WWE's 15 Hottest Stars Of The Summer Since 2001
12. Randy Orton - 2004
It was evident from the get-go that the purpose of Evolution was to launch the careers of Randy Orton and Batista, and by mid-2004, Orton was ready to break out on his own. He was fresh off an exciting Intercontinental Championship reign and almost overnight, he transitioned into a viable contender for the World Heavyweight Championship by winning a No. 1 Contender's Battle Royal on Raw.
No one was better back then at being a braggadocios heel than Randy Orton, yet the fans rallied behind him anyway. Perhaps Chris Benoit wasn't believable in his role as the world champion, but either way, fans were hyped to see a fresh face (i.e. someone not named Triple H) in the main event scene for a change.
Orton was on a hot streak throughout the summer, so much so that the momentum was on his side heading into his world title clash with Benoit at SummerSlam. It spoke volumes that the audience was solidly behind Orton on that evening, despite the event emanating from The Rabid Wolverine's native Canada.
With one RKO, Orton secured his premier World Heavyweight Championship to end what had been an excellent summer season for him. Once autumn kicked in, unfortunately, it was all about The Game yet again.