5 of Randy Orton's best matches from 2010-19
Randy Orton recently celebrated his 20th year in WWE. There is no doubt that he is one of the most celebrated WWE Superstars of all time, a future Hall of Famer and an industry-defining icon.
A superstar with Orton's longevity will naturally have countless matches under his belt. Having emerged in 2002, he is still competing full-time two decades later. He has given fans many matches and moments to remember in his storied career.
The Viper has constantly made changes to his character over the years. His reinventions have resulted in him wrestling all kinds of matches as both babyface and heel. Most of them have ranged from solid to good, but like every wrestling great, he's had his fair share of truly incredible bouts.
In celebration of his career, here are five of the best matches Randy Orton has been part of from 2010 to 2019.
#5. Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins (WrestleMania 31)
If you want to show someone a perfectly solid match that saves the best for last, you will struggle to come up with a better example than Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 31. It was thoroughly entertaining and came with a conclusion that made its way into every WWE highlight reel for years after.
The rivalry between Orton and Rollins came to a head at 'Mania, with both superstars eager to prove that they were better than the other. Neither man held anything back and only upped the intensity as the match wore on.
In the end, The Architect went for a huge Curbstomp to put his opponent away. However, The Viper launched him into the air and downed him with the greatest RKO he has ever hit to pop the crowd and take the win.
#4. Team RAW vs. Team SmackDown (Survivor Series 2016)
Brand warfare returned for the first time in many years when the best RAW and SmackDown had to offer collided in a 5-on-5 traditional Survivor Series match. Randy Orton found himself allied with Bray Wyatt as a member of Team Blue.
What followed was one of the best Survivor Series bouts in WWE history. Orton was a major player in the contest, emerging as one of the two survivors and scoring one elimination. He also played a key role in another and in the finish, taking a Spear from Roman Reigns so Wyatt could pin him.
The Apex Predator is the greatest Survivor Series performer in WWE history. This was but another feather in his cap as he capped (sorry) off a brilliant match with a stellar performance.
#3. Evolution vs. The Shield (Extreme Rules 2014)
This bout happened twice, and it's a coin toss between this one and the Elimination Tag match at Payback. However, we went with the former because it was genuinely edge-of-the-seat stuff as compared to the clean sweep that took place in the sequel.
Randy Orton, Triple H and Batista reformed Evolution to take down The Shield in 2014. The result was two dominant factions going to war, with the first of their two encounters taking place at Extreme Rules 2014.
Six of the best wrestlers in the world put on an absolute clinic that was a nail-biter from start to finish. Multiple near falls, brutal attacks and jaw-dropping stunts dictated the contest and provided fans with one of the best six-man tag team matches in WWE history.
#2. Randy Orton vs. Batista vs. Daniel Bryan (WrestleMania XXX)
We will rightly concede that this match was mainly about Daniel Bryan and his battle against the odds to win wrestling's top prize. However, his two opponents that night elevated the match to even greater heights, especially the defending champion in Randy Orton.
Orton was the World Heavyweight Champion Bryan was aiming to dethrone. However, he also had to get past Royal Rumble winner and former world champion Batista to do it. It was an uphill battle for The Beard, but he prevailed and pulled off The Miracle on Bourbon Street.
The Viper played his role to perfection and acted as the ultimate foil for the underdog to overcome. It was an underappreciated Randy Orton performance and one he rightfully deserves props for.
#1. Randy Orton vs. Christian (Over the Limit 2011)
Many fans are of the opinion that Randy Orton vs. Christian at SummerSlam 2011 was the pair's best match. While it is hard to disagree, we feel their match at Over the Limit takes the cake by the slimmest of margins.
While the SummerSlam affair was brutal and more of a spectacle, this one was just pure wrestling action from start to finish. It was easily the match of the night and had incredible storytelling throughout. Orton and Christian provided countless reversals and false finishes as a rowdy crowd cheered them on.
Ultimately, Captain Charisma was defeated when he tried to hit The Viper with the Killswitch, only to fall victim to a devastating RKO. The result meant he failed to win the World Heavyweight Championship, but there was no doubt that he and his opponent had contested a classic.