Randy Keith Orton was born on April 1, 1980. He is a third-generation wrestling superstar. His grandfather was Bob Orton Sr. His father is WWE Hall of Famer “Cowboy” Bob Orton Jr., and his uncle is Barry O. After graduating high school, Randy joined the Marines. He left a year later with a dishonorable discharge due to unauthorized absences and disobeying a direct command. He spent 38 days in the brig of Camp Pendleton Base.
“Cowboy” Bob Orton:
Randy’s dad was best known as being the bodyguard of Roddy Piper and for his slow healing ability. He suffered a broken arm and had to wear a cast on that arm for years (which he conveniently used to knock his opponents out). His career highlight was being a part of the main event at the first WrestleMania. While the corner man for Roddy Piper and “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff, he accidentally hit Orndorff with his cast which led to Mr. T and Hulk Hogan winning the match.
The Third Generation of Orton’s to Enter the Ring:
”Cowboy” Bob took his son to a WWE show in 1999. He left that event with an opportunity to try out and he took advantage of that opportunity and was signed to a developmental deal with Ohio Valley Wrestling. In April 2002, he made his SmackDown debut. A few weeks later, he was injured and had to take some time off. He returned to the ring in September as a member of the RAW roster and suffered another again in one of his first matches back.
The Evolution of a Bad Guy:
Randy turned into a bad guy by the pompous way he was giving his medical progress. When he returned to the ring that winter, he became a member of Evolution. That group was led by Triple H and also included Ric Flair and Batista. During this time, he took the nickname of the “Legend Killer” because he would taunt, assault, and humiliate any legend he saw. He was able to parlay this momentum into a World Title shot at SummerSlam 2004.
The Youngest World Heavyweight Champion:
At SummerSlam, Randy beat Chris Benoit to become the youngest champion in WWE history. His enjoyment didn’t last for long. The very next night, Triple H turned on him and he was kicked out of and beaten up by Evolution. He lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Triple H the next month. He stayed a good guy for a few more months until he decided to challenge the Undertaker.
Rey Mysterio & Kurt Angle:
Randy Orton was able to secure a World Title shot at WrestleMania 22 by beating Rey Mysterio. In a three-way match, Rey became the champion when he pinned Randy. Kurt was angry at Randy for costing him his title. A few weeks later, Kurt broke Randy’s ankle as payback. That injury coincided with a 60 day suspension Randy was given for some backstage problems he was having.
Rated RKO:
When he returned in the summer of 2006, he became a member of the RAW roster again. He had a big match with Hulk Hogan at SummerSlam which he lost. That fall, he started to team with Edge as part of Rated RKO. The two men set their sites on D-Generation X. They won the World Tag Team Championships and were able to put Triple H out of commission. As WrestleMania 23 approaches, there is tension between them due to losing the titles and both men wanting the same thing, to be the WWE Champion.
The Age of Orton:
On October 7, Randy was awarded the WWE Championship due to John Cena's injury. He lost the title and regained it later that night from Triple H. He held onto the title for six months before losing it back to Triple H in a four-way match that also included JBL and John Cena. A few months later, he suffered a shoulder injury during a match against Triple H.
The Legacy:
When Orton returned to action, he started a stable called the Legacy. It consisted of Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes, the sons of "The Million Dollar Man" and Dusty Rhodes, respectively. They went after the McMahon family and injured Vince, Shane, Stephanie, and finally Triple H en route to regaining the WWE Championship. The group broke up in 2010 and Randy has been a fan favorite ever since. He was drafted to SmackDown in 2011 and won the World Heavyweight Championship form Christian less than two weeks later.
Randy Orton’s Title Victories:
WWE Championship
10/7/07 No Mercy - awarded the title due to John Cena's injury
10/7/07 No Mercy - beat Triple H in a Last Man Standing Match
4/26/09 Backlash - Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, & Ted DiBiase beat WWE Champion Triple H, Shane McMahon, & Batista
6/15/09 RAW - beat John Cena, Big Show, and Triple H to win the vacant title
10/4/09 Hell in a Cell - beat John Cena in a Hell in a Cell Match
9/19/10 Night of Champions - Randy Orton beat WWE Champion Sheamus, John Cena, Wade Barrett, Edge, & Chris Jericho in a Six Pack Elimination Match to win the title
World Heavyweight Championship
8/15/04 SummerSlam - beat Chris Benoit
5/6/11 SmackDown - beat Christian
8/14/11 SummerSlam - beat Christian in a No Holds Barred Match
Intercontinental Championship
12/14/03 Armageddon - beat Rob Van Dam
World Tag Team Championship
11/13/06 RAW - w/Edge beat Ric Flair & Roddy Piper
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