10 WWE Superstars Randy Orton Has Actually Helped Elevate

While Randy Orton's "de-push" of Kofi Kingston in 2009 is well documented, he was responsible for helping him reach new heights as a performer during their heated rivalry that year.

Before going after Orton that October, Kingston was an accomplished singles star with reigns as Intercontinental champion, United States champion and World Tag Team champion to his credit. However, the phony Jamaican accent and lack of character development held him back from getting to that next level in WWE.

Kingston showed off an all-new, more aggressive side to himself as soon as he started his feud with Orton. The Viper made him look like a star with that unforgettable angle on Raw in Madison Square Garden before putting him over in a major way at that Sunday's Survivor Series pay-per-view.

Although Kingston eventually lost to Orton one-on-one at TLC, at least he had a solid showing in defeat. Kingston would probably be higher up on this list had he amounted to super stardom from there, but it actually wasn't until 2019 that he finally reached the pinnacle of his career when he won the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 35.

Orton paid it forward when they rekindled their rivalry this past summer by losing to his longtime rival at Clash of Champions in clean fashion. Aside from WrestleMania, it was easily the biggest victory Kingston claimed while champion.