Picture Credit: Randy Orton (Instagram)
WWE star Randy Orton has been in WWE for 24 years, making him the longest-serving full-time employee of the company. When he first signed the WWE contract in 2000, the promotion was still dubbed WWF.
As a rookie, after signing the first WWE contract, he went to Ohio Valley Wrestling, aka OVW, which was the promotion’s developmental brand in the early 2000s, grooming some of the biggest names in history. The rookie Randy, who was only 20 years old at that time, spent two years there, honing his skills in the squared circle and his oratory proficiency.
Randy Orton’s WWE main roster debut in 2002. Hence, he has been a main roster WWE star for 22 years. While he had a shaky start to his main roster career with a shoulder injury, once he recovered, he turned heel by joining the Triple H-led stable Evolution, which included Batista and Ric Flair.
His tenure with Evolution and being surrounded by well-established names in the industry contributed to his professional growth. As a heel, guided by The Nature Boy and The Game, Orton began creating heat like a top star. Consequently, he didn’t long to win titles in WWE.
Randy Orton’s WWE Accomplishments In 24 Years
In his two decades of main roster WWE career, Orton’s accomplishments are unparalleled. Solidifying his character as a Legend Killer, The Viper crossed paths with various legends in the initial days of his career. He embraced the persona because despite being a young talent, he devoured legends such as Shawn Michaels and Mick Foley.
The Viper’s first WWE title was the Intercontinental Championship, which a myriad of big stars captured before moving forward in the main event scene. His prolonged Intercontinental Championship reign, lasting 210 days, cemented his status as a potential future megastar.
The biggest turning point of a young Randy Orton’s career happened after dropping the prestigious mid-card prize. Immediately becoming a World Heavyweight Championship contender, The Legend Killer captured the big gold for the first time at SummerSlam 2004, becoming the youngest-ever world champion in history, a record still intact in WWE. When he secured the honor, he was only 24 years old.
Attaining the role of a major star in WWE following the World Heavyweight Championship triumph, he never looked back in his career. Over the next twenty years, The Viper added an astounding thirteen more world championships to his impressive list of achievements, meaning he is currently a 14-time World champ, remaining just two reigns short of John Cena and Ric Flair’s most tally of 16 world titles triumphs.
Orton’s world championship resume includes 10 WWE Championships and 4 World Heavyweight Championship reigns altogether. Apart from the solo Intercontinental Championship, he also added the United States and Tag Team Titles to his tally of collection, placing him in WWE as a Grand Slam Champion.
The Viper’s list of accomplishments does not stop here. He is a two-time Royal Rumble winner, becoming victorious in the Battle Royal match in 2009 and 2017 and headlining WrestleMania each year. Moreover, he was the Money in the Bank winner in 2013.
Once he ascended the ladder as WWE’s one of the primary stars, the gate of opportunities opened up for him. The Legend Killer headlined multiple WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and other big PLEs of WWE in his two-decade WWE career.
Randy Orton’s Notable Rivalries In WWE
As one of the best workers in professional wrestling, Randy Orton was able to share in-ring chemistry with numerous wrestlers throughout the 2000s and 2010s, delivering some of the greatest feuds in history.
Triple H was Orton’s mentor in the initial days, and their feud culminated in 2008 and 2009. During his rookie days, Mick Foley was influential in putting him over as a Legend Killer, and Shawn Michaels played an equally important role, producing an incredible feud.
When The Legend Killer battled with The Undertaker in 2005, the rivalry was a key factor in raising his status to another level, especially early in his career. A young Randy needed the name of The Phenom’s status to display his talent as a heel. Their WrestleMania 21 encounter was their most remarkable bout besides the one at Armageddon 2005.
However, when it comes to Randy Orton’s ultimate arch-enemy and the best WWE feud, it is undoubtedly John Cena. They shared an identical career path, rising to the main event scene from the OVW and making main roster debuts in the same year.
In the late 2000s, they had an extensive feud. During that period, John Cena was everyone’s favorite hero whereas Randy Orton was at his best as a loathed heel. Moreover, they had another remarkable face-off in 2013.
Renowned for his best character portrayal, the 2009 Randy orton version was cruel and merciless as a bad guy, with many fans believing his career peaked that year.
In addition to these rivalries, his former Evolution stablemates Batista, Jeff Hardy, Bray Wyatt, Drew McIntyre, and Edge are noteworthy feuds of The Viper deserving attention.
Avik Das is an English Literature graduate with an experience of over six years as a professional writer. He has written for renowned publications such as The Sportster, Sportskeeda, Pinkvilla, and The Things
