Introduction
He hears voices in his head that counsel him and understand. Man who knew Randy Orton got such good free therapy? Anyway, Randy Orton is one of WWE’s most successful and decorated stars, as noted by his 14 WWE World Championship titles which could rise further should he manage to beat Der Ring General in Berlin, and as such has had many very, very good matches with a range of superstars. So, in honour of one of WWE’s, and the industry’s, greatest stars, we’re going to rank his best matches in this list. Oh, spoiler John Cena doesn’t feature here as despite WWE trying to make it into Tanahashi vs Okada it really isn’t comparable. Now, with that said check out more wrestling content here and let’s get into our picks for Randy Orton’s best matches!
Best Randy Orton Matches Ranked – Top 10
10. Randy Orton vs CM Punk (Wrestlemania 27)
Kicking off our list of the best Randy Orton Matches is his oft forgotten match (and feud) with the then leader of the New Nexus, CM Punk, at arguably one of the worst Wrestlemanias of all time. Now, none of that is Randy and Punk’s fault as both men put a lot of work into making this a truly great rivalry and match. Please see the creepy kiss Punk blew to Randy’s ‘wife’ in the build up as evidence. That aside, this match is just really fun to watch as Punk tries to be cerebral by attacking Orton’s knee so he can’t hit the Punt Kick. And this is working as Orton goes for one but can’t deliver it due to the dodgy knee.
Oh, the final stretch is just perfect as Orton dodges the GTS, Punk then dodges an RKO and goes for a springboard clothesline…. Only to be caught with a mid air RKO for a Randy Orton win. Great stuff all round.
9. Randy Orton vs Seth Rollins (Wrestlemania 31)
Speaking of mid air RKO’s giving Randy Orton wins, this match arguably has one of his top three RKO’s of all time. And that’s saying something… Now in the build up to their Wrestlemania match, Seth was being a little sneaky guy and constantly dodging Randy so naturally the Viper is more than ready to try and get some revenge on his one time Authority team mate. Naturally, this match is rather good considering the two men involved but let’s be real there’s only one reason this match is so fondly remembered by WWE fans.
And it’s for a fantastic finishing stretch where Rollins hits a spin kick to the gut to set up a curb stomp only for Randy to pop up like a meerkat and drop him with a stunning RKO. Whilst you should absolutely check this match out for the RKO, it’s also surprisingly good much like Wrestlemania 31 as a whole.
8. Randy Orton vs Shawn Michaels (Unforgiven 2003)
Similarly to our previous two entries, this match is a forgotten classic which considering the two men involved is really saying something. By this point in their respective careers, Orton was finally starting to find his feet as the Legend Killer whilst Shawn Michaels was Shawn Michaels so need we say anymore? Now, yes a lot of this match is interference as everyone’s favourite weird old man, Ric Flair, not only put Orton’s foot on the ropes to avoid a pin but eventually helps him win the match with brass knuckles.
Luckily, Michaels does nearly take Flair’s head off with Sweet Chin Music but not before Randy slithers up behind and knocks out Michaels as he was going for a Back Suplex. Now yes, it does feel slightly like cheating to have Randy go over using the Knuckles however it works within the context of the match and character as all Randy wants to do is ‘kill’ Legends regardless of the scheming methods he needs to use. Overall, a solid match which lays the groundwork for a later match on our list.
7. Randy Orton vs Jeff Hardy – WWE Championship Match (Royal Rumble 2008)
Continuing the theme of the best Randy Orton matches being very underappreciated means we have arrived at his WWE Championship defence against the Man that hates his own spine: Jeff Hardy. By this point, Randy had become the top heel in the company and was hellbent on keeping the title out of the grasp of Hardy who had quickly become one of the most popular stars in the company through a combo of mad hair and madder stunts.
Thus, this match is a blend of both men’s styles with Orton being all methodical and trying to break Jeff down while Jeff was behaving like he had springs in his legs. And obviously a Randy Orton match wouldn’t be great if there wasn’t an iconic RKO. In this case, Jeff goes for a Twist of Fate and then ironically in a twist of fate Randy spins out of it and delivers a brutal RKO. Overall, another solid match which proves how perfect Randy is at the WWE main event style.
6. Randy Orton vs Triple H – Last Man Standing Match for the WWE Championship (No Mercy 2007)
From an oft forgotten match to one that is often brought up in the conversation of both men’s best ever matches. Now, this was at the end of a very silly PPV long storyline where Randy lost the WWE title in the first match of the night to Triple H who then defended it against Umaga and then Randy activated his rematch clause for the same night. Oh, and then He Who Shall Not Be Named makes it a Last Man Standing Match.
Naturally, this match is very silly and very violent as seen by Orton getting launched like a javelin off one announce table through another announce table. There’s also multiple DDTs and RKOs onto steel chairs before the ending where Orton counters a Pedigree on the announce table into an RKO which puts Triple H down for the ten count. Overall, a very violent and fitting end to the night long storyline between the Viper and the Game for the WWE Championship.
5. Randy Orton vs Rey Mysterio vs Kurt Angle – Triple Threat Match for the World Heavyweight Championship (Wrestlemania 22)
You probably remember this match because it’s the one where Kurt Angle german suplexes both Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio at the same time. Oh, that is true, it’s damn true. Anyway, for outside reasons, this match is nine minutes long. But oh boy do all three men turn the speed up to 11. This is mostly Rey and Kurt launching off each other like octopuses in a washing machine but Randy’s no slouch either as he’s the man Rey drops with a 619 and West Coast Pop combo to seal his first ever world title in WWE. If you conveniently forget about everything that happened afterwards, then this triple threat is a complete blast which highlights the strengths of all three men in its horrendously short runtime.
4. Randy Orton vs The Undertaker (Wrestlemania 21)
Remember when we mentioned that we’d be returning to Randy Orton’s run as the Legend Killer? Well, we’ve arrived at the greatest part of that run, his match with the Undertaker at Wrestlemania 21. This match is special for several reasons, not the least because it’s the first Wrestlemania where WWE properly bigged up the Streak as something legendary. And who better to try and break the Streak than the Legend Killer?
Anyway, this match is great as for the previous months Orton and his dad had been ducking Undertaker like the plague but eventually Undertaker gets to beat Orton senseless at times here. However, this match has one of the first true RKO’s from nowhere as Orton counters a Chokeslam into an RKO for a heartstopping nearfall. Despite other matches on this list cementing Randy as a top guy, this was arguably the match where he came of age as a main event level player. Truly the first great match of the Streak.
3. Randy Orton vs Batista vs Daniel Bryan – Triple Threat Match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship (Wrestlemania 30)
Well, this match was always going to find its way onto this list thanks in large part to the incredible storytelling and that little part of you which almost made you think that WWE was going to put the title on Batista. However, that little spark of hope powers through this match superbly as Bryan fights back from underneath so many times like dual Yes kicking both former Evolution members or trying to knee Batista back to Hollywood. Oh, and he definitely takes a beating as evidenced by the Batista Bomb/RKO combo off one announce table through another announce table which looked like it murdered Randy’s back. Either way, this match is a joy to watch mostly because for one night Daniel Bryan conquered all adversity and reached the top of the mountain in WWE. Truly heartwarming stuff from all those involved.
2. Randy Orton vs Christian – No Disqualification Match for the World Heavyweight Championship (Summerslam 2011)
For those who have read our most underrated Summerslam matches list from last week, you’ll know that this writer has a massive soft spot for this match and feud as a whole. Mostly because Randy became so relatable having to deal with Christian’s consistently slimy and underhanded tactics in order to keep the World Heavyweight Championship. Naturally, this all resulted in a very good no disqualification match where both men whacked each other with a B and Q’s store worth of weapons.
But obviously, the one thing that people remember about this match the most is the ending where Christian goes for a diving shoulder tackle from the second rope only to be caught by an RKO out of nowhere onto the steel steps. A great ending to a fantastic match and feud which felt satisfying to watch and if you want more on this match check out our most underrated Summerslam matches list.
1. Randy Orton vs Cactus Jack – Hardcore Match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship (Backlash 2004)
And our pick for the best Randy Orton match is…. Randy Orton vs Cactus Jack for the Intercontinental Championship at Backlash 2004. Mostly because it was the match where you could argue Randy became a made man in WWE. Very similar to how Edge’s match with Foley did the same for him at Wrestlemania 22, this match showed the fans just how serious WWE were about Randy Orton. Oh and Mick Foley introduced Orton to all the old ECW favourites including thumbtacks, barbed wire and copious amounts of blood everywhere.
Speaking of the first item there, there’s an eye watering brutal spot where Foley counters an RKO by just chucking Randy barebacked into thumbtacks. Similar to a lot of this match’s content, it definitely isn’t for the faint of heart or for anyone planning on eating but if you can stomach it you’ll be able to see why Randy’s brutal and gutsy performance (despite being the heel here) helped solidify his WWE future for years to come.
