Randy Orton

Ohio Valley Wrestling (2000–2002)

In 2000, 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, where he continued his training. During his time in OVW, he wrestled the likes of Rico Constantino and The Prototype. He won the OVW Hardcore Championship twice by defeating Mr. Black on February 14, 2001, and Flash Flanagan on May 5, 2001, respectively.^[23] On several occasions he faced Rico Constantino and The Prototype (John Cena).^[24] Orton in considered part of the OVW Class of 2002 as part of what has now been dubbed as the "OVW 4" alongside the aforementioned Cena as well as Brock Lesnar and Dave Bautista.^[25]

Evolution (2002–2004)

One of Orton's first official WWF appearances was March 16, 2002, at WrestleMania X8's Fan Axxess, where he was defeated by Tommy Dreamer. Orton's first televised WWF match was a victory against Hardcore Holly on SmackDown! on April 25, 2002.^[26] Soon after, Orton became a face and was placed in a rivalry with Holly.^[26] In September 2002, Orton was traded to the Raw brand, where he defeated Stevie Richards in his debut on the show.^[26] Within weeks of his debut on the Raw brand, Orton suffered a shoulder injury, leaving him sidelined for months.^[26] While recovering, Orton still appeared on Raw in his own Randy News Network (RNN) segment, a weekly vignette featuring him talking about his condition.^[26] The show interrupted other segments of Raw programming, which caused Orton to slowly transition himself into a narcissistic and self-centered heel.^[27]

After his injury healed, Orton joined the Evolution stable, which consisted of Ric Flair, Triple H, and OVW alumnee Batista.^[26] He was injured once again in February 2003, and returned on May 26, 2003.^[26] The group was pushed on Raw from 2003 to 2004, with the height of their dominance occurring after Armageddon in 2003 when all of the men's titles on Raw were held by Evolution members.^[28] In 2003, Orton spent much of his time helping Triple H overcome challenges for the World Heavyweight Championship.^[29][30][31] He joined Triple H in an Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam on August 24, involved primarily to secure Triple H's title defense, and was eliminated by Goldberg, but the stable managed to fulfill its purpose and Triple H went on to eliminate Goldberg and retain his title.^[32]

Orton then began proclaiming himself the "Legend Killer",^[26] with his gimmick becoming that of a young upstart who was so talented that he touted himself as the future of wrestling. He embarked on numerous feuds with older, well-respected names in wrestling and gained infamy for blatantly disrespecting them. With the help of his stablemate and mentor Ric Flair, Orton defeated Shawn Michaels at Unforgiven on September 21 in the first of many high-profile matches billed as "Legend vs. Legend Killer".^[33] During this time, Orton began using the move that became his signature finisher, the RKO, a jumping cutter named after his initials.^[34] He defeated Rob Van Dam for the Intercontinental Championship at Armageddon on December 14.^[35] With this win, Orton started the longest Intercontinental Championship reign in seven years, holding the title for 210 days.^[36] Orton continued to establish himself as a "Legend Killer" throughout 2004, challenging the semi-retired wrestler Mick Foley. Famed for his brutal hardcore matches, they wrestled in a hardcore match at Backlash for the title, where Orton won.^[37] Orton named this match as the favourite of his career, also noticing it was the match where he earned the respect of the fans.^[38] On July 11 at Vengeance, he lost the title to Edge.^[39]

World Heavyweight Champion (2004–2005)

After losing the Intercontinental Championship, Orton won the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam on August 15 when he defeated Chris Benoit, thus becoming the youngest world champion in WWE history at the age of 24.^[40] Benoit congratulated Orton after the match, shaking his hand for showing the ability to "be a man".^[41] The following night on Raw, Evolution attacked Orton in the ring, resulting in Orton being kicked out of Evolution.^[42] A month later, Orton lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Triple H at Unforgiven on September 12.^[43]

The storyline with Evolution continued when he defeated Flair at Taboo Tuesday on October 19 in a fan-voted steel cage match and won four-on-four Survivor Series elimination match at Survivor Series on November 14 where he picked up the win for his team by last eliminating Triple H.^[44] He continued to feud with Triple H, using his authority to place his opponents at severe disadvantages during title defenses.^[45] He tried to win the World Heavyweight Championship at New Year's Revolution on January 9, 2005 in an Elimination Chamber match and the Royal Rumble on January 30, but both times was defeated by Triple H.^[46]

Feud with The Undertaker (2005–2006)

Orton began an on-screen relationship with Stacy Keibler, who worked as his manager^[26] and started a feud with The Undertaker, trying to ending The Undertaker's undefeated streak at WrestleMania. Orton turned heel after he performed the RKO on Keibler in-turn Orton began being managed by his father, Bob Orton.^[47] At WrestleMania 21 on April 3, Orton lost to The Undertaker.^[48] WWE offered Orton to end the streak but he refused out of respect to the Undertaker and not believing he was the right person to break it.^[49][50]

Orton was the second pick in the 2005 draft lottery^[26] and rekindled his feud with The Undertaker, defeating him at SummerSlam on August 21 following a distraction from his father.^[51] Two months later at No Mercy on October 9, Orton and his father Bob Orton defeated The Undertaker in a handicap casket match and after the match, Randy Orton and his father Bob locked the Undertaker in the casket and set it in fire.^[52][26] At Survivor Series on November 27, after Orton was the last remaining wrestler in the match between Team Raw and Team SmackDown, The Undertaker returned by emerging from a flaming casket and attacked Orton.^[26] Their feud culminated with a Hell in a Cell match at Armageddon on December 18, where Orton was defeated.^[53]

Rated-RKO (2006–2007)

Leading to WrestleMania, Orton was the last eliminated from the Royal Rumble by Rey Mysterio.^[53] Despite his loss, Orton defeated Mysterio at No Way Out on February 19, earning Mysterio's title shot for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania.^[54] SmackDown! General Manager Theodore Long re-added Mysterio to the WrestleMania title match, making it a triple threat match between Orton, Mysterio and then-champion Kurt Angle; at WrestleMania, Orton lost after he was pinned by Mysterio. On the following episode of SmackDown!, Orton challenged Mysterio for the World Heavyweight Championship, but failed to win the title.^[55]

On April 4, Orton was suspended for sixty days for "unprofessional conduct".^[56][57] To cover for the suspension, a scripted injury was devised, where Kurt Angle broke Orton's ankle during a King of the Ring quarterfinal match on the April 14 episode of SmackDown!.^[58] Orton returned from his suspension in June to the Raw brand,^{[citation needed]} where he entered a rivalry with Angle, culminating in matches at ECW One Night Stand on June 11 (which he lost) and Vengeance on June 25 (which he won) before engaging in a storyline feud with Hulk Hogan. At SummerSlam on August 20, the two met in a "Legend vs. Legend Killer" match, which Hogan won.^[59][60]

At the end of 2006, Orton was paired with Edge as a tag team; Rated-RKO. They feuded with D-Generation X (Triple H and Shawn Michaels) defeating them at Cyber Sunday on November 5. They also won the World Tag Team Championship by defeating Ric Flair and Roddy Piper on the November 13 episode of Raw.^[61][62] The feud with DX ended at New Year's Revolution on January 7, 2007, where Rated-RKO defended the titles, but the match was declared a no-contest when Triple H suffered a legitimate injury during the match.^[63] With Triple H out of action, Rated-RKO continued their on-screen rivalry with Michaels. At the Royal Rumble on January 28, both men competed in the Royal Rumble match and made it to the final four, but both were eliminated by Michaels. Michaels later teamed with WWE Champion John Cena to defeat Rated-RKO to win the World Tag Team Championship the following night on Raw.^[64] They both competed in the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania, but the match was won by Mr. Kennedy and participated in a fatal four-way match for the WWE Championship against Cena and Michaels at Backlash on April 29, but Cena retained.^[65] Their alliance was effectively ended once Edge joined the SmackDown! brand. Orton then continued his "Legend Killer" persona, attacking Shawn Michaels by using frequent attacks to the head, including an elevated DDT and a running punt to the face. Orton defeated Michaels at Judgment Day on May 20 via knockout when Michaels suffered a kayfabe concussion and collapsed during the match.^[60] Orton continued his attacks when he engaged himself in feuds with Rob Van Dam at One Night Stand on June 3 (after losing a stretcher match to Van Dam),^[66] Ric Flair,^[67] Dusty Rhodes,^[68] and Sgt. Slaughter.^[69] During this time the commentators noted how Orton slithered around and stalked his victims like a snake; this led to "The Viper" becoming a nickname for Orton.

WWE Champion (2007–2008)

On the July 23 episode of Raw, Orton was named number one contender for John Cena's WWE Championship.^[70] Three times before their scheduled bout at SummerSlam on August 26, Orton assaulted Cena with the RKO.^[71] Orton lost the title match at SummerSlam when Cena pinned him after an FU.^[72] The next night on the August 27 episode of Raw, Orton demanded a rematch, but Raw General Manager William Regal denied him. He then appealed to Mr. McMahon, who offered him the shot if he "proved himself". That night, Orton interfered in Cena's match with King Booker, assaulting him before kicking his father, who was at ringside, in the head.^[73] McMahon granted Orton his rematch at Unforgiven on September 16, which Orton won by disqualification when Cena refused to stop punching him in the corner; however, Cena retained the championship because titles cannot change hands by disqualification.^[74]

At No Mercy, Orton was booked to face Cena for the WWE Championship, but the title was vacated when Cena suffered an injury. At the event, Mr. McMahon awarded Orton the championship.^[75] Orton lost the title to Triple H in the opening match, but regained it later that night in a Last Man Standing match.^[76] Orton then restarted his feud with Shawn Michaels, retaining the title at Cyber Sunday^[77][78] and Survivor Series.^[79][80] The enxt months, he retained the title from g Chris Jericho at Armageddon,^[81] and Jeff Hardy at Royal Rumble.^[82] He then restarted his feud with John Cena, who had returned from injury to win the 2008 Royal Rumble match.^[82] Instead of taking his title shot at WrestleMania XXIV on March 30, as Royal Rumble winners typically do, Cena took it at No Way Out on February 17 and defeated Orton, who intentionally got himself disqualified by slapping the referee to retain the title.^[83] At WrestleMania, Orton retained the WWE Championship against Cena and Triple H,^[84] but lost it to Triple H the next month at Backlash on April 27 in a fatal four-way elimination match.^[85] After failing to win it back at Judgment Day on May 18 in a steel cage match,^[86] he lost against Triple H for the title once more in a Last Man Standing match at One Night Stand on June 1, breaking his collarbone during the match and putting him out of action.

The Legacy (2008–2010)

Upon being medically cleared to return to the ring, Orton was reinjured in a motorcycle accident.^[87][88] After his return in September, Orton began a stable with second-generation wrestlers and World Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase,^[89] and Manu, creating The Legacy.^{[90][citation needed][91]}

Orton began feuding with the McMahon family on the January 19, 2009, episode of Raw when he confronted both Mr. McMahon and Stephanie, ending with Orton performing his running punt kick to Mr. McMahon. At the Royal Rumble on January 25, Orton won the Royal Rumble match, last eliminating Triple H.^[92] Heading to WrestleMania, Orton also faced Vince's son Shane McMahon in a No Holds Barred match at No Way Out on February 15, which he won and the next night on Raw in an unsanctioned match, which ended in a no contest when he punted Shane in the head. Despite Orton lost against Triple H for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 25 on April 5,^[93] he won the title at Backlash on April 26 by pinning Triple H in a six-man tag team match between The Legacy and Triple H, Batista and Shane McMahon. At Judgment Day on May 17, Orton retained the championship against Batista,^[94] but lost it at Extreme Rules on June 7 in a steel cage match.^[95] After the title was vacated,^[96] Orton regained it on the June 15 episode of Raw in a fatal four-way match. The following week, Orton defended the WWE Championship against Triple H in a Last Man Standing match, which ended in a no-contest after both men failed to answer the referee's ten count. They faced off for the championship once more at The Bash on June 28 in a Three Stages of Hell match, which Orton won after interference from Legacy.^[97] At SummerSlam on August 23, he defended the title against John Cena, during which he used several underhanded tactics to retain the championship. He lost the title to Cena in an "I Quit" match at Breaking Point on September 13,^[98] but regained it from Cena in a Hell in a Cell match at Hell in a Cell on October 4.^[99] At Bragging Rights on October 25, Orton again lost the championship to Cena in a one-hour Iron Man match to end the feud.^[100]

Orton then began a rivalry with Kofi Kingston, whom Orton blamed for him losing the WWE Championship due to Kingston interfering in his match with Cena to chase away Rhodes and DiBiase. On the November 16 episode of Raw, Orton and Kingston engaged in a brawl that ended with Kingston putting Orton through a table in the crowd. Both men were named captains for their respective teams at Survivor Series on November 22, where Kingston's team defeated Orton's team after Orton was last eliminated by Kingston. The two traded victories over each on following episodes of Raw, leading to a match at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 13, which Orton won.^[101] At Royal Rumble, Orton started a storyine with The Legacy after Rhodes costed him the WWE Championship in a match against Sheamus.^[102] Orton lost by disqualification when Rhodes interfered, which prompted Orton to attack both Rhodes and DiBiase after the match.^[103] The feud continued in the Elimination Chamber match at Elimination Chamber, where both Orton and DiBiase participated. DiBiase eliminated Orton after hitting him with a pipe Rhodes had given him.^[104] A match between the three was booked at WrestleMania XXVI, where Orton defeated Rhodes and DiBiase in a triple threat match.^[105]

World championship reigns (2010–2013)

After The Legacy disbanded, Orton spent most part of the year in World Title feuds. He unsuccessfully challenged Jack Swagger for the World Heavyweight Championship at Extreme Rules on April 25.^[106] At Fatal 4-Way on June 20, Orton competed in a fatal four-way WWE Championship match involving champion Cena, Edge, and Sheamus, who won the title after interference from The Nexus. On July 18 at Money in the Bank, Orton competed in a Money in the Bank ladder match for a WWE Championship contract, which was won by The Miz^[107] and, at SummerSlam on August 15, he faced the WWE Champion Sheamus in a match that ended in a disqualification, giving Orton the win, but not the title.^[108]

At Night of Champions on September 19, Orton won the WWE Championship in a six-pack challenge elimination match.^[109] After successfully defending the title against Sheamus in a Hell in a Cell match at Hell in a Cell on October 3,^[110] he feuded with Wade Barrett, who was blackmailing John Cena to help him capture the title. Orton retained the title against him at Bragging Rights on October 24 and Survivor Series on November 21.^[111][112] However, on the November 22 episode of Raw, after Orton defeated Barrett again in a title match, he lost the championship to The Miz when he cashed his Money in the Bank contract.^[113] Orton received his rematch against The Miz in a tables match at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 19 and the Royal Rumble on January 30, 2011, but he lost both matches.^[114]

The next month at Elimination Chamber on February 20, Orton failed to win a WWE Championship number one contender Elimination Chamber match after being eliminated by CM Punk.^[115] Over the next three weeks, Orton punted and injured all members of The New Nexus, Michael McGillicutty, David Otunga and Mason Ryan.^{[116][117][118]} At WrestleMania XXVII on April 3, Orton defeated Punk after a mid-air RKO.^[119] Three weeks later in the 2011 WWE draft, Orton was drafted to the SmackDown brand and later beat Punk in a Last Man Standing Match at Extreme Rules on May 1, ending his feud with The New Nexus.^[120]

On the May 6 episode of SmackDown, Orton defeated Christian to win the World Heavyweight Championship for the second time.^[121] He feuded with Christian over the title, retaining at Over the Limit on May 22 and Capitol Punishment on June 19.^[122][123] Orton lost the title to Christian via disqualification at Money in the Bank on July 17,^[124][125] he won the championship back from Christian in a No Holds Barred match at SummerSlam on August 14.^[126] Orton ended his feud with Christian when he retained the World Heavyweight Championship in a steel cage match on the August 30 episode of SmackDown.^[127] Orton then lost the title to Mark Henry at Night of Champions on September 18,^[128] and failed to regain it two weeks later in a Hell in a Cell match at Hell in a Cell on October 2.

Orton reignited his feud with Wade Barrett after both were named captain for a traditional 5-on-5 Survivor Series elimination match. On the November 11 episode of SmackDown, Orton lost a match to Barrett after Barrett poked Orton in the eye. On the November 14 episode of Raw SuperShow, Orton won a rematch by disqualification after Team Barrett interfered.^[129][130] Orton's team was defeated at Survivor Series on November 20 with Barrett and Cody Rhodes being the sole survivors.^[131] Barrett then began attacking and distracting Orton during matches.^[132] At TLC: Tables, Ladders, & Chairs on December 18, Orton defeated Barrett in a tables match after he put Barrett through the table with an RKO.^[133] Barrett and Orton continued their feud on the December 23 episode of SmackDown, where they brawled backstage and Orton hit Barrett with an RKO onto a car.^[134] This led to a Falls Count Anywhere match on the December 30 episode of SmackDown, in which Barrett pushed Orton down a flight of stairs,^[135] resulting in a herniated disc, which sidelined Orton for four weeks.^[136][92] On the January 27, 2012, episode of SmackDown, he returned to the ring and attacked Barrett. On the February 3 episode of SmackDown, Orton defeated Barrett in a No Disqualification match to end the feud.^[137]

In 2012, Orton feuded with Kane and was defeated by him at WrestleMania XXVIII on April 1.^[138] Orton defeated Kane on the next SmackDown in a No Disqualification rematch^[139] and at Extreme Rules on April 29 in a Falls Count Anywhere match.^[140] On May 30, WWE suspended Orton for 60 days due to his second violation of the company's Talent Wellness Program.^[141][142]

Orton returned on the July 30 episode of Raw defeating Heath Slater.^[143] Orton began feuding with Mr. Money in the Bank Dolph Ziggler^[144][145] and defeated Ziggler at Night of Champions on September 16.^[146] He began feuding with Alberto Del Rio on the September 28 episode of SmackDown.^[147][148] Orton defeated Del Rio at Hell in a Cell on October 28 in a singles match and represented Team Foley as his team lost to Team Ziggler at Survivor Series on November 18 in a traditional five-on-five elimination tag match.^[149][150]

On the December 3 episode of Raw, Orton began a feud with The Shield, facing them at WrestleMania 29 on April 7, 2013^[151] and Payback on June 16.^[152]

The Authority (2013–2015)

On July 14 at Money in the Bank, Orton won the WWE Championship Money in the Bank ladder match,^[153] and cashed in his title opportunity at SummerSlam on August 18, winning the title from Daniel Bryan, turning heel for the first time since 2010.^[154] Orton joined the stable The Authority with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.^[155] On September 15 at Night of Champions, Orton lost the WWE Championship back to Bryan,^[156] but regained at Hell in a Cell on October 27.^[157] On November 24 at Survivor Series, after retaining the title against Big Show, Orton was confronted by World Heavyweight Champion and long-time rival John Cena.^[158] Orton and Cena face each other at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 15 in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs match to unify Cena's World Heavyweight Championship and Orton's WWE Championship into one title, with Orton becoming the first WWE World Heavyweight Champion as well as officially being recognized as the final World Heavyweight Champion.^[159] Orton retained the title at the Royal Rumble on January 26, 2014, against Cena^[160] and at Elimination Chamber on February 23 in an Elimination Chamber match against Daniel Bryan, John Cena, Cesaro, Christian and Sheamus.^[161] At WrestleMania XXX on April 6, Orton lost the title to Daniel Bryan in a Triple Threat match that also included Batista.^[162]

After losing the title, Orton joined Triple H and Batista to reform Evolution, feuding with The Shield.^[163] Evolution lost all matches against The Shield at Extreme Rules on May 4 and Payback on June 1.^[164][165] At SummerSlam on August 17, he was defeated by Shield's member Roman Reigns.^[166]

Then on the October 27 episode of Raw, Orton feuded with Seth Rollins, who joined the Authority, turning face in the process.^[167] On the November 3 episode of Raw, after Rollins performed a Curb Stomp onto the steel steps on Orton, he was kicked from the Authority.^[168]

After a three-month hiatus, Orton returned at Fastlane on February 22, 2015^[169] and defeated Rollins at WrestleMania 31 on March 29. After WrestleMania, with Rollins as the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Orton faced Rollins in a steel cage match at Extreme Rules on April 26^[170] and Payback on May 17, losing both title matches.^[171]

At Money in the Bank on June 14, Orton failed to win the championship contract ladder match, which was won by Sheamus.^[172] Following this, Orton began feuding with Sheamus after both men attacked each other and faced off in various tag-team matches; Orton defeated Sheamus at Battleground on July 19, but lost to Sheamus at SummerSlam on August 23.^[173][174] On the September 7 episode of Raw, Orton was attacked by The Wyatt Family,^[175] starting a feud that was booked to end in the Hell in a Cell pre-show on October 25,^[176] but canceled after Orton suffered a legitimate shoulder injury,^[177] putting him out of action for the following months.^[178]

The Wyatt Family (2016–2017)

On the July 7, 2016, episode of SmackDown, Orton was revealed as Brock Lesnar's opponent for SummerSlam.^[179] On July 19 at the 2016 WWE draft, Orton was drafted to SmackDown, while Lesnar was drafted to Raw.^[180] At SummerSlam, Lesnar defeated Orton by technical knockout after a series of legit elbows to the head, leaving Orton with an open wound that required 10 staples.^[181] The elbows caused a concussion who prevented Orton from wrestling.^[182]

After his match with Lesnar, Orton resumed his feud with Bray Wyatt,^[183] facing him No Mercy, where he lost.^[184] However, Orton turned heel and joined Wyatt's stable, The Wyatt Family.^[185]

The stable won the SmackDown Tag Team Championship from Heath Slater and Rhyno at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs (Orton, Wyatt and Luke Harper held the titles under the Freebird Rule),^[186] but lost it weeks later to American Alpha.^[187] In 2017, Orton won the Royal Rumble for the second time in his career^[188] while Wyatt won the WWE Championship at Elimination Chamber. Orton started a storyline where he relinquished his shot at the title, but turned face again by betraying Wyatt. At WrestleMania 33, Orton defeated Wyatt to win the WWE Championship for the ninth time.^[189][190] On the following episode of SmackDown Live, Wyatt challenged Orton to a "House of Horrors" rematch,^[191] but after Wyatt was moved to the Raw brand as a result of the Superstar Shake-up, it was made a non-title match and scheduled for Raw's Payback on April 30,^[192] which he lost.^[193]

Orton lost the title to Jinder Mahal at Backlash, and failed to regain it at Money in the Bank and Battleground in a Punjabi Prison match.^{[194][195][196]}

United States Champion (2017–2018)

Orton started a feud with Rusev, whom he defeated in 10 seconds at SummerSlam.^[197] On the September 19 episode of SmackDown Live, Orton was defeated by Rusev in 10 seconds after a distraction from Aiden English.^[198] At Hell in a Cell, Orton defeated Rusev to end the feud.^[199] Orton also worked on the Survivor Series as part of the traditional Survivor Series match and Royal Rumble 2018, but he lost both matches.^[200][201] At Fastlane, Orton defeated Bobby Roode to win the WWE United States Championship, thus becoming the 18th Grand Slam Champion^[202]) but lost it at WrestleMania 34 against Jinder Mahal in a fatal four-way match.^[203] He had another title match at Backlash against the new champion Jeff Hardy, but Orton lost again.^[204] On May 18, WWE confirmed that Orton had undergone successful surgery to repair a medial meniscus tear in his left knee, sidelining him indefinitely.^[205]

Return of the Legend Killer (2018–2021)

Orton returned at Extreme Rules and attacked Jeff Hardy, turning heel.^[206] He defeated Hardy at Hell in a Cell.^[207] Orton defeated a returning Big Show to qualify for the WWE World Cup at Crown Jewel,^[208] but at Crown Jewel lost to Rey Mysterio in the first round.^[209] This sparked a feud between the pair, with Orton stealing Mysterio's mask on the November 21 episode of SmackDown Live before losing to Mysterio in a chairs match at TLC.^[210][211] Orton attempted to re-enter the world championship scene in the new year, but lost in both the Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber.^[212][213] At WrestleMania 35, Orton lost to AJ Styles.^[214]

In July, Orton feuded with Kingston over the WWE Championship, unsuccessfully challenging at both SummerSlam and Clash of Champions.^[215][216] Orton was drafted to Raw as part of the 2019 WWE draft,^[217] and restarted his feud with a now-heel Styles, thus turning Orton face.^[218] They fought multiple times throughout December and January.^[219]

At the Royal Rumble on January 26, 2020, Orton entered the titular match at number 25 and eliminated Karl Anderson before he was eliminated by his former Rated-RKO tag team partner Edge, who had returned to competition for the first time since retiring in 2011 due to career-ending neck injuries.^[220] The next night on Raw, Orton teased a Rated-RKO reunion with Edge before delivering an RKO and a con-chair-to, turning heel once again. Orton and Edge then began a feud, facing each other in a Last Man Standing match at WrestleMania 36, which Orton lost. Their second match at Backlash, billed as the "Greatest Wrestling Match Ever", was won by Orton. The match put Edge out of action with a legitimate torn triceps, and the victory enabled Orton to call himself the "Greatest Wrestler Ever".^[221] The following night on Raw, Edge's friend and former tag team partner Christian challenged Orton to an unsanctioned match, which Orton won with assistance from Ric Flair.^[222] Orton revived his Legend Killer gimmick over the next few weeks, attacking legends such as Christian, Shawn Michaels, and Big Show. Orton then turned on Flair and set his sights on the WWE Championship. He lost twice to then-champion Drew McIntyre at SummerSlam^[223] and Clash of Champions,^[224] but winning the championship from McIntyre at Hell In A Cell.^[225] before quickly losing it back to McIntyre on the November 16 episode of Raw.^[226]

Three weeks after his title loss, Orton started a feud with Bray Wyatt, now under his new gimmick, The Fiend, and Alexa Bliss. After defeating The Fiend in a Firefly Inferno match at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 20,^[227] Orton continued to battle with both them and Edge until April 11, defeating The Fiend at WrestleMania 37 after Bliss turned on the Fiend.^[228][229]

RK-Bro (2021–2022)

After WrestleMania, Orton teamed with Riddle to form RK-Bro, turning face in the process.^[230] They defeated AJ Styles and Omos at SummerSlam to become the Raw Tag Team Champions,^{[citation needed]} defeating the pair again at Crown Jewel and defeating the SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos at Survivor Series.^[231] With this match, Orton broke Kane's record for wrestling the most PPV matches in WWE history.^[10] RK-Bro briefly lost their championship to Alpha Academy in early 2022 but regained it on the March 7 edition of Raw,^[232] and at WrestleMania 38, successfully defended it against Alpha Academy and the Street Profits in a triple threat tag team match.^{[citation needed]} However, on the May 20 episode of SmackDown they lost a title vs title match to The Usos where both the Raw and SmackDown Tag Team Championships were on the line. A few days later, it was announced that Orton had suffered a legitimate back injury and was expected to be on hiatus for the rest of 2022.^[233] During his hiatus in September 2023, Riddle was released from WWE, effectively ending RK-Bro.^[234]

Various feuds and championship pursuits (2023–present)

After an 18-month hiatus, Orton returned at Survivor Series: WarGames on November 25 as the fifth member of Cody Rhodes' team in the traditional WarGames match, helping him defeat Drew McIntyre and The Judgment Day.^[235][236] On the December 1 episode of SmackDown, he signed with the SmackDown brand,^[237] and began to feud with The Bloodline, culminating in an unsuccessful challenge against Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at the 2024 Royal Rumble in a fatal four-way match.^[238]

During Spring Orton competed in the year's Elimination Chamber match, losing to Drew McIntyre.^[239] He challenged Logan Paul for the United States Championship in a triple threat match alongside Kevin Owens at WrestleMania XL,^[240] but lost after Paul pinned Owens to retain.^[241] His feud reignited with The Bloodline after he saved Owens from Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga, but he and Owens were unable to beat the pair in a tag team match at Backlash after interference from Tanga Loa.^[242][243]

After Backlash, Orton participated in the King of the Ring tournament, making it to the finals where he lost to Gunther in the finals at King and Queen of the Ring in controversial fashion as Orton's shoulder was not fully on the mat when the referee counted the pin.^[244] After losing at Money in the Bank in a six-man tag team match to the Bloodline,^[245] on the August 5 episode of Raw, Orton challenged Gunther to a rematch for the World Heavyweight Championship, citing the controversy over the finish. The match was made official for Bash in Berlin on August 31, where Gunther defeated Orton once more.^[246] Later in the year, Owens, having turned heel at Bad Blood,^[247] attacked Orton in the parking lot during the October 11 episode of SmackDown.^[248] Owens (kayfabe) injured Orton with a package piledriver on the November 8 episode of SmackDown, writing Orton off the show until the Elimination Chamber in March 2025.^{[249][250][251]}

At Night 2 of WrestleMania 41, Orton, originally scheduled to face Owens before he was legitimately injured, issued an open challenge to the roster. This was answered by TNA World Champion Joe Hendry, whom Orton quickly defeated.^[252] The following night on Raw, Orton attacked the now-villainous newly crowned Undisputed WWE Champion John Cena with an RKO, reigniting their storied rivalry,^[253] unsuccessfully challenging Cena for his title at Backlash.^[254][255] Orton participated in the 2025 King of the Ring tournament as part of the SmackDown brand, reaching the finals for the second year in a row. However he against lost, getting pinned by Cody Rhodes at Night of Champions.^[256] Orton then fueded with Logan Paul and McIntyre for the summer, assisted by singer Jelly Roll, culinating with a loss to the pair on Night 1 of SummerSlam on August 2.^[257][258]

At the Royal Rumble on January 31, 2026, Orton entered the match at #29 for a chance of a world title bout at WrestleMania 42 but finished in third place after being eliminated by Gunther.^[259] He successfully won Elimination Chamber's namesake match for the second time in his career by last eliminating Cody Rhodes, earning a match for Rhodes' Undisputed WWE Championship match at WrestleMania.^[260] but was again unsuccessful in winning the title. After the match, Orton attacked Rhodes with a punt kick.^[261]