10 Times Randy Orton Was Actually As Good As WWE Says He Is
7. The Mutilation Of Jeff Hardy
The feud between Jeff Hardy and Randy Orton in 2018 in some ways didn’t live up to what it could have been. An underwhelming contest at Backlash earlier in the year, a feud that seemed to spark out of nowhere for the sake of something for both men to do, no follow up beyond this big match. On paper, it was just another forgettable feud between two veterans. In reality, it lead into one of the best main roster matches of the last 5 years.
Despite the confusion in the build-up to Hell in a Cell for why Hardy and Orton were inside the Cell, instead of a more natural feud like Joe/Styles or Flair/Lynch, both men exceeded expectations miraculously and proved just how valuable Orton is when he’s motivated.
Instead of just relying on his usual minimalistic strategy of headlocks, Orton decided to create a horrifying image that would last forever in the minds of WWE fans, skewering Hardy’s ear piercing with a screwdriver and twisting it with maniacal glee.
Hardy’s babyface performance after this spot cannot be denied, with his comeback feeling absolutely essential after his ear was mutilated, but this was Orton’s show and one of the greatest heel performances of the last decade. No one cared afterwards about how they got there, just whatever violence Orton would enact next.