WWE Wrestlers Hot Photos: Randy Orton

Randy Orton Biography

Randall Keith “Randy” Orton (born April 1, 1980 in Knoxville, Tennessee), is an American third-generation professional wrestler currently working for World Wrestling Entertainment’s SmackDown! brand.
Orton comes from a family of professional wrestlers starting from his grandfather Bob Orton, Sr. His uncle Barry O was also a former wrestler. After graduating from Hazelwood Central High School he was trained by his father, “Cowboy” Bob Orton, and made his professional wrestling debut in 2000 with the MMWA-SICW in his hometown of Saint Louis, Missouri, and 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. He debuted on WWE programming in April 2002.
Orton trained at Ohio Valley Wrestling in Louisville, until he was brought up to the main roster. He made little impact as a face on SmackDown! before being drafted to RAW, where he 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 (GetWellRandy@wwe.com). His smug, self-centred 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. At this point Orton was given the gimmick of The Legend Killer which saw him defeating or humiliating legendary wrestlers and personalities. Orton gained infamy when he spat in the faces of wrestling legends Mick Foley and Harley Race. At Unforgiven 2003 on September 21, Orton defeated Shawn Michaels with the help of Ric Flair.
Orton went on to defeat Rob Van Dam for the WWE Intercontinental Championship at Armageddon 2003 on December 14. He became one of the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champions of recent years, holding the title for seven months.
On the July 26, 2004 episode of Raw, Orton won a 20-man battle royal 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 R.K.O. 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 in which Benoit encouraged Orton to “Be A Man.” The match was held in Toronto, Ontario at the Air Canada Centre.
Orton was kicked out of Evolution the night after winning the World Heavyweight Championship, which the group’s leader, Triple H, believed belonged to him. Orton became a face, and Triple H began feuding with him over the title. Just under a month later on September 12, Orton lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Triple H at Unforgiven 2004. His short reign as World Heavyweight Champion was largely regarded as a dismal failure, in part due to his unwanted and sudden rise to main event status but largely because his face turn was not well received by the majority of the WWE audience, especially as Chris Benoit had clearly been a popular World Heavyweight Champion. Backstage politics by Triple H were also rumoured to have played a part in his short run as champion.

Randy Orton