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

This match during the 'Legend Killer' run was the contest that made Randy Orton. He proved himself as a worthy singles star through blood, sweat and barbed wire with this masterful match against Mick Foley.

The Legend Killer might have been going on an incredible run with the Intercontinental title at that point, but he hadn’t faced any challenge as he did with Cactus Jack. Their hardcore match put Orton straight into the deep end, forcing him to adapt to a style completely unlike anything he’d faced before. Similarly to how Dominik Mysterio faced kendo stick whippings to get respect from the audience, Orton won admiration from the fans through the absurd amount of punishment he took here. He could never be criticised of not trying in this match.

The two men had electrifying chemistry, with Foley doing everything to get the young Viper over as a perseverant antagonist. While WWE’s hardcore matches can often rely on just spots, Orton and Foley embedded them with such dramatic weight, the old veteran desperate to prove he’s not obsolete contrasting with the young champion‘s refusal to let the pain take away his destiny. A sensational star-making contest.