From The Shelf-Randy Orton – Evolution of a Predator (Disc Three)

Randy Orton- Evolution of a Predator

Disc Three

Randy Orton vs. Kurt Angle from Vengeance 2006
This is one of three WWE vs. ECW matches on the PPV. Angle takes Orton down to start and uses the hammerlock to roll Orton up for 2. Angle tries the Anklelock but Orton goes right to the ropes to break. Angle tries to German suplex Orton off the apron but Orton blocks and throws some elbows to knock Angle off. Angle catches him with a German suplex on the floor. Angle suplexes Orton back in and he toys around with Orton on the mat. Poke to the eye by Orton and he connects with a dropkick. Orton dumps Angle to the floor and follows out where he sends Angle into the barricade. Back in, Orton covers for 2 and he hammers away on Angle on the mat. Kneedrop by Orton gets 2 and he goes to the chinlock. Angle powers up and breaks with a Samoan drop. Back elbow by Orton gets 2 and he goes back to the chinlock. Angle fights out and Orton catches him with a knee to the gut. Kneedrop again by Orton gets 2 and he goes back to the chinlock. Angle armdrags out but Orton catches Angle with a lariat. Orton goes up but Angle runs up and takes Orton down with a belly to belly superplex. Overhead belly to belly suplexes by Angle and he goes for the Angle Slam but Orton counters into the Orton backbreaker for 2. Orton goes for the RKO but Angle blocks so Orton starts untying the top turnbuckle. Angle catches him with the rolling German suplexes, hitting SEVEN of them!!!! Orton rolls to the floor but Angle rolls him back in for 2. Angle goes for the Ankle Lock but Orton kicks him away. Angle hits the Angle Slam and goes back to the Ankle Lock. Orton rolls Angle into the exposed corner to break and he hits the RKO for 3!!!
Winner- Randy Orton ***1/4 ( Not as good as the match they had at One Night Stand but a pretty good follow up. Angle was a machine at this point and it’s unfortunate this was his last PPV match for WWE. )

Randy Orton vs. Hulk Hogan from Summerslam 2006
Hogan powers Orton down to start so Orton goes to the headlock. Hogan powers out and he takes Orton down. Rights by Orton and he knocks Hogan down with an uppercut. Orton stomps away but Hogan comes back with rights. Punches in the corner by Hogan and he bites the head of Orton. Poke to the eye by Hogan and he hits a clothesline. Rake to the eyes by Hogan and he hammers away on Orton. Hogan rakes the back of Orton and he hammers away on Orton on the mat. Orton takes Hogan down and he slams Hogan’s left knee off the apron a few times. Back in, Orton jumps on the bad leg of Hogan a few times and continues to stomp away at the bad leg. Orton clips the leg of Hogan and he goes up. Orton misses the crossbody off the top and Hogan hits some rights. Orton ducks the big boot and connects with a dropkick. RKO by Orton gets 3!!! BUT WAIT!!!! Hogan’s foot was on the bottom rope so the match continues!!! Rights by Orton but Hogan beings to HULK UP~!!!! Rights by Hogan and he hits the big boot. Legdrop by Hogan gets 3.
Winner- Hulk Hogan *1/2 (This match was like every Hogan house show match you had even seen in the 1980s. Considering this was on the second biggest PPV of the year and the level Orton was at around this time, this did him no favors. Randy actually came out of this match looking worse than he did before, he should have been Hogan’s job boy bitch here. )

Bull Rope Match- Randy Orton vs. Dusty Rhodes from Great American Bash 2007
Dusty pulls the rope sending Orton crashing to the mat to start. Bionic elbows by Dusty and he uses the bull rope to take Orton down again. Orton bails to the floor so Dusty pulls the rope sending Orton into the post. Dusty follows out and goes to nail Orton with the cowbell but Orton moves. Orton tries to leave but Dusty blocks and connects with another bionic elbow. Back in, Orton beats on the leg of Dusty with the cowbell. Chinlock using the bull rope by Orton but Dusty backs him to the corner to break. Rights by Orton but Dusty fights back with jabs of his own. Bionic elbow by Dusty but he misses an elbow drop. Orton nails Dusty in the head with the cowbell for 3.
Winner- Randy Orton * ( This match was literally Dusty throwing elbows and that was it. The bull rope was barley used and it’s the second match in a row Orton came out looking worse than he did going in, struggling to be a retired veteran. )

After the match, Orton looks to warm up for the punt but Cody Rhodes comes out and shields his father, so Orton leaves.

WWE Championship- Randy Orton © vs. John Cena vs. Triple H from Wrestlemania XXIV
John Cena comes out to one of my favorite Wrestlemania entrances ever, as he has a giant marching band before his theme. Orton nails HHH with the belt to start but Cena sends him to the corner and connects with a bulldog in return. Release Fisherman’s suplex by Cena and he hammers away in the corner. HHH dumps Cena to the floor and he fires away on Orton. He dumps Orton to the floor and follows out where he hammers away on the ECW announce table. Back in, HHH grabs a sleeper but Cena picks both up, looking for the F-U. HHH escapes and he goes low on Cena. Orton catches HHH with the Orton backbreaker and he stomps away. Orton hammers away and lands a kneedrop on Cena for 2. Kneedrop on HHH gets 2. Orton goes up but Cena stops him and he follows up. Cena looks for a superplex but Triple H grabs Cena in the electric chair position and Orton hits a doomsday crossbody for 2 as Cena rolls through!!! He goes for the F-U but Orton counters with a sunset flip for 2. Clothesline by HHH to Cena and Orton hits a lariat on HHH. Orton hits a double hanging DDT to HHH and Cena and he covers both for 2. Orton goes for the RKO but Cena blocks and he dumps Orton onto HHH. Flipping necksnap by Cena and he goes up. Guillotine legdrop off the top by Cena and he goes for the STFU but Orton bails to the floor. Cena chases him and Orton sends him face first into the post. Back in, HHH hits some rights as Orton enters the ring and he drives his knee into the left leg of Orton. HHH drives Orton’s leg off the mat and he catches Cena coming in with a clothesline. Orton catches HHH with the RKO and all three men are down. Cena catches Orton in the STFU but HHH pulls Orton’s arm into the ropes to break. He drags Cena to the floor and sends him into the steps. Back in, HHH grabs the Indian Deathlock but Cena breaks it up. Cena sends HHH to the corner and HHH fails all the way to the floor. STFU again on Orton but HHH pulls Cena off and grabs the CROSSFACE!!!!! Cena makes the ropes to break!!! Cena and HHH slug it out and Cena hits the Protobomb. Five Knuckle Shuffle by Cena and he goes for the F-U but HHH escapes. Cena blocks the Pedigree but HHH blocks the STFU. Facebuster by HHH and he hits a clothesline. Spinebuster by HHH and he chop blocks Orton as he tries to come. Cena goes for the F-U again but HHH escapes and hits the Pedigree for 2 as Orton punts him!!!! Orton covers Cena for 3!!!
Winner and Still WWE Champion- Randy Orton ***1/2 ( This match was a lot of fun, as there were some great sequences and innovative three way spots. A few more minutes with more drama and false finishes and this could have been a show stealer. )

I Quit Match for the WWE Championship- Randy Orton © vs. John Cena from Breaking Point 2009
Shoulders to the gut in the corner by Cena to start and he hits a belly to belly suplex. Release Fisherman suplex by Cena but he misses a flying shoulder tackle. Orton knocks Cena off the apron driving him onto the announce table. Orton nails Cena with the monitor and back in, Orton hits the hanging DDT after Cena said he wouldn’t quit. Orton sets up a chair and goes for the RKO but Cena blocks. Flying shoulder tackles by Cena and he hits the Protobomb. Five Knuckle Shuffle by Cena and he goes for the Attitude Adjustment but Orton blocks and he snaps Cena’s neck off the ropes. Orton goes for the punt but Cena moves and goes for the STF but Orton blocks. They go to the floor and Orton sends Cena into the steps. Orton nails Cena with the steps and he steps on Cena’s head that is on the steps. Cena still won’t quit so Orton stomps his head again. Cena says no again so they head back into the ring where Orton pulls out a pair of handcuffs. Orton stomps away and he handcuffs Cena to the top rope. Rights by Orton and he hits some kneedrops. Orton stomps away and Cena still won’t quit. Orton nails Cena in the head with the microphone and he unlocks Cena from the top rope. They go to the floor and Orton handcuffs Cena’s hands together. He puts the handcuffs over the ring post and hammers away at the midsection of Cena. Orton hammers away and he pours water on Cena so that he won’t pass out. Cena spits water back in the face of Orton so Orton starts BEATING THE PISS OUT OF CENA WITH SINGAPORE CANES!!!!! Cena won’t quit so Orton chokes him with the Singapore cane. Cena goes low to stop him and he finally gets the handcuffs off the ring post. Orton nails Cena in the head with a chair and he uncuffs Cena’s hands. Orton now handcuffs Cena to the bottom turnbuckle and he nails Cena in the back with a chair. Cena still refuses to quit so Orton goes to nail him with a chair but misses. Backdrop on the floor by Cena and he grabs the key to the cuffs. Cena uncuffs himself and he handcuffs himself to Orton!!!! Cena hammers away and throws Orton around ringside. Back in, Cena hits the back suplex and continues to hammer away. Cena goes for the Attitude Adjustment but Orton escapes and hits the RKO!!! Orton tries to grab the key but Cena blocks and locks in the STF using the chain of the handcuffs!!!! Orton quits!!!!
Winner and NEW WWE Champion- John Cena **** ( I’ve heard good and bad things about this match. I personally LOVED the match, as the story involving the handcuffs I felt was brilliantly done and Orton had some of the best facial expressions and movements I’ve ever seen from him. This was one of the best performances I’ve ever seen from Orton from both a story and character perspective. Great stuff. )

Hell in a Cell Match for the WWE Championship- Randy Orton © vs. Sheamus from Hell in a Cell 2010
Sheamus hammers away to start but Orton comes back with a clothesline. Sheamus rakes Orton’s face off the ropes and he goes for a hiptoss but Orton blocks and hits a clothesline. Orton clotheslines Sheamus to the floor and Orton follows. He tries to send Sheamus’ face into the cell but he blocks and heads right back inside. Orton takes him down and connects with a kneedrop for 2. Slingshot shoulderblock by Sheamus gets 2. Sheamus hammers away at the chest of Orton and he drives an elbow to the face of Orton on the apron. Rights by Orton but gets sent back first into the cell which Sheamus follows up with a clothesline. Sheamus tosses the starts at Orton but he moves and pulls Sheamus’ shoulder into the post. He drives Sheamus back first into the cell a few times and Orton nails Sheamus in the face with the steps. Back in, Orton covers for 2. Orton goes for a suplex but Sheamus blocks and hits a gordbuster into the ropes. Sheamus knocks Orton off the apron driving Orton into the cell. Sheamus rolls him back in and covers for 2. Sheamus stomps away but Orton comes back with some rights. Hard shot to the midsection by Sheamus stops the momentum and he hits some knees to the midsection. Elbow to the back of the neck by Sheamus gets 2. Sheamus exposes the top turnbuckle and Orton fights back with rights. Sheamus ends that with the sledgehammer and they go to the floor. Sheamus drives Orton’s face against the cell and he hits the Gordbuster onto the steps on Orton!!!! Back in, Sheamus covers for 2. Rear Naked Choke by Sheamus but Orton starts to fight out so Sheamus breaks and drives his knee into the midsection. Waistlock by Sheamus but Orton fights out and connects with a back suplex. Sheamus charges in the corner but Orton moves and Sheamus hits the exposed corner. Dropkick by Orton and both men struggle to their feet. They slug it out and Orton begins to clean house. Powerslam by Orton and he hits a belly to belly suplex for 2. Orton blocks the Irish Curse attempt but Orton counters into the Orton backbreaker. Sheamus blocks the RKO and hits a knee to the midsection of Orton. Sheamus brings the steps into the ring and Orton hits some rights. Sheamus goes for a running powerslam on the steps but Orton escapes and hits a powerslam of his own onto the steps for 2!!! Orton goes for the hanging DDT but Sheamus blocks so Orton snaps Sheamus’ neck off the ropes. Orton hits the hanging DDT ON THE FLOOR!!!! Orton goes for the RKO on the floor but Sheamus blocks and sends Orton shoulder first into the post. Back in, Sheamus hits the Irish Curse while standing on the steps and he hits the Brogue Kick for 2!!! Sheamus grabs a chair and beats Orton with it Steve Austin style for 2. Sheamus goes to hit Orton with the chair but misses and Orton hits the RKO. Sheamus rolls out of the ring to prevent the cover so Orton follows out and goes for the Punt. Sheamus moves and connects with the Brogue Kick on the floor!!!! Back in, Sheamus covers for 2!!! Sheamus goes for the Celtic Cross off the steps but Orton blocks and takes Sheamus down driving him back first onto the steps!!! RKO ON THE STEPS gets 3!!!!
Winner and Still WWE Champion- Randy Orton ***1/2 ( The match started slow but it became one heck of a brawl down the stretch. More use of the cell and some more brutality would have put it over the top but it was still a damn good showing from both guys. )

CM Punk vs. Randy Orton from Wrestlemania XXVII
Orton hammers away to start and he knocks Punk down with an uppercut. Clothesline by Orton and he clotheslines Punk to the floor. Orton follows and he throws some uppercuts at Punk. Punk kicks the steps into the bad knee of Orton and back in, Punk goes up. He hits a crossbody off the top for 2. Punk stomps away on the bad knee of Orton but Orton fights back with rights. Orton backbreaker by Orton but Punk drives Orton’s knee into his shoulder for 2. Punk works over the knee of Orton in the corner and he hits a corner kneestrike to Orton for 2. Punk puts Orton in the tree of woe and he goes up. Punk connects with a kneedrop with Orton in the tree of woe for 2. Punk goes for the GTS but Orton escapes and goes for the RKO but Punk kicks him in the face for 2. Punk goes up but Orton crotches him and follows up with a superplex for 2. Punk rolls to the floor and he takes Orton down. Punk wraps Orton’s leg around the ringpost a few times and then locks in the post Figure-4. Back in, Punk hammers away on the bad knee and locks in the Indian Deathlock. Orton fights out and Orton starts to clean house. Powerslam by Orton and he hits a Thesz press into some rights on the mat. Angle Slam by Orton gets 2. Kicks to the leg by Punk and he sweeps the legs of Orton. Anaconda Vice by Punk but Orton rolls to the ropes to break. Orton catches Punk with the hanging DDT and he goes for the Punt but his knee gives out!!!! Orton goes for the RKO but Punk blocks and rolls to the apron with a scared look on his face. Punk goes for the springboard clothesline but Orton RKO’S HIM IN MID-AIR for 3!!!!
Winner- Randy Orton ***1/4 ( Solid match but I wasn’t blown away by it. The crowd was kind of dead for most of it and Orton worked in his usual stuff, keeping it simple rather than being innovative on the biggest event of the year. Punk’s performance was great though. )

World Heavyweight Championship- Christian © vs. Randy Orton from Smackdown 5-6-11
Shoulderblock by Christian gets 2 to start and Orton comes back with a backdrop. Orton goes for the hanging DDT but Christian backdrops Orton to the floor to block. Baseball slide by Christian and he goes for a slingshot pescado to the floor but Orton moves out of the way as we go to break.
Back and Orton stomps away on Christian for 2. Kneedrop by Orton gets 2 and he sends Christian to the corner hard for 2. Waistlock by Orton but Christian elbows out. Orton clothesline Christian to the floor and the momentum sends Orton crashing to the floor as well as we go to break again.
Back and Christian has a chinlock on Orton. Orton fights out and Christian connects with a back elbow for 2. Orton sends Christian to the corner chest first and connects with a back suplex. Rights by Orton and he hits a dropkick. Orton cleans house and charges in the corner but misses and Christian hits a slingshot kick. Second rope dropkick by Christian gets 2. Orton blocks the reverse DDT attempt and Christian snaps Orton’s neck off the ropes. Christian goes up and hits a crossbody off the top for 2. Second rope uppercut by Christian and he charges but Orton catches him with a powerslam for 2. Orton blocks the Killswitch attempt and catches Christian with the hanging DDT for 2!!! Christian escapes the Angle Slam attempt and hits the Reverse DDT for 2. Angle Slam by Orton and he goes for the RKO but Christian blocks. Orton blocks the Killswitch attempt and Christian goes for the springboard crossbody but Orton catches him with the RKO for 3!!!
Winner and NEW World Heavyweight Champion- Randy Orton ***1/2 ( Damn good TV main event. Everything after the last commercial was exciting, PPV caliber action. I know people hated that Christian dropped the belt so soon but he ended up in the second biggest program of the Summer of 2011 so it doesn’t look so bad in retrospective. )

The 411: This DVD was a fun look at one of WWE's best performers going today. It was watching the development of Randy through the years and watching his character change and evolve over the last couple of years. There are only a few classic matches but only a few bad ones and everything else is enjoyable to watch. The documentary won't blow you away but the matches are worth a look if you don't own them on other DVDs.

Final Score:  7.0   [ Good ]