100 Best Wrestling Moves EVER
5. Randy Orton | RKO
Randy Orton took Diamond Dallas Page's popular Diamond Cutter finisher (without receiving a fired up phone call like Triple H back in 1995, no less) and turned it into something even better. The Diamond Cutter became the RKO, and it's evolved a bit as time has marched on. At first, Randy would simply fall into the move like Page did. Then, he started experimenting with a leaping motion to give it more bite.
Eventually, the leaping snap movement fans know and love today became the norm. Like Steve Austin's Stunner, the RKO gives an immediate amount of gratification. You don't have to wait long at all to see it play out in full. In fact, the move is so quick that Randy began pounding the mat with his fists to add some anticipation rather than snapping into the finish 100% of the time.
Something special happened during the rise of social media too. Orton's RKO started to become an internet sensation. It was meme'd to the nth degree by all and sundry. Even your auntie probably shared a clip of Randy hitting a Photoshopped RKO on something strange in her office over a cup of tea. The phrase, "RKO out of nowhere" became stuff of pop culture legend almost overnight.
Orton's Draping DDT benefits from his slithering 'Viper' stylings, but the same could be said for the RKO. It relies on two things: Randy's swift, violent movements, and the person taking the bump matching that speed then selling after they've been pinned with it. That's how quick it is. You don't even know you've been hit until it's too late.