15 Times WWE Stars Made Cameos BEFORE They Were Famous
2. Randy Orton
The 25 April 2002 edition of SmackDown will be forever etched in Randy Orton's memory. That was his official named WWE main roster debut, and it came with a spirited victory over company stalwart Hardcore Holly. Remarkably, Bob managed to refrain himself from beating the crap out of a rookie that evening. What a pro. Ahem.
Almost 2 years prior, an even younger Randy was showing up on WWF television for the very first time as part of a skit involving the APA and the Dudley Boyz on the 7 September 2000 episode of SmackDown. Future S&M lover Doug Basham was in the skit too, but it's Orton who gets the star treatment in this entry due to his stellar, Hall Of Fame-worthy career that followed.
The segment was a routine bar scene that led to a brawl between established teams. Randy was one of many extras spread out across the phoney pub to make it look like everyone was enjoying a fun night out until all hell broke loose. Unfortunately, Orton didn't get to leap into shot and blast everyone with an RKO out of nowhere. Technically, he wasn't even using that finisher at that point.
WWE gamers of a certain vintage may recall that his finishing move was the 'Overdrive' in SmackDown vs. Raw: Shut Your Mouth. It sucked in comparison to the most dangerous letters in all of sports entertainment, let's get that straight right away. The babyfaced Randy was only on camera for a brief period, but this experience gave him a taste of the big time.
Better was to come. Understatement of the year.