"The Legend Killer": Randy Orton's best WWE gimmick

Randy Orton over the last 20 years has enjoyed one of the best careers in WWE history but it was “The Legend Killer” gimmick that truly put him on the map.

Orton has had numerous gimmicks and monikers over the years, from the “The Viper” to “The Apex Predator” but his initial run as “The Legend Killer” is probably the one fans remember him most fondly for, given the sheer number of iconic moments and interactions with legends of the industry.

As the title suggests, the gimmick was that of a young upstart looking to kill the legends of the past, letting them know their time was up and he was the future of wrestling. This was achieved through blatant shows of disrespect both verbally and physically.

The ironic aspect of the gimmick was that it originated at a time when Orton was being mentored by the greatest legend of them all, Ric Flair, as well as Triple H, as part of Evolution. Orton was also a third-generation superstar, the son of “Cowboy” Bob Orton and had grown up in the business.

The contradictory nature of it all made the gimmick all the better, and one perfectly suited to his arrogant, cocky and brash heel character.

The first of many high-profile “Legend vs Legend Killer” feuds was between Orton and Shawn Michaels, who met at Unforgiven 2003. With the help of The Nature Boy, Orton put down Michaels with the RKO – it was around this time the move became Orton’s signature finisher, and one that would become synonymous with him as a performer.

The two met again at Survivor Series, on opposing sides of a traditional 5-on-5 elimination match between “Team Bischoff” and “Team Austin”. With the help of Evolution teammate Batista, Orton pinned Michaels and was the sole survivor.

This resulted in Stone Cold Steve