10 Wrestlers The Fans Did A Complete 180 On

The above photo shows arguably the greatest wrestler of his generation - a technical virtuoso whose combination of easygoing charisma and once-a-generation grappling ability won him the love and respect of millions of fans over the world.

The other wrestler is Randy Orton.

Neatly, the photo also shows why Randy was despised by fans for years. He's the one punching Daniel Bryan - the aforementioned "greatest wrestler of his generation" - in a neat encapsulation of how fans viewed their relationship. Randy was the corporate golden boy, chosen to unceremoniously ruin Daniel Bryan's championship win at SummerSlam 2013 and send him packing to the midcard.

Fortunately, both stars got happy endings - Daniel Bryan became WWE Champion, and Randy Orton eventually found his way into the fans' hearts.

Years after stoking fan resentment, Randy began getting the crowd back onside with his odd-couple tandem with Matt Riddle. Watching the dour Orton interact with the goofy, bro-spouting Riddle endeared the former to WWE audiences, as Orton came across as a lovable grump who nevertheless found kinship with his excitable partner.

Unfortunately, injury struck and left Orton on the shelf for 18 months, with retirement even being hinted at for the veteran superstar. The upside was, absence made the heart grow fonder as Orton's return to the ring at Survivor Series 2023 caused the biggest pop of the year (well, until it was superseded by CM Punk's return later that night).

Having one of the biggest moments of his career stolen by another wrestler? Now Randy knows how Daniel Bryan felt at SummerSlam...