Top 5 Moments From Randy Orton’s Career Where He Broke Character

Randy Orton has been the cornerstone of the WWE since 2002. And for over 23 years, ‘The Viper’ has consistently proved his mettle inside and outside of the ring. This involves remaining in character to fit in the storylines and to move the show forward. However, there have been moments when the 14-time World Champion has done the contrary. Not in a sinister way but rather in a light-hearted manner. Here are 5 moments from Orton’s career where ‘The Apex Predator’ seemed like a guy loving his work way too much. Back in 2011, Randy Orton was feuding with Mark Henry over the World Heavyweight title. During a match on SmackDown with also involved Christian, Orton performed his signature picture-perfect RKO on the World’s Strongest Man. However, the celebration after the move was rather uncharacteristic. The usually stoic Orton jumped in the air in delight after the move and did a perfect split-legged toe tap in the ring to everyone’s surprise. It was quite impressive considering Orton’s 6’4’’ and 250-pound frame to perform that move. Recently, a compilation featuring this moment was shared on X, which saw Mark Henry reacting and writing, “This is why I love Randy!”Back in 2015, Orton and Roman Reigns were cutting a promo on Raw about the duo vowing to beat each other in an upcoming match. This is when The New Day (Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods, and Big E) entered the fray with their goofy theme song and started doing their regular shenanigans. As the camera pointed towards Orton in the ring, ‘The Viper’ could be seen enjoying the theme song and even dancing to it. It was another hilarious moment involving the 14-time World Champion. Wrestlers have a busy schedule. There is no denying that, and for almost every event, they are expected to stay in character while the show is running. On an episode of Raw, Orton did something funny. While lying down on his back ringside, Orton pointed towards a fan and the time keeper to ask if the show was off the air. Once confirmed, ‘The Viper’ simply got up and started to leave as if nothing had happened. Although he did try to sell an injury to his arm, it was too late, as the clip quickly went viral and showcased the scripted nature of WWE. Back in 2017 at Backlash, Randy Orton defended his newly won WWE title against Jinder Mahal. ‘The Modern Day Maharaja’ was naturally accompanied by his sidekicks, ‘The Singh Brothers’, ringside, and during the match, Sunil Singh tried to interfere on Mahal’s behalf. However, Orton quickly took care of business and performed a vicious back body drop on the announcer’s desk, which saw Singh bounce off the table and fall on the other side.The hilarious bit came in the form of Orton’s bamboozled reaction to the move as ‘The Viper’ must have realized that the landing of the spot was a bit harsh. Orton went on to lose the title to Mahal in that match, so it is safe to say that Singh’s sacrifice didn’t go in vain. Back in 2012, Randy Orton took on Kane on SmackDown. During a spot at ringside, ‘The Big Red Machine’ stalked Orton for the chokeslam on the commentator’s table. However, Orton countered the move as he landed on the table on his feet and immediately kicked Kane to gain leverage. However, his leg got stuck in the monitor fitting space, which saw Orton fall from the table. Fortunately, Orton did not suffer any injury and was rather elated at the spot, which was visible on his face with a grin, and he pointed to convey that he got lucky.Also read: Randy Orton Reflects Upon Intense Weight Gain During Injury Layoff