Following a shocking heel turn, Randy Orton has suddenly become the hottest act in WWE. Orton will main event his third WrestleMania this year, battling Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship. Previously, The Viper headlined Mania 25 and Mania 30.
Orton’s appearances have spanned eras and have seen him at various stages of his career. He has walked into Mania with every active title on the roster. Given his 20 outings at The Show of Shows, it was difficult to accurately narrow down the top 5 ones, which is why we have a few honorable mentions:
- Randy Orton vs. CM Punk at WrestleMania 27
- RK-Bro Vs. Street Profits Vs. Alpha Academy at WrestleMania 38
- Money in the Bank Ladder match at WrestleMania 23
With the honorable mentions out of the way, let’s delve deep into 5 of Orton’s best matches at The Grandest Stage of Them All.
#5. Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens vs. Logan Paul (c) for the U.S. Championship at WrestleMania 40: Sunday
After Logan Paul cost Randy Orton the chance to compete for the World Heavyweight Championship at Elimination Chamber, The Viper put a target on The Maverick. The U.S. Championship was on the line, and Kevin Owens, Orton’s friend and Paul’s arch-rival, was also part of the Triple Threat Match.
It was a thoroughly entertaining bout with its fair share of viral moments. In the initial stages, KO and Orton ganged up on Paul, but eventually, both friends came to blows. The 14-time World Champion also pulled an RKO out of nowhere mid-air by countering the Pop-Up Powerbomb to his signature finisher.
Furthermore, iShowSpeed, dressed as a Prime bottle, took an RKO on the announce table, a hilarious moment that generated a ton of buzz on social media. Mania needs fun matches like these, and WWE made the understandable decision of having Paul retain the US Title at WrestleMania 40.
