Thoughts From The Top Rope 05.06.09: Modern Greats Series - Randy Orton

Posted by Daniel Wilcox on 05.06.2009

As part of the Modern Greats series, we look back at the career of Randy Orton, a man who has accomplished so much is such little time, but who's best days are probably still to come.


Ric Flair. Hulk Hogan. Bruno Sammartino. Bret Hart. Steve Austin. These are just some of the greatest performers to have ever graced the squared circle, and professional wrestling is so much better off because each has done so. However, these unforgettable names have all but ridden off into the sunset.

Shawn Michaels. The Undertaker. Sting. Three names equally as important to the wonder that is pro wrestling, three names that have given us decades of service but are unfortunately in the twilight of their respective careers.

Randy Orton. A man who has accomplished so much in such a short space of time, and a man that is probably still a couple of years away from reaching his prime and fulfilling his potential. And yet, Orton's career is as accomplished and decorated as many of the names currently in WWE's Hall of Fame. Orton is a third generation Superstar, but his accomplishments already eclipse those of both his father, "Cowboy" Bob Orton, and his grandfather, Bob Orton Sr. Being a third generation athlete, Randy Orton was aware of what life as a professional wrestler would mean, and his father even attempted to persuade Orton to follow a career-path other than wrestling. But Orton was destined to be a wrestler, just like he was destined to be a huge star.

Orton's accomplishments include being a three-time WWE Champion and former World Heavyweight Champion, (notably he's the youngest World Heavyweight Champion in history after winning the gold in 2004 at the age of 24). Orton is also a Royal Rumble winner (winning this year's event) and former tag team champion along with Edge as Rated RKO. I also credit Orton as having one of the greatest Intercontinental Championship reigns of all time, a seven-month reign that saw both the title and its holder elevated during the course of Orton's run with the strap. Orton's classic feuds and matches have come with the likes of Triple H, Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley and John Cena.

Today, Orton is the reigning WWE Champion and one of the very best heels in the business, which is no small feat considering the likes of Edge and Chris Jericho are still around. With Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase making up the The Legacy, Orton looks to dominate Raw for a long time to come, and one has to suspect that he'll remain a major player in WWE for a long time, especially now his personal issues seem to have been dealt with and his apparent maturing since he's started a family. That said, with guys as good as Orton, I think its acceptable and expected to have to deal with a little bit of arrogance and unbecoming behaviour, especially when they've the ability to put on matches as good as Orton has;

5. World Heavyweight Championship Match: Randy Orton vs. Chris Benoit, WWE Summerslam 2004
This was the match that skyrocketed Orton from future star, to great, and it was one hell of a match as well. The company had shown a lot of faith in Orton by booking him into the main event of the second biggest show of the year, and Orton replied in kind by putting in his best singles match to date with the world champion. Orton worked a really smart match and always seemed one step ahead of Benoit, without making the Wolverine look bad. Benoit did a great job of making Orton look like a million bucks in fairness, and even allowed Orton to go over cleanly, thus cementing him as a top performer. This was arguably Orton's most technically sound match and it was clear that the guy was only going to be as good as he wanted to be; his potential was limitless. Appropriately, as it mirrored his rise to the top, Orton countered Benoit's attempt to lock in the Crossface into a quick and sudden RKO. As Orton raised the title above his head, the fans cheered Orton as they realized his greatness. And indeed, this was a great match that may get lost in history due to the man Orton beat that night.

4. WWE Championship Match: Randy Orton vs. Shawn Michaels, WWE Survivor Series 2007
Shawn Michaels is a guy everyone should want to work with, because quite simply he's the best. He and Orton had a terrific series of matches in the fall of 2007 and this was undoubtedly the cream of the crop. The added stipulation here was that Michaels was banned from using Sweet Chin Music else he'd be disqualified and Orton would retain. What makes this match so great is the psychology, how they worked the stipulation into the match. Michaels looked to put Orton away on a number of occasions using various famous submission holds including the Sharpshooter, the Ankle Lock and the Crippler Crossface (the first time it had been used since the Benoit tragedy). The only disappointment was that Michaels didn't bust out the Walls of Jericho in a prelude to the unveiling of "Save_Us.222" the next night on Raw. But other than that, this was flawless match. Orton got the win when Michaels thought about going for Chin Music but hesitated, allowing Orton to strike with a RKO to end a brilliant title match.

3. WWE Championship Match: Randy Orton vs. John Cena, WWE Summerslam 2007
This was an interesting one. This was the first pay-per-view meeting between these two young stars, and we couldn't be certain how well they would work together on such a big stage. Regardless, it was a marquee match up and one where there was a large amount of hype and anticipation surrounding it. Cena had been having an awesome year and Orton was just starting to come into his own as a performer.

Bottom line, this match not only delivered, but exceeding expectations. This match stands out for me because there were no stipulations to work with, no gimmicks, just two top stars having a straight up one-on-one match and delivering. The two had some tremendous chemistry, which unfortunately, they weren't able to build on during the remainder of their feud. But this match alone makes me want to see these two work together more. I recall the ending in particular being ridiculously climatic, both guys going for and missing their big moves, tons of counters and in the end, Cena recovering from a RKO to hit a FU out of nowhere to score the pin. Both guys proved a lot of people wrong on this night and showed what they were capable of in a fantastic championship bout.

2. Last Man Standing Match for the WWE Championship: Randy Orton vs. Triple H, WWE No Mercy 2007
This would be the second meeting between these two on this particular night, and neither would have occurred if it hadn't been for an injury to John Cena that occurred six days earlier. Cena was forced to relinquish the WWE Championship, which was then awarded to Orton as No Mercy went on the air. Triple H interrupted the proceedings and talked his way into a title match with Orton, which Triple H won with a roll-up. Triple H would then defend his title against Umaga before being informed he'd have to defend against Orton later that night in the Last Man Standing match.

Despite their lengthy history together, I don't think Triple H and Orton have ever had much chemistry. Their matches, not least their mediocre WrestleMania main event, have been decent at best. But this match was the exception. On this night, everything clicked, everything went according to plan. Both men went all-out in this match and, despite pulling double and triple duty respectively, Orton and The Game tore the house down. This was one of those matches where both guys were going to come out looking great, because both men took all the punishment the other had to give but just kept on getting up and getting up. In the end, however, it was Orton who scored with a RKO on the announce table, the same move that had put John Cena out of action six days earlier, and Triple H could not answer the referee's 10 count, giving Orton his second WWE Championship win. If The Game continues to be the thorn in the side of Orton as he has for the past five years, this is the match Orton can always fall back and say he beat The Game, and he did it an hellacious classic.


1. Hardcore Match for the Intercontinental Championship: Randy Orton vs. Cactus Jack, WWE Backlash 2004

Ironically, the greatest match of Randy Orton's relatively young career came before any of his world titles and way before he reached his prime. It didn't even come against anyone who could even be considered one of the best in the business at the time, but against Mick Foley who had only just come out of in-ring retirement a month earlier at WrestleMania. Foley teamed with The Rock that night in his last match against the trio of Ric Flair, Batista and Randy Orton, but the main feud was between Foley and Orton. For months, Orton had looked to goad Foley into a match. Orton had put months of beat downs on Foley and even spit in his face on a couple of occasions. Of course, Orton wasn't expecting to eventually wind up in the ring with Cactus Jack, in the unfamiliar hardcore environment.

The match was a bloody and brutal affair, and a near classic that cemented Randy Orton as not only a future main event prospect, but the future of the company. Orton took a beating in the early part of the match, including Foley viciously raking his face with a barbed-wire bat on a couple of occasions. But Orton was relentless in his pursuit to kill another legend, but this eagerness only got him in more pain, as Foley would back suplex Orton onto a bed of thumbtacks. By then Orton had had enough and looked to escape up the ramp way, but Foley was bloodthirsty and followed him up to the entranceway where he would launch Orton off the stage, before dropping an elbow on him from the same stage. Orton was done, but both men made it back to the ring. However, Orton gutted it out and came back to put Foley away following a RKO onto the barbed-wire baseball bat.

This was a match that really opened up people's eyes as it was evident how good Randy Orton was, and how great he could be. I wouldn't be writing this column if Orton hadn't gone on to fulfil that potential to be great, but this was the match that really started it all off. Within months, Orton would go on to become the youngest World Heavyweight Champion in history and he hasn't stopped progressing ever since. In his book Hardcore Diaries, Foley says that this may be his all-time favourite match, and that's coming from a guy who's had a lot of great matches. He calls it a "classic hardcore battle," and says that Orton considers it to be his best match as well. Orton's still young and could well surpass this match in the coming years, but it'll be damn tough, because this is one of the greatest hardcore matches of all time.

*
Next week, the Modern Greats Series continues with a look at the phenomenal AJ Styles. Until then, check out previous entries in the series;

MODERN GREATS – EDGE
MODERN GREATS – KURT ANGLE

Plus, check out this week's HAPPY-GO-SUCKY WRESTLING REPORT covered by yours truly, as well as the 4R's: TUESDAY EDITION featuring me taking a look at Impact and Superstars.

Finally, be sure to keep it 411Mania by bookmarking us and/or making us your homepage. 411 is also on Twitter and Facebook, as am I, so make sure to keep up with us on there.