wrestling stable.

January 29, 2017: Orton wins the Royal Rumble

On January 29, 2017, Randy Orton won the Royal Rumble match for the second time in his career by lastly eliminating Roman Reigns.

2017: Second Royal Rumble Win

In 2017, Randy Orton won his second Royal Rumble match.

2017: Turning on The Wyatt Family

In 2017, after winning the SmackDown Tag Team Championship with Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper, Randy Orton turned on The Wyatt Family.

August 2018: Randy Orton investigated for sexual harassment

In August 2018, Randy Orton was investigated by WWE for alleged sexual harassment towards new members of the company's writing staff, but the investigation was inconclusive.

2018: Winning the United States Championship

In 2018, Randy Orton won his first United States Championship, becoming the 18th overall Grand Slam Champion after already being the 17th Triple Crown Champion.

2018: Catherine Alexander files lawsuit against Take-Two and 2K Games

In 2018, Randy Orton's tattoo artist, Catherine Alexander, filed a lawsuit against Take-Two Interactive and 2K Games for using her copyrighted tattoos on Orton's likeness in their WWE 2K video game series without approval.

January 27, 2019: Royal Rumble Match

On January 27, 2019, at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view, Randy Orton entered the Royal Rumble match at number 29. Orton eliminated Rey Mysterio, ending their feud before being eliminated by Andrade.

October 2019: Randy Orton receives criticism for using racial slur

In October 2019, Randy Orton received criticism for saying "nigga" while playing a Call of Duty game on a live Twitch stream.

January 26, 2020: Royal Rumble Match and Heel Turn

On January 26, 2020, at the Royal Rumble, Randy Orton entered the Royal Rumble match at number 25 and eliminated Karl Anderson. Orton was then eliminated by Edge, his former Rated-RKO tag team partner, who was returning after a long hiatus. The following night on Raw, Orton turned heel again after teasing a Rated-RKO reunion with Edge, only to deliver an RKO and a con-chair-to.

June 2020: Punt Kick Returns

In June 2020, the punt kick was brought back as part of the feud between Orton and Edge, with Orton using the Punt Kick to defeat Edge at Backlash. Orton then began using the move regularly again.

October 26, 2020: Feud with Bray Wyatt begins

On October 26, 2020, Randy Orton began a feud with Bray Wyatt, who was now under his new gimmick, The Fiend, as well as with his partner Alexa Bliss.

September 2021: Trial postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic

In September 2021, the trial regarding Catherine Alexander's lawsuit against Take-Two and 2K Games for the use of her copyrighted tattoos on Randy Orton's likeness in the WWE 2K video game series was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2021: Breaking Kane's PPV Record

Following his match at the 2021 Survivor Series, Randy Orton broke Kane's record for wrestling the most PPV matches in WWE history.

January 10, 2022: RK-Bro lose Raw Tag Team Championship

On January 10, 2022, on Monday Night Raw, RK-Bro (Randy Orton and Riddle) lost the Raw Tag Team Championship to Alpha Academy (Chad Gable and Otis), which ended their reign at 142 days.

October 2022: Judge rules in favor of Catherine Alexander

In October 2022, the judge ruled in favor of Catherine Alexander in the lawsuit against Take-Two Interactive and 2K Games, declaring that she was entitled to $3,750 in damages for the unapproved use of her copyrighted tattoos on Randy Orton's likeness in the WWE 2K video game series.

November 20, 2023: Return to WWE

On the November 20, 2023, episode of Raw, after an 18-month hiatus, it was revealed that Randy Orton would be making his return at Survivor Series: WarGames on November 25.

January 27, 2024: Failed Universal Championship Capture

On January 27, 2024, at Royal Rumble, Randy Orton was unsuccessful in capturing the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship from Roman Reigns in a fatal four-way match also involving AJ Styles and LA Knight.