Randy Orton’s finisher: What does RKO stand for in WWE?

Randy Orton's lethal RKO originates from his initials and is stated down to be one of the greatest finisher.

Randy Orton’s finisher: What does RKO stand for in WWE?

Randy Orton's RKO to CM Punk (via Pinterest)

The Apex Predator Randy Orton is one of the greatest WWE superstars of all time. Being one of the most decorated stars with titles and honors, he has been a mainstay in the company for more than two decades. This career of Randy has also been lauded due to his celebrated yet devastating finisher, RKO.

RKO stands for his full name, Randy Keith Orton, and defines his dangerous attitude. The finisher, also termed ‘RKO Outta Nowhere’, is due to its unpredictable nature. Orton jumps in the air to hold the neck and take down his opponent, hitting the mat. In this process, Randy also hits his back hard on the floor. Although Punk Kick replaced RKO in the 2009s when WWE unleashed Randy as the extreme heel.

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RKO gains loud pops from the audience as Randy goes high in the air to attempt it. There have been instances where RKO was considered to be the ultimate finisher, as nobody was able to kick out from the threat. The rally for RKO sees Orton hitting with a rope-hung DDT and then preparing the finisher with emotes.

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The mid-air RKO to Seth Rollins remains one of the best RKOs to date. Rollins’ attempt to deliver a Stomp to The Viper saw his counter with an unexpected RKO. While an RKO to Nia Jax is one of the most iconic moments in Royal Rumble history, that makes The Legend Killer a name to be remembered.

The Grand Slam Championship wins of Randy Orton

Randy Orton made his WWF debut in 2002 on SmackDown against Hardcore Holly. Within a year, WWE saw the potential in him and was aligned with Evolution. The heel stable dominated the Raw roster, and at one point, every member held a title. Ever since Orton has captured every possible title.

Randy Orton's Grand Slam championship wins
Randy Orton’s Grand Slam championship wins (via WWE)

The Viper’s first title was the Intercontinental Championship, which he won from Rob Van Dam at Armageddon 2003. A few months later, at SummerSlam 2004, Orton defeated Chris Benoit to win the World Heavyweight Championship and become the youngest champion to ever hold the title at the age of 24.

Randy teamed with Edge (Rated-RKO) to win the World Tag Team Championship from Ric Flair and Roddy Piper on the November 13 episode of Raw. The next title he caught hold of was the WWE Championship, handed over to him by Vince McMahon at No Mercy 2007. He then won multiple world titles and made a record of those but held the United States Championship for the first time at Fastlane 2018, becoming the 18th Grand Slam champion.

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