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Randal Keith "Randy" Orton (born April 1 1980), is an American professional wrestler, currently working for the RAW brand of World Wrestling Entertainment.

Orton is a third-generation professional wrestler; his grandfather, Bob Orton, Sr., father, "Cowboy" Bob Orton, and uncle, Barry "O", were all professional wrestlers.

Early career

After graduating from Hazelwood Central High School, Randy Orton made his professional wrestling debut in 2000 with the MMWA-SICW in St. Louis, Missouri. In MMWA-SICW or South Broadway Athletic Club as it is known in St. Louis, he was trained by such wrestlers there as Ron Powers, Gary Jackson, Mark Bland, Jeremy Lightfoot, Phil E. Blunt and promoter Tony Costa as well as his father, Cowboy Bob Orton. This is an organization that was an off-shoot of the old Wrestling at the Chase headed by Sam Munchnick between 1950-1983. Randy Orton then had a match with another St. Louis group, Central Championship Wrestling, with O.G. Stevie B. Not long after, he signed a developmental deal with WWE and was sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling in Louisville. His earliest appearance on television was in a match against Billy Gunn in a 2001 edition of Sunday Night HEAT.

World Wrestling Entertainment

2002-2003

After training at Ohio Valley Wrestling, he was then brought up to the main roster. Orton debuted on WWE programming on the April 25, 2002, episode of SmackDown!, defeating Hardcore Holly. He made little impact as a face on SmackDown! before being drafted to RAW. In Orton's debut match for 'RAW' after praisingly being introduced by Jim Ross he defeated Christian and Lance Storm. Soon Ross stopped hyping him and he eventually became a heel.

Orton's heel turn was drawn out over several months. While sidelined with a separated shoulder, Orton launched the Randy News Network. a weekly vignette which featured Orton explaining the current status of his shoulder. He also provided an e-mail address by which fans could contact him to express their support. His smug, self-centered attitude gradually turned the fans against him.

Upon his return on January 20 2003, Orton helped Triple H, Ric Flair and Batista beat down Scott Steiner, a rival of Triple H's. Triple H later called the foursome Evolution. The stable was briefly disbanded shortly thereafter when both Orton and Batista were sidelined with injuries, but reconvened in May 2003. At this point Orton was given the gimmick of "The Legend Killer" which saw him defeat or humiliate numerous "legendary" wrestlers and celebrities. Orton gained infamy when he spat in the face of wrestling legend Harley Race.

This was also the year in which Orton would begin to get involved in high profile matches. At SummerSlam 2003, he would compete in the Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship against stablemate and defending champion Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Bill Goldberg, Chris Jericho, and Kevin Nash. Orton held his own in the match, though he basically was in it to help Triple H keep the title. At Unforgiven 2003 on September 21, Orton defeated Shawn Michaels in what would be the first of many a high profile match billed as "Legend Killer vs. Legend", with the help of his stablemate and mentor Ric Flair. Orton went on to defeat Rob Van Dam for the WWE Intercontinental Championship at Armageddon 2003 on December 14. Two significant things about this night were that all the male-owned titles on Raw were in Evolution's grasp, and that this reign with the Intercontinental Title he became the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion in the past seven years, holding the title for seven months.

2004-2005

Randy started the year 2004 off by feuding with Mick Foley, which began when Orton challenged Foley to a match in December 2003 in which Foley walked out. Soon after, Orton began showing several vignettes in which Foley was labeled as a coward. Foley returned to team up with The Rock against Orton, Ric Flair and Batista at WrestleMania XX in a handicap match which saw Orton pin Foley. The two men met a month later at Backlash in a hardcore rules match, which Orton also won.

In July, at Vengeance 2004, Edge defeated Orton to win the Intercontinental Championship, ending Orton's seven month reign as champion.

On the July 26 2004, episode of RAW, Orton won a twenty-man battle royal last eliminating Chris Jericho to become the number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship. On August 15 2004, at SummerSlam 2004, Orton defeated the World Heavyweight Champion Chris Benoit by pinfall following an RKO to capture his first World Heavyweight Championship, making him the youngest ever World Heavyweight Champion in the WWE at the age of twenty-four. After the match, Orton and Benoit shook hands with Benoit encouraging Orton to "be a man".

After successfully defending the belt against Benoit on RAW the next night, Orton and Evolution celebrated the win. During the celebration, Batista had Orton on his shoulders and Triple H gave him a thumbs-up; which then turned into a thumbs down. Orton was then brutalized by Batista, Flair, and Triple H. He was thrown out of Evolution the next week on RAW after he refused to hand his World Heavyweight Championship over to Triple H when requested, instead spitting on Triple H and striking him in the face with the belt. Orton became a face as a result, and began using new entrance music, "Burn in My Light" by Mercy Drive. He feuded with Triple H over the World Heavyweight Championship for a month before losing to Triple H on September 12 2004, at Unforgiven 2004.

After losing the World Heavyweight Championship to Triple H, Orton continued to feud with his former stablemates. After he was scheduled to take part in a match in late October that would see him prohibited from challenging Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship if he lost, Orton had an added incentive to see Triple H lose the title.

Orton, along with Maven, Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit, emerged victorious at Survivor Series 2004 in a match which entitled the winners to each be General Manager for one of the four weeks following the event. On the November 29, 2004, episode of RAW, Orton booked a battle royal for the World Heavyweight Championship in the belief that this would ensure that Triple H lost the title. However, Vince McMahon overruled Orton, changing the battle royal to a number one contender match. Orton also gave Eugene and William Regal a match for the World Tag Team Championship against La Résistance, pitted Jerry Lawler against Ric Flair in a "legend versus legend" match, and scheduled a lingerie contest between several RAW Divas.

After the World Heavyweight Championship was vacated on December 13, Orton was chosen to face Triple H, Chris Benoit, Edge, Batista and Chris Jericho in an Elimination Chamber match at New Year's Revolution 2005 on January 9, 2005, to determine a new champion. Triple H managed to win the match, thus keeping their feud active for a longer period of time.

Orton was unsuccessful in his attempt to win back the World Heavyweight Championship from Triple H at the 2005 Royal Rumble on January 30, 2005. After Batista's push began, Orton was marginalized. He began an onscreen relationship with Stacy Keibler and briefly feuded with Christian. After "Superstar" Billy Graham advised Orton to "go where no wrestler has gone before", Orton challenged veteran SmackDown! wrestler The Undertaker to a match at WrestleMania 21, making the ambitious claim that he would defeat The Undertaker, thus ending Undertaker's undefeated WrestleMania streak.

This feud saw Orton hitting the RKO on Jake "The Snake" Roberts, who had warned him about facing The Undertaker. Just two weeks before WrestleMania, Orton cemented his heel status by knocking Stacy out with the RKO. He went on to slap The Undertaker and assault him following a distraction by his father, Cowboy Bob Orton. Despite interference from his father, Orton was defeated by The Undertaker at WrestleMania 21 after he attempted a Tombstone Piledriver, but was off-balance, enabling The Undertaker to reverse the move into his own Tombstone Piledriver for the pinfall victory.

In storyline terms, a match with Batista on the night following WrestleMania aggravated Orton's shoulder problems stemming from the previous night (in actuality he was sidelined for several months while recuperating from his third genuine shoulder injury). While injured, Orton appeared on the May 16 2005, episode of RAW, declaring his intention to gain revenge on Batista by defeating him for the World Heavyweight Championship. Orton claimed that he could not be drafted to SmackDown! as a result of his injury, but was informed by Vince McMahon that he was in fact an eligible candidate for the draft.

Orton returned to WWE television on the June 16, 2005 episode of SmackDown!, attacking The Undertaker and announcing that he was the second SmackDown! pick in the 2005 draft lottery. He made his in-ring return on August 11 2005, fighting Kamala to a draw. Orton went on to defeat The Undertaker at SummerSlam following a distraction from his father, the returning Cowboy Bob Orton, who was disguised as a fan. After SummerSlam, an overconfident Orton announced on the first episode of Friday Night SmackDown! that he was opening a retirement fund for The Undertaker. However, The Undertaker made his return by setting the oversized check ablaze with a mysterious bolt of lightning.

After losing to The Undertaker on an episode of SmackDown!, Orton and The Undertaker began taunting each other using caskets. This led to Orton and his father facing The Undertaker in a handicap casket match at No Mercy 2005. The Ortons defeated The Undertaker after Bob Orton blinded The Undertaker with foam from a fire extinguisher, enabling his son to strike him with a chair. After sealing The Undertaker in the casket, Orton set the casket on fire and struck it with an axe.

At Survivor Series, Orton took Eddie Guerrero's place on "Team SmackDown!". Orton became the sole survivor of his team for a third time, pinning HBK to win the match for "Team SmackDown!". As Orton celebrated following the match, The Undertaker made his return, chasing Orton from the ring and indiscriminately attacking several other members of the SmackDown! roster.

On a special live episode of SmackDown! on November 29, 2005, Orton placed The Undertaker on the trunk of one of Eddie Guerrero's lowriders and reversed the car through the SmackDown! stage, setting it on fire and the car to "explode". The Undertaker retorted by playing mind games with Orton over the next several weeks, leading to a Hell in a Cell match between the two being scheduled for Armageddon 2005. On December 16 2005 Orton lured The Undertaker to the ring by declaring his "retirement". When The Undertaker entered the ring, one of the druids who typically accompanied him to the ring remained at ringside. The Undertaker was distracted as a result, enabling Orton to attack him and deliver an RKO. The "druid" then revealed himself to be Bob Orton, and gave Orton The Undertaker's signature urn to strike him with. At Armageddon 2005, The Undertaker defeated Orton after delivering the Tombstone Piledriver to both Orton and his father, finally ending their nine-month-long feud.

2006

Two weeks after Armageddon, Orton agreed to represent an injured Booker T in the fifth match of his "best of seven" series with Chris Benoit over the WWE United States Championship. As Booker T had won three of the matches already fought, Orton only needed to beat Benoit once to win the series for Booker. Orton lost to Benoit following botched interference from Booker T's wife Sharmell. He faced Benoit the following week, but lost once again after Orlando Jordan, interfered on Benoit's behalf. On the January 13, 2006, episode of SmackDown!, Orton defeated Benoit, thus winning the United States Championship for Booker T and finishing the series four-three. The following week saw him face Orlando Jordan in a match because Orlando had interfered with Booker and Sharmell's celebration by attacking him in the middle of the ring. Orton won the match by a distraction from Booker and Sharmell which allowed him to hit the RKO for the win. The following week, Orton lost to Benoit in a no holds barred match.

Orton took part in the 2006 Royal Rumble match on January 29 2006. Despite entering at number thirty, Orton was eliminated by the second entrant, Rey Mysterio. On the following SmackDown!, Orton challenged Mysterio to put his title shot on the line at No Way Out 2006, with Mysterio accepting his challenge. In the weeks preceding No Way Out, Orton made several controversial remarks about Eddie Guerrero. At No Way Out, Orton defeated Mysterio, earning himself a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 22. However, on the following episode of SmackDown!, General Manager Theodore Long readded Mysterio to the match, turning it into a triple threat match between Orton, Mysterio and World Heavyweight Champion Kurt Angle. Orton protested the decision but was told by Long to accept it or lose his own shot at the title. On April 2, 2006, at WrestleMania 22, Angle lost his title after Orton was pinned by Mysterio.

On April 4 2006, WWE stated that Orton was suspended for sixty days for "unprofessional conduct", On April 7, 2006, in an interview with WWE.com, Orton stated, "my conduct was unbecoming of a champion, which is what I will be again when I return". On April 12 2006, WWE stated that Orton had suffered a broken ankle at the hands of Kurt Angle during the previous night's SmackDown! taping, shortly after losing to Angle in a King of the Ring first round match. In July 2006, Orton revealed that he had been suspended for smoking marijuana backstage at a SmackDown! taping. While suspended, Orton spent four weeks at an anger management clinic in Atlanta, Georgia.

Orton returned from his suspension on the June 5 2006, episode of RAW, attacking Kurt Angle and accepting Angle's open challenge for a match at One Night Stand. Four days before the show, at WWE vs. ECW Head to Head, Orton announced that his contract with SmackDown! had expired, and that he was once again a member of the RAW roster. Orton went on to lose to Angle at One Night Stand, but would win in a rematch at Vengeance.

Throughout July 2006, Orton would involve himself in a feud with WWE Legend Hulk Hogan by flirting with Hogan's 18 year old daughter Brooke. This feud would culminate in a match at SummerSlam 2006 which would see Hogan victorious.

In September 2006, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that Orton had failed a drug test, but, due to recent changes in the Wellness Program, would continue to appear on television and pay-per-view, albeit without pay. In addition, Orton was reported to be being kept off house shows for 30 days as part of the suspension.

While on suspension Orton entered a feud with Carlito with whom he had a match at Unforgiven 2006 picking up the win with a mid-air RKO.

Wrestling facts

• Finishing and signature moves

• RKO (Jumping cutter, also uses an elevated version from the top rope)
• O-Zone (Overdrive) - in 2002
• Gutwrench elevated neckbreaker
• Elevated DDT
• European uppercut
• Flying crossbody
• Knee drop
• Standing dropkick
• Stretch backbreaker
• Wheelbarrow suplex - in OVW
• Wrenching rear chinlock
• Higher Neckbreaker

• Managers

• Ric Flair
• "Cowboy" Bob Orton

Championships and accomplishments

• Ohio Valley Wrestling

• 2-time OVW Hardcore Champion

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated

• PWI Rookie of the Year Award (2001)
• PWI Most Improved Award (2004)

• World Wrestling Entertainment

• 1-time World Heavyweight Champion
• 1-time WWE Intercontinental Champion

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter

• 2004 Most Improved Wrestler

Personal life

Before becoming a wrestler, Orton enlisted with the United States Marine Corps. Orton was dishonorably discharged about a year later after going AWOL on two separate occasions, and disobeying an order from a commanding officer. Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, Private First Class Orton was tried and convicted under a special court-martial, and was put into a military prison for thirty eight days. As this was before a change of law in 2002, Orton did not become a felon as a result.

While on RAW, Orton was accused of harassing fellow WWE employees Amy Weber and Rochelle Loewen, leading to the departure of Weber from the company, while Loewen was transferred to SmackDown! (she was later released). Loewen claimed that he vandalized her possessions and directed racist remarks towards her, calling him "an animal". However, it should be noted that Orton's friend Mark Jindrak refuted several of Loewen's accusations in an interview with Voice of Wrestling, and claimed that Orton had apologized to Loewen at the time of the 2005 Royal Rumble, and that fellow Diva Search contestant (and eventual winner) Christy Hemme denied what she knew of the allegations in an interview with The Sun.

Orton suffers from hypermobile shoulders.

In November 2005, Orton announced his engagement to his long term girlfriend Samantha Speno.

References

1. Brown, Timothy "Randy Orton Speaks Out On His Suspension"
2. Randy Orton Reveals The Reason Behind Suspension
3. Randy Orton Fails Drug Test, Not Suspended
4. WWE Diva Rochelle Loewen talks about hazing from Randy Orton, claims he hated her
5. Rothstein, Simon "Hemme is Christy clear", The Sun
6. An interview with Randy Orton, conducted by Silvervision
7. Randy Orton Interview

External links

• WWE profile
• Randy Orton at IMDb
• RandyOrtonWeb.Com fansite

• 1980 births
• Living people
• American professional wrestlers
• Orton wrestling family
• People from Knoxville, Tennessee
• People from St. Louis