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

Orton’s run as the unified World Heavyweight Champion is one of his most successful title reigns. He delivered with John Cena in a controversial match at the Royal Rumble, was excellent as a diabolical heel in a masterful Elimination Chamber match and most importantly, dropped the title in a classic at WrestleMania XXX.

Daniel Bryan vs Batista vs Randy Orton is a masterpiece. All three men told a wonderful narrative, truly immersing audiences in the possibility of Bryan‘s victory. Orton’s maliciousness and status as a ring general held the match together, his casual cruelty to Bryan further inspiring the audience to cheer for the underdog. Despite not being involved in the finish, Orton put over the new champion with his exceptional performance, putting in the effort to make Bryan look incredible.

The reunion of Evolution after WrestleMania was another success, with Orton’s reunion with Batista and Triple H leading to increased vigour in his promos and wrestling. It also gave him the opportunity to show off his skills as a tag wrestler for the first time in a while, excelling in 6 man tags against The Shield.

This era of Orton was arguably his most selfless, doing brilliant work to put over Bryan and The Shield without taking too much of the spotlight in defeat. These matches hold up and further cement Orton as one of the best workers in the world when he wants to be.