14-time WWE World Champion Randy Orton is one of the all-time greats, and he can stake a claim at being Mr. SummerSlam. SummerSlam has been a happy hunting ground for Orton over the years, and it has been the sight of many memorable moments for Orton. Three of his World Title reigns have started at SummerSlam and Orton's debut pay-per-view match was at SummerSlam in 2003.
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Nevertheless, whilst Orton has torn the house down at SummerSlam, there have been some matches that failed to live up to the expectations. Orton has mixed it up with the very best at The Biggest Party of The Summer and he thrives on competing in the biggest events.
10 Randy Orton Vs. Daniel Bryan - 2013
Daniel Bryan overcame John Cena in a war of attrition to capture his first WWE Championship in the main event of SummerSlam 2013. The confetti fell and Bryan seemingly was going to leave the event as the new WWE Champion. However, Randy Orton's music hit and he was teasing a Money in the Bank cash-in.
Moreover, Triple H turned heel for the first time in seven years as he planted Bryan with a Pedigree. Orton sauntered to the ring, and he covered Bryan for his landmark 10th reign as World Champion, which was his first World Title reign in two years.
9 Randy Orton Vs. Hulk Hogan - 2006
Randy Orton squared off with Hulk Hogan at the 2006 iteration of SummerSlam. The match turned out to be The Hulkster's final match in a WWE ring. Nevertheless, Orton was doing a remarkable job in his Legend Killer gimmick, and this was the perfect moment for Orton to continue his heel heat with a huge scalp over Hogan.
That would have been the logical outcome for Orton to win but in typical Hogan fashion, he gets his own way. You could see that Orton was just going through the motions to put The Hulkster over. It wasn't a great match due to Hogan's limitations and Hogan's Leg Drop sealed Orton's fate which delighted the fans.
8 Randy Orton Vs. Goldberg Vs. Triple H Vs. Shawn Michaels Vs. Kevin Nash Vs. Chris Jericho - 2003
SummerSlam 2003 was Randy Orton's first taste of competing on a WWE pay-per-view. It was a significant moment in his career as he challenged for his Evolution mentor Triple H's World Heavyweight Championship in an Elimination Chamber match. Goldberg, Shawn Michaels, Kevin Nash, and Chris Jericho were the other challengers determined to take the strap away from The Game.
The whole purpose of Orton's involvement was to aid The Game in retaining the World Heavyweight Title who was nursing a groin injury. Orton had a decent outing but it was nothing to write home about. Ultimately, Triple H successfully defended the gold, and Orton returned after the match to help Triple H and Ric Flair savagely beat down Goldberg.
7 Randy Orton Vs. John Cena - 2009
For the second time in three years, Randy Orton and John Cena engaged in battle with the WWE Championship at stake. The 2009 edition of SummerSlam, saw Orton walk in as champion this time around. There was a lot of hype surrounding this match but it completely missed the mark.
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Both had their respective fans with chants of "Let's go Cena" and "Let's go Orton." There were some bright moments but the tail-end of the match was spoilt as it got restarted a couple of times. Orton tried to weasel his way out of the match by losing by DQ and count-out. However, Brett DiBiase interfered and got escorted by security with Orton capitalizing on Cena taking his eye off the ball, by retaining the gold with his patented RKO.
6 Randy Orton Vs. Sheamus - 2010
The rivalry between Randy Orton and Sheamus in 2010 was diabolical, although they had better matches years later. Once again, Orton was involved in a marquee WWE Championship match at SummerSlam when he challenged The Celtic Warrior for the title. However, there was a caveat as it was Orton's final opportunity at the WWE Championship as long as Sheamus was champion.
The match was hard-hitting, and they battled on the outside for parts of this bout. Sheamus expertly worked on Orton's shoulder throughout, and the pace of the match was slow at the start. It eventually picked up, and Sheamus countered Orton's RKO with a Brogue Kick. Orton kicked out and Sheamus ran out of ideas which led to him getting himself intentionally disqualified by refusing to put a chair down and throwing the referee out of the ring.
5 Randy Orton Vs. The Undertaker - 2005
Randy Orton was a full-time member of SmackDown after the conclusion of the 2005 draft lottery, and he resumed his rivalry with The Undertaker. Orton lost to The Deadman in a competitive match at WrestleMania 21 and whilst they failed to recreate their magic from 'Mania at SummerSlam, it was another decent match.
The Legend Killer was finding his groove once more after a lackluster babyface run. Orton wore Undertaker down by working on his knee throughout the match. Nonetheless, Orton needed a helping hand from his old man, Cowboy Bob to defeat Undertaker with a jaw-dropping RKO.
4 Randy Orton Vs. John Cena - 2007
Randy Orton and John Cena's iconic rivalry began at SummerSlam 2007 with The Legend Killer looking to unseat Cena for his first WWE Championship reign. This was during the era where fans were beginning to grow sick and tired of Cena, and they cheered Orton to win.
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Their chemistry together was brilliant but on some occasions, Orton and Cena bring out the worst in each other. Their SummerSlam showdown was great, and despite a few near falls, Cena hung onto the WWE Championship with his patented FU.
3 Randy Orton Vs. Chris Benoit - 2004
Evolution's Randy Orton had the biggest match of his career at the age of 24 when he challenged Chris Benoit for the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam 2004. This match is never spoken about due to Benoit's involvement but it was pretty darn good with Benoit's technical skills and Orton showing that he was ready for the big time.
The Legend Killer matched up really well with Benoit and he hung with him every step of the way. Ultimately, Orton reversed Benoit's attempt at locking in the Crossface with a superb RKO to capture his maiden World Heavyweight Championship in a competitive main event.
2 Randy Orton Vs. Roman Reigns - 2014
Randy Orton's feud with Roman Reigns spilled over to SummerSlam 2014, and it was a marquee match on an excellent pay-per-view. The Big Dog was competing in his first singles match on a WWE pay-per-view and they knocked it out of the park.
The match went back and forth, and it had a big match feel to it. The Viper was aggressive as he delivered a back body drop on the announce table, and he rammed Reigns shoulder first into the steel steps. Nevertheless, Reigns weathered the storm and he finished off Orton with a Spear in a match of epic proportions.
1 Randy Orton Vs. Christian - 2011
Randy Orton and Christian's feud in the summer of 2011, certainly gave CM Punk and John Cena's rivalry a run for its money for the feud of the summer. The Viper was hellbent on reclaiming the World Heavyweight Championship from Christian in a brutal No Holds Barred match at SummerSlam.
Orton and Christian never put on a bad match together and they hit a home run once again. They are two household names and both deserve a lot of credit for their rivalry which elevated Christian as a genuine main-event level contender. Once again, Christian came up short and Orton regained the World Heavyweight Title with an RKO on the steel steps.
