“That has been done before,” Randy Orton opens up about the origin of his ‘DEADLY’ finisher RKO and how it got popular 

Randy Orton revealed the backstory behind the origin of his iconic finisher, RKO, and how it became popular among fans. 

“That has been done before,” Randy Orton opens up about the origin of his ‘DEADLY’ finisher RKO and how it got popular 

Randy Orton and Cesaro (via WWE)

Randy Orton is one of those legendary WWE Superstars who continue entertaining fans even after over 20 years. Along with his personality and incredible physique, fans go crazy over him for one more reason: his iconic finishing move, the RKO. The Legend Killer talked about how it originated in the first place.

While speaking with Jim Hayes on Bally Sports Midwest, Randy Orton revealed when he first started thinking about using the RKO. The Viper mentioned that around 2003, he was looking for a new finisher to use in his matches. He credited legendary superstars like Ric Flair, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and The Undertaker, who advised him to find a move he could use on anybody and everybody.

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Orton admitted that wrestlers like Diamond Dallas Page and John Laurinaitis had used similar moves before. However, he made the RKO his own, adding his flair to it, and it is now known as one of the greatest finishers of all time. The 14-time world champion explained to the interviewer that the RKO simply stands for his initials, Randall Keith Orton.

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It was around 2003 and I needed a finishing move, I needed something I could end a match with. I came up with the RKO, which is like Diamond Dallas Page doing the Diamond Cutter or Johnny Ace doing the Ace Crusher. It's basically a move that has been done before, I just put my own little spin on it.
Randy Orton via Bally Sports Midwest

He surprised fans with an unexpected appearance on the latest episode of Monday Night Raw and confronted Gunther. The Viper recalled the controversial finish during their King of the Ring finals in Saudi Arabia. He challenged the newly crowned World Heavyweight Champion to a rematch in his country at Bash In Berlin PLE. It will be intriguing to see if he captures another title in his illustrious career.

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Bully Ray expressed his opinion on how the match between Randy Orton and Gunther should be booked

Randy Orton and Gunther will meet in their second match against each other at Bash in Berlin. During their first encounter, The Ring General couldn’t defeat him cleanly and faced significant criticism from fans for calling himself the King of the Ring. Now that he is the World Heavyweight Champion, Bully Ray believes the result will be quite clear.

Bully Ray and Randy Orton
Bully Ray and Randy Orton (via Wrestling News and WWE)

While discussing their match, the WWE Hall of Famer first admitted that Orton did an amazing job with his promo on Raw. Bully stated that he was very invested in the storyline and called it one of the best mic work performances in a long time from The Legend Killer. The other half of the Dudley Boyz noted that Orton looked incredibly confident and comfortable during his promos.

Let’s go see what happens on this first one. Now, if GUNTHER beats him clean, that’ll be GUNTHER’s first clean victory over Randy Orton. I don’t think you’re beating GUNTHER in Germany, nor do I think this match deserves some wonky kind of finish.
Bully Ray on Gunther vs. Randy Orton via the Busted Open Radio podcast

The 18-time world champion was critical of the fact that Orton came to Raw to challenge the Imperium leader. He said that Orton’s appearance on the red brand made no sense at all and criticized WWE. Nonetheless, the rematch between the two superstars will be amazing to watch.

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