Rating The Champ: Randy Orton

Welcome to a new series on the website, called Rating The Champ. This will follow my prior World Title Series, where I reviewed each and every WWE Heavyweight Champion in history from Hulk Hogan’s first title win in 1984 all the way to the current days. Money in the Bank cash-ins will not be included for obvious reasons, unless it was a proper match (ie: Rob Van Dam at One Night Stand 2006). Royal Rumble and battle royales won’t be included as well.

In this new series, I will rate all the PPV matches from each and every WWF/E Heavyweight Champion in history. To be fair, since this is the WWF/E title, I’ll only rate their PPV matches in the WWF/E. In this edition, we’ll be looking back at the PPV career of the one and only, former World Heavyweight & WWE Champion, Randy Orton.

2003

Elimination Chamber Match – World Heavyweight Championship (SummerSlam) ***1/4
Vs. Shawn Michaels (Unforgiven) ***1/4
W/ Team Bischoff vs. Team Austin (Survivor Series) ****1/4
Vs. Rob Van Dam – WWE Intercontinental Championship (Armageddon) ***

2004

W/ Evolution vs. The Rock & Mick Foley (WrestleMania XX) ****
Hardcore: Vs. Cactus Jack – WWE Intercontinental Championship (Backlash) *****
Vs. Shelton Benjamin – WWE Intercontinental Championship (Bad Blood) ***1/2
Vs. Edge – WWE Intercontinental Championship (Vengeance) ****1/4
Vs. Chris Benoit – World Heavyweight Championship (SummerSlam) ****1/2
Vs. Triple H – World Heavyweight Championship (Unforgiven) ***
Steel Cage: Vs. Ric Flair (Taboo Tuesday) ***3/4
W/ Team Orton vs. Team Triple H (Survivor Series) ***

2005

Elimination Chamber Match – World Heavyweight Championship (New Year’s Revolution) ***3/4
Vs. Triple H – World Heavyweight Championship (Royal Rumble) **1/2
Vs. The Undertaker (WrestleMania 21) ****
Vs. The Undertaker (SummerSlam) ***
Handicap Casket: W/ Bob Orton Jr vs. The Undertaker (No Mercy) **3/4
W/ Team SmackDown vs. Team RAW (Survivor Series) ***1/4
HIAC: Vs. The Undertaker (Armageddon) ****1/4

2006

Vs. Rey Mysterio (No Way Out) ***
Vs. Kurt Angle vs. Rey Mysterio – World Heavyweight Championship (WrestleMania 22) ***1/2
Vs. Kurt Angle (ECW One Night Stand) ***1/4
Vs. Kurt Angle (Vengeance) ***1/2
Vs. Hulk Hogan (SummerSlam) **
Vs. Carlito (Unforgiven) **1/2
W/ Edge vs. DX (Cyber Sunday) ***
W/ Team Rated-RKO vs. Team DX (Survivor Series) ***1/4

2007

W/ Edge vs. DX – World Tag Team Championship (New Year’s Revolution) ***1/2
Money in the Bank Ladder Match (WrestleMania 23) ****1/4
Vs. Shawn Michaels (Judgment Day) **
Stretcher: Vs. Rob Van Dam (One Night Stand) ***
Vs. Cena vs. Lashley vs. Booker vs. Foley – WWE Championship (Vengeance: Night of Champions) ***1/2
Texas Bullrope: Vs. Dusty Rhodes (The Great American Bash) **1/2
Vs. John Cena – WWE Championship (SummerSlam) ****1/4
Vs. John Cena – WWE Championship (Unforgiven) *
Vs. Triple H – WWE Championship (No Mercy) **1/2
Last Man Standing: Vs. Triple H – WWE Championship (No Mercy) ****
Vs. Shawn Michaels – WWE Championship (Cyber Sunday) ***
Vs. Shawn Michaels – WWE Championship (Survivor Series) ****1/2
Vs. Chris Jericho – WWE Championship (Armageddon) ***

2008

Vs. Jeff Hardy – WWE Championship (Royal Rumble) ***1/4
Vs. John Cena – WWE Championship (No Way Out) **
Vs. Triple H vs. John Cena – WWE Championship (WrestleMania XXIV) ***1/4
Elimination: Vs. Triple H vs. John Cena vs. JBL – WWE Championship (Backlash) ***
Steel Cage: Vs. Triple H – WWE Championship (Judgment Day) ***1/2
Last Man Standing: Vs. Triple H – WWE Championship (One Night Stand) **
W/ Team Orton vs. Team Batista (Survivor Series) ***
Vs. Batista (Armageddon) **3/4

2009

No Holds Barred: Vs. Shane McMahon (No Way Out) ***1/2
Vs. Triple H – WWE Championship (WrestleMania XXV) **
W/ Legacy vs. Triple H, Batista & Shane McMahon – WWE Championship (Backlash) ***
Vs. Batista – WWE Championship (Judgment Day) ***
Steel Cage: Vs. Batista – WWE Championship (Extreme Rules) *1/2
3 Stages of Hell: Vs. Triple H – WWE Championship (The Bash) ***
Vs. Triple H vs. John Cena – WWE Championship (Night of Champions) ***1/4
Vs. John Cena – WWE Championship (SummerSlam) **
I Quit: Vs. John Cena – WWE Championship (Breaking Point) ***1/2
HIAC: Vs. John Cena – WWE Championship (Hell in a Cell) **3/4
Iron Man: Vs. John Cena – WWE Championship (Bragging Rights) ****
W/ Team Orton vs. Team Kofi (Survivor Series) ***1/2
Vs. Kofi Kingston (TLC) ***1/4

2010

Vs. Sheamus – WWE Championship (Royal Rumble) **1/2
Elimination Chamber Match – WWE Championship (Elimination Chamber) ***1/2
Vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Ted DiBiase (WrestleMania XXVI) ***
Extreme Rules: Vs. Jack Swagger – World Heavyweight Championship (Extreme Rules) ***
Vs. Edge (Over the Limit) *1/2
Vs. Cena vs. Edge vs. Sheamus – WWE Championship (Fatal 4 Way) ***
RAW’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match (Money in the Bank) ***3/4
Vs. Sheamus – WWE Championship (SummerSlam) **
Six Pack Challenge – WWE Championship (Night of Champions) ***1/4
HIAC: Vs. Sheamus – WWE Championship (Hell in a Cell) **3/4
Vs. Wade Barrett – WWE Championship (Bragging Rights) *
Vs. Wade Barrett – WWE Championship (Survivor Series) **
Tables: Vs. The Miz – WWE Championship (TLC) ***

2011

Vs. The Miz – WWE Championship (Royal Rumble) **3/4
RAW’s Elimination Chamber Match (Elimination Chamber) ***1/2
Vs. CM Punk (WrestleMania XXVII) ***1/4
Last Man Standing: Vs. CM Punk (Extreme Rules) ***1/2
Vs. Christian – World Heavyweight Championship (Over the Limit) ****1/2
Vs. Christian – World Heavyweight Championship (Capitol Punishment) ***3/4
Vs. Christian – World Heavyweight Championship (Money in the Bank) ***3/4
No Holds Barred: Vs. Christian – World Heavyweight Championship (SummerSlam) ****3/4
Vs. Mark Henry – World Heavyweight Championship (Night of Champions) ***1/4
HIAC: Vs. Mark Henry – World Heavyweight Championship (Hell in a Cell) **3/4
Vs. Cody Rhodes (Vengeance) **3/4
W/ Team Orton vs. Team Barrett (Survivor Series) ***
Tables: Vs. Wade Barrett (TLC) ***1/2

2012

Vs. Kane (WrestleMania XXVIII) **
Falls Count Anywhere: Vs. Kane (Extreme Rules) ***
Vs. Sheamus vs. Jericho vs. Del Rio – World Heavyweight Championship (Over the Limit) ***1/2
Vs. Dolph Ziggler (Night of Champions) ****
Vs. Alberto Del Rio (Hell in a Cell) ***1/2
W/ Team Foley vs. Team Ziggler (Survivor Series) ***1/2

2013

Elimination Chamber Match (Elimination Chamber) ****
W/ Sheamus & Big Show vs. The Shield (WrestleMania 29) ***
Exreme Rules: Vs. Big Show (Extreme Rules) ***1/2
W/ Daniel Bryan vs. The Shield – WWE Tag Team Championship (Payback) ***1/4
RAW’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match (Money in the Bank) ****1/2
Vs. Daniel Bryan – WWE Championship (Night of Champions) ***1/4
Vs. Daniel Bryan – WWE Championship (Battleground) *1/2
HIAC: Vs. Daniel Bryan – WWE Championship (Hell in a Cell) ***1/4
Vs. Big Show – WWE Championship (Survivor Series) *
TLC: Vs. John Cena – WWE World Heavyweight Championship (TLC) ***

2014

Vs. John Cena – WWE World Heavyweight Championship (Royal Rumble) **1/2
Elimination Chamber Match – WWE World Heavyweight Championship (Elimination Chamber) ***1/2
Vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Batista – WWE World Heavyweight Championship (WrestleMania XXX) ****1/4
W/ Evolution vs. The Shield (Extreme Rules) ****1/2
No Holds Barred Elimination: W/ Evolution vs. The Shield (Payback) ****
Ladder Match – WWE World Heavyweight Championship (Money in the Bank) ***3/4
Vs. Cena vs. Reigns vs. Kane – WWE World Heavyweight Championship (Battleground) ***1/4
Vs. Roman Reigns (SummerSlam) ***1/2
Vs. Chris Jericho (Night of Champions) ****
HIAC: Vs. John Cena (Hell in a Cell) ***1/4

2015

Vs. Seth Rollins (WrestleMania 31) ***1/2
Steel Cage: Vs. Seth Rollins – WWE World Heavyweight Championship (Extreme Rules) ***
Vs. Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Roman Reigns – WWE World Heavyweight Championship (Payback) ***3/4
Money in he Bank Ladder Match (Money in the Bank) ***1/2
Vs. Sheamus (Battleground) ***1/4
Vs. Sheamus (SummerSlam) ***

2016

Vs. Brock Lesnar (SummerSlam) ***
Vs. Bray Wyatt (Backlash) N/R (not rated)
Vs. Bray Wyatt (No Mercy) **3/4
W/ Team SmackDown vs. Team RAW (Survivor Series) ****1/2
W/ Bray Wyatt vs. Heath Slater & Rhyno – WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship (TLC) **

2017

Vs. Luke Harper (Elimination Chamber) ***3/4
Vs. Bray Wyatt – WWE Championship (WrestleMania 33) DUD
House of Horrors: Vs. Bray Wyatt (Payback) DUD
Vs. Jinder Mahal – WWE Championship (Backlash) **1/2
Vs. Jinder Mahal – WWE Championship (Money in the Bank) ***1/4
Punjabi Prison: Vs. Jinder Mahal – WWE Championship (Battleground) DUD
Vs. Rusev (SummerSlam) DUD
Vs. Rusev (Hell in a Cell) ***
W/ Team SmackDown vs. Team RAW (Survivor Series) **1/4
W/ Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn (Clash of Champions) **3/4

2018

Vs. Bobby Roode – WWE United States Championship (Fastlane) ***1/4
Vs. Mahal vs. Rusev vs. Roode – WWE United States Championship (WrestleMania 34) **1/4
Vs. Jeff Hardy – WWE United States Championship (Backlash) **
HIAC: Vs. Jeff Hardy (Hell in a Cell) ***1/4
Vs. Rey Mysterio (Crown Jewel) *1/2
Chairs: Vs. Rey Mysterio (TLC) **1/2

2019

Elimination Chamber Match – WWE Championship (Elimination Chamber) ****1/2
Vs. AJ Styles (WrestleMania 35) ***1/2
Money in the Bank Ladder Match (Money in the Bank) ****1/4
Vs. Triple H (Super ShowDown) *1/2
Vs. Kofi Kingston – WWE Championship (SummerSlam) **3/4
Vs. Kofi Kingston – WWE Championship (Clash of Champions) ***
Vs. Ali (Hell in a Cell) ***1/4
W/ Team Flair vs. Team Hogan (Crown Jewel) ***1/2
W/ Team RAW vs. Team SmackDown vs. Team NXT (Survivor Series) ****1/4

2020

Last Man Standing: Vs. Edge (WrestleMania 36) ****1/2

TOP FIVE

5. Shawn Michaels (Survivor Series 2007)

4. Christian (Over the Limit 2011)

3. Chris Benoit (SummerSlam 2004)

2. Christian (SummerSlam 2011)

1. Cactus Jack (Backlash 2004)

Average rating per year

2003 – 3.44
2004 – 3.88
2005 – 3.36
2006 – 3
2007 – 3.15
2008 – 2.84
2009 – 2.94
2010 – 2.63
2011 – 3.46
2012 – 3.25
2013 – 3.03
2014 – 3.65
2015 – 3.33
2016 – 3.06
2017 – 1.75
2018 – 2.46
2019 – 3.39
2020 – 4.5

Overall average rating

3.17/5

Don’t miss the next article here on Rating The Champ, where we’ll be looking back at former WWE Universal Champion, Kevin Owens.