10 Times Randy Orton Was Actually As Good As WWE Says He Is

Randy Orton is on the run of his career right now. 'The Apex Predator' has thrived in the empty arena era of WWE, excelling with maniacal glee as he enacts psychological torture on Edge, rebirthing the Legend Killer to batter Big Show, and bring together all of his best traits as a heel into one unmissable legend. He makes Raw more watchable with his presence every week.

But Orton's consistency has fluctuated over the years, with a reputation of being one of the most easily bored main event talents in the business. He is naturally talented and has the ability to have a great match whenever he pleases, but he's often disappointed over the course of his legendary career. It can be difficult for many fans to see him as an all-time great when he's not living up to expectations with Kofi Kingston or Triple H, but when he cares, Orton is one of the most essential performers the company's ever seen.

Randy Orton's legacy, once his career is over, will be seismic, his impressions on audiences and the business itself will never truly fade. These are the moments, matches, feuds and runs that have cemented Orton as worthy for the Greatest of All Time discussion...

Something that’s been forgotten about in the years since is just how compelling the Randy Orton/Bray Wyatt dynamic was. While it suffered as always from Wyatt Family overbooking and the eventual feud disappointing, the power of Wyatt and Orton as a duo was substantive, Randy putting in the effort to sell himself as the newest member of Bray’s horrifying collective.

The current Brodie Lee has never gotten a full chance to express what he’s capable of as a wrestler, despite bangers with The Usos, The Shield and Dolph Ziggler under his catalogue. At this point, the allegiance of Harper was more in doubt than Orton’s, this battle of Wyatt’s protégés being absolutely scintillating television.

Despite the expectations being solid, both men exceeded them greatly, having Orton’s finest singles match in years in the process. Orton shifts effortlessly between moments of controlled domination and frenzied rage, as his efforts to contain the beast within him fail as Harper refuses to go down easy. The acknowledgement that this didn’t lead to a babyface Harper in the WrestleMania match is still disappointing, but Orton used his experience as an in-ring veteran perfectly to make it stand out on its own, forever great in isolation.