Randy Orton will take on WWE Champion Drew McIntyre next Sunday at WWE SummerSlam. It’s a chance for Orton to win his 14th world championship for the promotion and the marquee match of this year’s event. And speaking of marquee matches at SummerSlam, Orton is no stranger to them or the show itself. He made his first appearance on a SummerSlam event in 2003 at the age of just 23 years old. One year later, he became world champion for the very first time at SummerSlam.
In all, Orton has wrestled on WWE’s signature summer PPV event 14 times over the years heading into next Sunday. Eight of these matches were for the world title. After next Sunday, we’re looking at nine world title matches out of 15 appearances. So we thought this would be a great chance to look back at some of the “Legend Killer’s” greatest moments in the history of SummerSlam.
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Take a stroll down memory lane with us as we relive some championship victories, RKOs, and an iconic cash-in.
SummerSlam 2004: World Champion
One year after making his SummerSlam debut in a World Championship Elimination Chamber match, Orton followed that up with a singles match for the World Championship at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre. Across the ring from Orton that night was Chris Benoit, a man who at the time was already looked at as a legend in the sport who was also in the midst of his first (and ultimately, only) world championship reign.
The young Orton and the ring general Benoit had the best match of the show, and in the end, Orton emerged victorious and became the youngest world champion in WWE history at the age of just 24 years old.
SummerSlam 2007: The Next Generation Shines
By 2007, the WWE was on to a new era of superstars. While names like Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and The Undertaker were still around, John Cena and Randy Orton had really taken over as the stars of the next generation with a couple of years of championship history in their rear-view mirrors at this point.
After spending the previous two years working against legends (he is the “Legend Killer” after all) at SummerSlam in the form of The Undertaker and Hulk Hogan, Orton found himself against another hungry young star in Cena. And the two of them put on a hell of a contest. Cena emerged victorious, and the crowd in East Rutherford, New Jersey was electric for 20 minutes-plus.
The two men would wrestle again at SummerSlam two years later, but this is by far the better outing.
SummerSlam 2011: A Show-Stopping Performance
Orton has won the World Championship on numerous occasions over the years at SummerSlam. His 2011 No Holds Barred match against the reigning champion, Christian, might be his best title match at the event. It was also during a time when Orton was one of the most over babyfaces on the roster.
The bout started off with a flare as Edge made an appearance just months after having to retire due to a neck injury. The crowd in Los Angeles went nuts for that, to be sure, but the 24 minute classic that came once the bell rang between two of the company’s best workers took them to another level.
SummerSlam 2013: Cashing In
While Orton didn’t have an official match at SummerSlam 2013, he did have a certain briefcase in his possession. In the main event of the show, John Cena and Daniel Bryan had one of the greatest matches in SummerSlam history, with Bryan emerging victorious in spite of Triple H as guest referee.
However, that feel good moment was short-lived as Randy Orton emerged from backstage with the Money In The Bank briefcase and cashed in, defeating Bryan for the title in just nine seconds and ending his reign just as it had begun.
This moment would prove to be so critical in building up Bryan for his iconic World Championship victory the following spring at WrestleMania XXX. He had been screwed by The Authority, but he would ultimately (thanks to the fans) get his revenge.
SummerSlam 2014: Bringing In A New Generation
2014 was the year that saw Roman Reigns breakaway from The Shield and start his singles run. Reigns’ first SummerSlam match on his own was just two months after The Shield broke up, and he found himself across the ring from Orton.
By this point, Orton had been a mainstay in the company for over a decade and had the reputation as one of the best workers in the promotion. Putting a new star like Reigns that WWE was still trying to mold across from a veteran like Orton seemed like a safe bet, and the two men went out and had a very good match together.
SummerSlam 2020: Another Pivotal Moment
Heading into Sunday night’s PPV event against McIntyre, the 2014 match against Reigns remains Orton’s last great outing at the PPV. Since 2014, Orton has worked the show every year except 2018. He’s had two matches that ended in controversial fashion (Lesnar via stoppage in 2016, Kofi via countout last year), a match with Sheamus in 2015 that wasn’t a lot better than their first match at SummerSlam in 2010, and a ten second victory over Rusev in 2017. The Lesnar match was memorable for its brutality, but it wasn’t exactly a “great moment” for Orton.
Orton has a rich history at SummerSlam, and this year marks a great opportunity for him to go out and steal the show once again. While McIntyre isn’t exactly a young star, he’s in a new position as champion and needs to have a good match. Orton’s the type of guy who can give that to him, and they’ve created some memorable television together in recent weeks. Similar to 2014, this is a moment where Orton can help legitimize a new top star in the company.
