10 Genius Ways Wrestlers Proved The Critics Wrong

With Randy Orton making wrestling fans' hearts grow fonder through his lengthy absence, it's fitting to go back to the time he began winning the WWE audience over.

When a young Randy burst onto the scene in the early noughties, he didn't immediately endear himself to the public. An obviously talented worker, Orton nonetheless suffered from the perception that he was coasting by on his family name and favouritism (joining a stable led by the notoriously over-pushed Triple H didn't help in that regard).

Mick Foley, as was his wont, took it upon himself to improve the fans' perception of Randy. And, as was Mick's other wont, he did so through violence.

Orton and Foley's hardcore match at Backlash 2004 acted as a coming of age party for the younger superstar. Brilliantly, Orton allowed himself to look like a total putz at the start of the match - his barbed wire 2x4 unravelled almost instantly, and he looked like a terrified extra in a slasher movie. However, as the match progressed Orton grew into it, taking some hellacious bumps (including a particularly nasty thumbtack spot) and transforming from a generic horror movie victim into the heroic Final Girl (or Guy, in this case).

By the end of the match, Orton had not only slain his dragon but shown that he was willing - and capable - of putting his body on the line to create magic. As star-making performances go, there have been few better.