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.Randy Orton's arrival in WWE was seemingly inevitable. After all, he
was practically raised in the business that both his father and
grandfather excelled in. It's no wonder he has quickly ascended to the
higher echelons of the RAW roster.
In April 2002, he began his WWE career with an appearance on SmackDown! A
few months into his rookie run, an unfortunate injury put him out of
action. Refusing to sit idly on the sidelines, Orton continued making
appearances on WWE television, going as far as attacking targeted
Superstars with his crutches and giving fans constant updates on his
medical progress … whether they wanted them or not.
Upon returning to active competition in May 2003, Orton was instantly
recruited by Triple H to join with the legendary “Nature Boy” Ric Flair,
and the animal Batista as part of Evolution. Orton captured his first
major championship on Dec. 14, 2003, defeating Rob Van Dam for the
Intercontinental Championship at Armageddon. He held on to the
championship for about seven months, defeating challengers such as Shelton
Benjamin, Val Venis, Chris Jericho and Mick Foley. Priding himself as “The
Legend Killer,’’ Orton has decisions over the likes of Sgt. Slaughter,
Shawn Michaels, and Chris Jericho. Orton also displays no fear and no
respect when confronting legends such as Harley Race, asserting his claim
that he is a true legend of sports entertainment.
At WrestleMania XX, Orton teamed with Flair and Batista to take on the
reunited Rock ‘n’ Sock Connection (The Rock and Mick Foley). Orton
delivered the RKO to Foley, enabling his team to emerge victorious. At the
Backlash pay-per-view, Orton added Foley to his list of legends he has
defeated, pinning Mick in a Hardcore Rules Match.
At the tender age of 24, Orton became the youngest man to ever capture a
World Championship in WWE when he defeated Chris Benoit for the World
Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam 2004. Orton was so impressive
during this match that even his opponent, Benoit, congratulated him after
his victory. Evolution, however, did not. The absence of Orton's faction
mates may have been a precursor to what was about to come, as on the
following night's RAW, Triple H, Batista and Ric Flair turned their back
on Orton, leaving him a bloody mess in the middle of the ring.
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