[Big E] On this edition of Raw Classics,
it's the evolution of "The Legend Killer,"
"The Viper" Randy Orton.
An apex predator that struck fear into the hearts of his prey
and slithered his way to the top of WWE.
Relive the out-of-nowhere moments
and feel the impact of the three most dangerous letters
in all of sports entertainment,
R-K-O.
It's the Raw Classics of Randy Orton,
right here on Netflix.
♪ And I'll get the guns… ♪
Oh…
Welcome, WWE Universe, once again to Raw Classics.
I'm your host, Big E,
and today, we are looking back at a man that has the body of an Adonis
and a body of work that includes over 2,000 matches
and an incredible 20 championships during his WWE tenure.
I'm talking about "The Legend Killer,"
"The Viper,"
"The Apex Predator,"
"RKO"
Randy Orton.
Once a blue chipper
and now the hardened vet who has seen and done it all.
Randy has been a part of some of the most pivotal moments in Raw history
for over two decades.
We've quite literally seen the evolution of the future WWE Hall of Famer
in front of our very eyes.
And speaking of Evolution,
it was on an episode of Raw in 2003
where the third-generation Superstar
would be given the opportunity of a lifetime.
-[King] What is this? -[JR] Wait a minute.
What the hell is this? That's not Dreamer's opponent.
[King] You're right, it's not.
[JR] The World Heavyweight Champion, Triple H, on… on crutches.
He's got a… a deep hematoma,
a huge deep bruise about the size of a baseball.
[King] He's got a blood clot inside of… inside of his leg, JR.
[JR] Well, I saw the doctors work. It was official.
He has not been cleared to wrestle,
but "What's he doing out here?" is my question.
And what are these other guys, Batista, Flair, and Orton, doing here?
[King] If I were Dreamer, I'd take that silly little stick and get out of here.
[JR] What is this all about? I mean… What…
-[King] Told you! -[JR] Dreamer… Oh! Oh!
Dreamer taken down by Batista.
What are these… what are these four jackals
assaulting Tommy Dreamer for?
[King] Look at H.
[crowd clamoring]
Keep it up, baby. Come on.
[King] No matter what this is all about,
poor Dreamer should've left when he had the chance. Oh man.
[JR] Tommy Dreamer's got more guts than brains.
He wouldn't back away from this fight.
[King] Look at Randy Orton putting the boots to Tommy Dreamer.
[JR] Orton's not off the injured list yet, but Batista sure as heck is.
What a Spinebuster from the 318-pounder.
[King] Look at "Naitch." He's got his jacket off.
-He wants to get him some of Dreamer. -[JR] But why? For what reason?
[King] I don't know. He just don't like Tommy Dreamer?
[JR] I don't know what Tommy…
What's Tommy Dreamer done to these four men.
I mean, these four guys have decimated Scott Steiner
two weeks in a row.
-[King] "Naitch"… -[JR] But why Tommy Dreamer?
I understand the… the fact that Triple H wants nothing to do with Scott Steiner.
He made that pretty clear at the Royal Rumble,
but Tommy Dreamer?
What's this about?
-[King] Your guess is as good as mine. -[Dave] Get up!
[JR] Dreamer should've left the ring Well, he's gonna leave now, I'm afraid.
Not the way he wanted to.
[King] I don't understand the meaning of this. It's like four… four bullies.
[JR] Well, it's… it's their world,
and Tommy Dreamer was just living in it for a while.
Today marks the beginning of a new era.
You see, in this industry, just like in life, everything evolves,
and what you see in this ring before you
is the greatest example of evolution you will ever see.
[crowd cheering]
[Triple H] Ric Flair,
16-time Heavyweight Champion of the World,
"The Nature Boy,"
the greatest professional wrestler of all time,
a living legend.
Whoo!
[crowd] Whoo!
Ric Flair has done it all and has beaten them all,
and done it with a class and a style like no one else.
[crowd cheering]
[Triple H] Take it from me.
There is no one better than Ric Flair.
[JR] I agree with that, King,
like it or not.
[Triple H] And all of the things that Ric Flair represents,
I am today.
[JR] That's debatable.
I have taken all of those attributes
and I have put them into the ultimate package.
I have put them into a body
that every man out there wishes he had…
[crowd booing]
…and every single one of you women out there
wants to be with.
[crowd clamoring]
[King] Are you gonna argue with that, JR?
You top that off with a mind made for this business
and you get the greatest ring general of all time.
You get the best that there is.
You get "The Game."
You get the World Heavyweight Champion.
[JR] He's "The Cerebral Assassin" all right, folks.
Trust me.
Trust me when I tell you
that there is only one diamond in this business. [chuckles]
And, baby, you're looking at him.
[crowd booing]
[King] Wow.
[JR] Gemstone.
But evolution always continues, and you have to look to the future.
And I look to you,
Dave Bautista,
Six-foot-five,
325 lbs…
of genetic stopping power,
unbridled destruction.
In a war, when all seems lost,
you take out your biggest gun,
and you blow them all away.
[JR] Batista can do that. I can tell you that. He's a monster.
And Randy Orton.
[crowd cheering]
The business is in his blood.
Third-generation Superstar.
The man has every gift that a man can be given.
[JR] He's right.
Raw…
Raw genetic talent.
Randy Orton is the diamond.
Randy Orton is the coal
that will be squeezed into the next diamond.
You see, in life, everything happens for a reason.
It's just a natural process of evolution.
See, if you don't have what it takes, then evolution will leave you behind.
So if you wake up one day
and you're lying in a hospital bed,
and you're all beat-up, and you're wondering to yourself,
"What in the hell happened?"
then there's just one answer for you.
Evolution has just passed you by.
-["The Game" playing] -♪ It's all about the game ♪
♪ And how you play it ♪
♪ All about control And if you can take it ♪
♪ All about your debt And if you can pay it ♪
♪ It's all about pain And who's gonna make it ♪
[song ends]
And just like that,
the transformation of Randy Orton into a diamond,
as Triple H so eloquently put it, had begun.
"The Legend Killer" would stop at nothing to achieve fame and success,
and was bloodthirsty to cross Legends off his hit list.
And in 2004,
Orton put "The Hardcore Legend" Mick Foley in the crosshairs
of his diabolical path to glory.
[rock music playing]
[JR] And we are back live, ladies and gentlemen, again.
Happy Presidents' Day.
And here comes the Intercontinental Champion.
[King] As Randy Orton is on his way to the ring,
we've been informed, speaking of walls,
"The Walls of Jericho," Chris Jericho is on his way right now
to a nearby medical facility to have his knee checked out.
He's hurt bad, JR.
[JR] I… I… I hope Jericho is all right, but I fear the worst there.
Randy Orton said that he wanted an unsanctioned fight with Mick Foley,
and Eric Bischoff just washed his hands of the whole matter,
just granted that fight.
If something bad happens to either one of these guys,
Eric Bischoff is not legally responsible.
I'm gonna make things real simple, Mick.
You want to challenge me last week?
You want to challenge me to a fight at WrestleMania?
Reality check, Mick.
It's not gonna happen, okay? It just wouldn't be fair.
I mean…
[crowd] Foley! Foley! Foley! Foley! Foley!
[JR] Why do these people have to interrupt this young man?
It wouldn't be fair, Mick. It wouldn't be fair. Look at me.
I'm the Intercontinental Champion.
[crowd booing]
-[JR] That's true. -I'm only 23 years old.
Mick…
Mick, I haven't even… I haven't even reached my prime yet.
Okay? And look at you. You're fat.
Disgusting.
[JR] Uh-oh.
You're… you're all broken-down.
You're a glory hound,
and you're blinded, Mick, by your own ego,
as to the fact that your time is over, okay?
[JR] Went right to the point there.
But… but if it's a fight you want, Mick…
then I'm there.
You want a fight, Mick? Let's go!
If I have to beat it into your skull…
if I have to beat it into your skull, Mick Foley,
that in the year 2000, sure, you might have been "The Hardcore Legend,"
but tonight,
you're just Randy Orton's bitch.
[King laughs] Oh boy!
-[JR] How disrespectful. -[crowd booing]
[JR] How totally disrespectful.
[tires screech, loud crash]
[JR] Well, that disrespect worked, didn't it?
It did get Mick Foley to come out here.
["Wreck" playing]
[JR] I don't know, I… I respect Randy Orton's athleticism.
He is the Intercontinental Champion.
But I don't know if Orton fully is aware of what he's about to get himself into.
[King] Something bad is gonna happen, I can assure you. You know what?
The cool thing is you won't find Eric Bischoff's fingerprints on it.
He's indemnified himself, as you said, JR.
[JR] There's not even a referee in this unsanctioned fight
that Randy Orton demanded and got.
[crowd] Foley! Foley! Foley! Foley!
-[King] Here they go. -[JR] And this one…
-[King] It's just a slugfest. -[JR] That's all it is.
And… and Orton now hammering Foley in the head with those right hands.
[King] Foley should've listened. Orton's only 23.
He's not even in his prime yet. And…
-[JR] Mick Foley turned the table though. -[King] Wait a minute.
[JR] Mick Foley, he is a "Hardcore Legend."
No mistake about that, with a headbutt right to the temple.
[King] He was a "Hardcore Legend" in the year 2000.
This is 2004 now. Look out.
[King] Oh my gosh.
[JR] The handsome young 23-year-old just ate some canvas,
compliments of… of Mick Foley, who just served it up Foley-style.
[wrestlers grunting]
[JR] Foley is a… he can be… Those left-footed shots.
…a very deranged and dangerous man.
There is a dark place in his heart that we have known about forever.
-[King] No! -[JR] And there's a DDT.
[King] You're right. Mick Foley is deranged.
He is dangerous.
He may be fat and broken-down, but he's still dangerous.
[JR] And Foley is here to…
-Uh-oh. Look at this. -[King] Wait a minute.
[JR] There's Ric Flair.
-[King] Uh-oh. -[JR] And--
Ric Flair… And Foley taking down Orton.
-Ric Flair, no. And now, Batista. -[King] Look at Batista.
[JR] And it's…
Oh, the low blow. What a low blow by Orton.
The damage done by Randy Orton,
who just punted Mick Foley below the belt.
[wrestlers grunting]
[JR] Now… Look at yourself now, Foley.
And it's all unsanctioned.
It's not even gonna be in the record book.
[King] Look what… look what you've got yourself into now, Foley.
[crowd clamoring]
[King] Ah! Who's eating the canvas now, JR?
-[JR] Mick Foley. -[King] Yeah.
[JR] With a big double-helping.
And it's awful… for Foley. And Randy Orton right back.
[King] Here comes that… that young 23-year-old thoroughbred.
-Look at him. -[Randy] Huh, son of a bitch? Huh?
How does that feel?
[crowd] Foley! Foley!
[JR] The disrespectful remarks continue.
The punishment continues on Mick Foley by Randy Orton.
[King] Look at Batista.
[JR] And now Batista with a clean free shot on Mick Foley,
who's literally getting the hell beat out of him.
Oh! God Almighty.
How much more can any human being take?
Well, Foley's been beaten senseless.
[King] He was senseless before, that's the only reason he came out here.
While Flair and Batista hold up Foley, look at this.
A free shot by… by Randy Orton.
Orton again doing the damage to Mick Foley.
Hard, stiff right hands.
[JR] Oh man. Good God, that was…
[Randy] Pick him back up, boys.
[JR] This is getting past the pale, let me tell you.
[King] I think Orton might have broken his hand there.
[crowd booing]
[King] Maybe not. Maybe he's gonna give him some more.
Wait a minute. And the RKO.
[JR] Man, that's academic.
Foley absolutely helpless thanks to the beatdown.
[Batista] You cost us our belt, you son of a bitch.
-[JR] You hear Batista? -[King] I heard him.
[JR] Well, he's right. Foley cost them their championship tonight.
[King] Well, Randy Orton must be feeling really proud right now of himself.
He's a big man.
He just beat the hell out of Mick Foley.
[King] Well, Randy Orton told the world
he was gonna end it tonight, and he's done it.
[JR] Well, I hate to agree, but I think you're exactly right.
Foley trying to get back up.
Wait a minute. Foley stay down.
I cannot believe this. I can--
[King and JR groan] Oh!
[JR] Oh my God.
[wrestlers grunt]
[JR] Foley just got kicked in the face. I can't believe Mick was trying to get up.
Foley can't even put his hands up to defend himself.
Pick him up again.
-Pick his ass up. -[JR] He needs some help out here.
I know this is unsanctioned, but it's gotta be stopped.
I mean, enough is enough.
The referee Earl Hebner.
Flair and Batista.
But the damage has been…
has been etched in the heart of Foley forever by Randy Orton.
-[Earl] Come on. -[JR] And Orton again.
[King] Mick Foley's face is starting to resemble hamburger meat.
[woman] Come on, Foley!
[JR] Good grief.
[Foley groaning]
[JR] This is barbaric.
Randy Orton is… is giving Mick Foley
the most intense beating
I've ever seen Foley sustain.
[King] Watch this and listen to the kick.
Man. Right in the face.
[JR] And again, Flair holding Foley. I mean…
[King] Just stay down, Mick. That way you won't have so far to fall.
Oh.
[JR] Poor Mick Foley is absolutely helpless.
[King] Poor Mick Foley shouldn't have come out here.
-He brought this on. -[Randy] Can you hear?
[JR] My God, ladies and gentlemen. This is inhumane.
Can you hear that?
[wrestlers yell indistinctly]
[JR] What did Foley think, he was going to come here,
cost Evolution the World Tag Team title, and not have to pay the price for it?
-Anybody with… -[King] Oh wow.
[JR] Right to the temple.
Foley's brains being scrambled again and again.
[King] His brains were scrambled a long time ago, JR.
I'm surprised they haven't laid his face open.
[JR] Just stay down, Mick, please. Please stay down.
[King] It's hard to stay down when they drag you back up.
[JR] Oh! Right in the nose.
Flair with a… Foley can't even get his hands up.
Come on, please stop this.
Enough is enough.
[King] You wanna go down there and try your hand at stopping it, JR?
-I don't. -[JR] I couldn't stop it.
Who could stop it?
[crowd clamoring]
[JR] My God.
For all Mick Foley's done for this business,
and this is how it apparently will end.
The hell--
[King] They're not through. Let's face it.
[Randy] Come on, big boy.
[King] Randy Orton said he was going to finish this tonight,
and I think Randy Orton
is definitely intent on finishing the Mick Foley for good.
[JR] Randy Orton talks big. "We're gonna have a one-on-one confrontation."
We're never going to see a one-on-one confrontation
with Mick Foley and Randy Orton.
And look at this, three men.
Pick-up powerbomb!
Now they're trying to break Foley's back.
[yelling]
[King] Look at Foley. He keeps trying somehow.
He keeps trying to get up.
Do you hear me? Stay down!
-[JR] Right, stay down. -Stay down!
-[Batista] How d'you like that, Foley? -Stay down!
[JR] Orton has orchestrated this hideous beatdown of Mick Foley.
I hope Orton's proud of himself
because, by God, you'll never see Orton
in the ring one-on-one with Mick Foley ever.
[King] Well, let's face it, he is proud of himself, JR.
He did what he said he was gonna do.
He made Foley pay the price for costing Evolution
the World Tag Team Championship tonight.
[JR] I feel so badly for Mick.
I know his family is watching in… in Long Island.
My God, how must they feel?
[King] They probably won't recognize him tomorrow.
[crowd booing]
After doing the unthinkable to "The Hardcore Legend" Mick Foley,
"The Viper" proved that nobody was safe and nothing was off-limits.
Randy Orton cemented himself as one of the most maniacal individuals
WWE had ever seen.
And in the process,
transformed himself from "Legend Killer"
to a legend in his own right,
capturing four World Championships over the next four years.
And in 2009,
"The Viper" had the opportunity to capture his fifth World title
when he stepped into the ring for a Fatal 4-Way match
against three of the WWE's top Superstars,
The Big Show,
John Cena,
and king of kings, Triple H.
-["Voices" playing] -♪ I hear voices in my head ♪
♪ They counsel me ♪
♪ They understand, they talk to me ♪
♪ You got your rules and your religion ♪
♪ All designed to keep you safe ♪
♪ But when rules start… ♪
[King] Well, the question is, is Randy Orton Invincible?
[Cole] That question is asked and, well, they try to answer it
in the latest edition of WWE Magazine, which is available everywhere tomorrow.
Orton is on the cover.
The only question is,
will Randy Orton be holding the WWE Championship after tonight?
They may have to reshoot the cover, if that's the case.
Orton wants his title back. He said it earlier on.
[King] I don't know about invincible, but it's certainly remorseless.
You could tell by that smug look on his face.
[Cole] Randy Orton losing the WWE Championship
to Batista inside a steel cage back at Extreme Rules.
So upset about it.
We saw moments ago the elaborate plan
that Orton set up to try to steal… to try to heist the championship.
[King] And it turned out to be much more than that.
It turned out to be a devastating injury to Batista.
["Crank It Up" playing]
♪ Oh ♪
♪ Its a big bad show tonight ♪
♪ Come on, baby, come on… ♪
[Cole] He is the world's largest athlete at seven feet tall,
nearly 500 lbs,
and John Cena touched on it earlier tonight.
Big Show is an angry giant
that Randy Orton has to deal with, among the others in this matchup.
[King] Well, you're right about that. Big Show wants that WWE Championship
probably as much as anyone in this match. He don't mind hurting people to get it.
[Cole] He's been embarrassed over the past couple of weeks
by John Cena.
Losing a John Cena submission match at Extreme Rules just last week,
he was hit in the head a couple of times by Miz
with a steel chair.
["The Time Is Now" playing]
[man trills]
♪ Amadou ♪
[Cole] The WWE Universe is on its feet for John Cena.
And, King, after what we've seen transpire,
after what this man has accomplished over the past couple of weeks,
you seem to get the feeling
that tonight could be the night for John Cena.
[King] I had an opportunity to speak to John earlier today,
and I can tell you this, he feels that tonight is the night.
He made that man, The Big Show, tap out in a submission match at Extreme Rules,
in a matchup that no one gave John Cena a chance to win.
♪ Ain't no way you breakin' me, kid I'm harder than nails ♪
[song fades]
[crowd cheering]
["The Game" playing]
♪ Time to play the game… ♪
[sinister laughter]
[crowd cheering]
♪ It's all about the game And how you play it ♪
♪ It's all about control And if you can take it ♪
♪ It's all about your debt And if you can pay it ♪
♪ It's all about pain… ♪
[King] "The Game" is back.
♪ You don't wanna play me I am control… ♪
[Cole] For the first time since being punted in the head
by Randy Orton at Backlash,
Triple H is in action…
♪ Ready to run Like a Cleveland bitch… ♪
[Cole] …with his sights set on Randy Orton,
and his sights set on becoming a 14-time champion.
[King] The look on Orton's face last week
was priceless.
His eyes as big as saucers when he saw Triple H
coming out of that ambulance
after him, after Orton.
[crowd roaring]
♪ Time to play the game… ♪
[sinister laughter]
♪ Time to play… ♪
[Cole] For Triple H, he must keep his emotions in check,
cannot allow himself to focus only on Orton in this matchup
because we are under Fatal 4-Way rules.
Introducing first,
from West Newbury, Massachusetts,
weighing in at 240 lbs,
John Cena.
[crowd roaring]
Standing at seven feet tall,
weighing in at 485 lbs,
The Big Show.
[crowd booing]
From St. Louis, Missouri,
weighing in at 245 lbs,
Randy Orton.
[crowd cheering]
[Garcia] And from Greenwich, Connecticut,
weighing in at 255 lbs,
Triple H.
[crowd cheering]
[King] Some mighty combustible elements inside that ring.
This is gonna be an explosion.
[Cole] That WWE Championship declared vacant
after Batista was taken out of action last week.
These four men will battle for that title here tonight
live on Monday Night Raw.
And again, Fatal 4-Way rules.
First man to gain pinfall or submission will be champion.
It's interesting how the personal issues have siphoned
each other off in the early part.
-Big Show and Cena, Orton and Triple H. -[King yells]
[Cole] And Triple H wasting little time, turning his assault to Randy Orton.
[King] He had to get out of the way quickly.
[Cole] And Triple H.
[crowd clamoring]
[Cole] Meanwhile in the ring, it's John Cena and Big Show,
as Big Show tosses Cena across the ring as he went for The Bulldog.
Who will be WWE Champion?
The Fatal 4-Way continues live when Raw returns.
[Cole] We are back live on Monday Night Raw.
This is to declare a new WWE Championship.
Randy Orton, Triple H, Big Show, and John Cena
in a Fatal 4-Way matchup.
And again, King, the rules are simple.
First man to gain pinfall or submission is the new champion.
[King] Randy Orton has certainly turned things around now.
He has got Triple H in a world of trouble.
And The Big Show at the same time has Cena down.
[Cole] Again, what's interesting in this matchup is
the two personal issues have divided themselves.
Big Show and Cena working against each other on one side,
Orton and Triple H on the other.
Almost two matches going on at the same time.
[King] There will be a new WWE Champion at the conclusion of this match.
One of these four Superstars is gonna be the new champ.
[Cole] And look at Big Show, the seven foot, 500-pounder.
And Randy Orton assaulting Triple H, who rolls out of the way as well.
If you're just joining us,
Monday Night Raw started at eight o'clock tonight,
part of the WWE Three For All.
Three championship matches.
The second of three here in this matchup,
and look at Triple H focusing on The Big Show
[King]\ And there's already been huge breaking news here tonight on Raw.
Are you ready for this? The Raw franchise has been sold.
Sold by Mr. McMahon.
We're gonna find out who the new owner is.
[Cole] And John Cena knocking the 500-pounder down.
Now you've eliminated Big Show from the equation.
Orton's eliminated from the equation.
It's down to John Cena and Triple H for the moment.
[King] And we just saw Cena and "The Game" work together,
like you said, "for the moment," but now there's a face-off.
[Cole] It's every man for himself.
in a Fatal 4-Way match
with the coveted WWE Championship on the line.
There must be a winner here tonight.
Here they go.
[Cole] Triple H first in ring action
since being taken out back in April at Backlash.
Looks like he hasn't missed a beat, but there's John Cena, flying shoulder,
and Cena's beginning to roll.
[King] Look out.
Well, Cena seems to be on a roll right now.
Telling "The Game," "You can't see me." Time for a Five-Knuckle Shuffle.
-No, wait. -[Cole] But Triple H sees Cena.
Huge spinebuster.
Going for The Pedigree, Triple H,
and John Cena counters for The Attitude Adjustment.
-[King] Look out! -[Cole] And Big Show takes both men down.
And Randy Orton looking to again focus his assault on Triple H.
[King] Orton slithered into the ring.
I thought he was going for a pinfall, a cover at least on Triple H.
[Cole] Well, remember it was Triple H last week who thwarted Orton's plan
to basically steal the WWE title.
Hence the reason it's vacant tonight, following the injury of Batista.
[wrestlers grunt]
[Cole] Suddenly, Orton has turned his venom toward Triple H,
as Big Show targets John Cena,
the man who has humiliated him for a number of months,
most recently at Extreme Rules,
getting Big Show to tap out.
[King] Look at Randy Orton.
He is so vicious.
We saw those… those gruesome photos of the surgery
that Batista had to have this past week
thanks to the injuries suffered at the hands of Randy Orton.
[Cole] And the rest of Legacy.
Again, Fatal 4-Way matchup.
Orton is targeting Triple H, and Big Show is wearing down John Cena.
First man to score a pinfall or submission will win this battle.
-[King] Look at Cena. -[Cole] And the WWE title.
It could be Big Show. Big Show into the cover. Two count!
Orton breaks it up.
[crowd clamoring]
[King] John Cena trying to lift, trying to actually body slam The Big Show,
but that near 500 lbs just too much.
[Cole] Well. Orton perhaps heeding the warning from Cena earlier on tonight.
You got an angry giant on your hands.
[King] Ah! Oh no.
[Cole] And look at… Both Cena and Triple H in trouble.
Going for a double chokeslam, perhaps.
[King] Hey, how about a double suplex instead?
[Cole] And Big Show is in trouble.
And Orton back in.
[King] That opportunistic snake, Randy Orton.
[Cole] Look at Orton measuring Big Show.
[King] Is he thinking about punting Big Show?
[Cole] Same thing he's done to Triple H.
Look at Big Show, countered… countered the punt by Orton.
It looked like Orton hesitated for just a moment,
and Big Show made him pay.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is Monday Night Raw.
We are live in Charlotte, North Carolina,
a Fatal 4-Way matchup underway for the vacant WWE Championship.
First man to gain pinfall or submission will become the WWE Champion.
[King] What a match this is, and what a Raw this has already been.
We've been on the air for over an hour now.
With an early start time tonight, and we found out
that the Raw franchise has been sold.
We have a new owner.
Mr. McMahon has sold Raw.
We'll find out who the new owner is when this match concludes.
Oh, look out.
[Cole] Randy Orton physically… taken out by Big Show,
who has been dominating this matchup.
[King] The back of Orton's head slammed into our announce table.
I don't think one person's gonna feel sorry for him.
[Cole] And not only a new owner, King, as you mentioned,
but at the end of this matchup, we're going to have a new WWE Champion.
[King] And that may be coming very soon.
Five hundred pounds crushing John Cena.
[King] Cena's squashed!
[Cole] And Randy Orton again saving the matchup.
Remember, first man to gain pinfall or submission,
but I believe Big Show is gonna make Orton pay again.
-And what a spear. -[King] Good grief.
[Cole] Like a locomotive running you down.
Big Show, is he gonna be the new champion?
[King] And a kick-out by Triple H at two.
[Cole] How did "The Game" kick out of that?
[King] You're right.
I don't think I've ever seen The Big Show deliver a spear. Watch this.
Watch this impact.
It's like getting hit by a truck.
[Cole] And now, especially after knocking the wind out of your lungs like that,
you got to start questioning the stamina of Triple H.
He hasn't been in action in weeks and months, a couple months.
[King] This is for the WWE Championship.
[Cole] Big Show looking to put Triple H away.
He rolls out of the way.
Randy Orton slithering into the ring.
Can "The Viper" capitalize?
Big Show in trouble.
-Orton… -[King] RKO!
[Cole] Oh, and a block by Big Show.
How strong is The Big Show?
Whoa. Triple H.
And "The Game" looks to build momentum.
Pedigree!
Triple H is gonna do it.
"The Game" is gonna do it.
No. Is it gonna be Cena?
Attitude Adjustment!
Cena looks to win the WWE title.
And a kick-out by The Big Show.
[King laughs] What a match!
What a match we're witnessing.
All the marbles on the line, the WWE title.
[Cole] And John Cena, can he do it, life the 500-pounder up?
He does it. Big Show's in trouble.
-[King] Unbelievable! -[Cole] Attitude Adjustment by Cena.
[King] Unbelievable.
Can Cena capitalize? Hooks the leg.
And Orton again saving the matchup for himself.
[King and Cole groan] Ooh!
[Cole] Cena shoulder-first. Cena's out of the ring. Triple H out of the ring.
RKO to The Big Show.
-That's it. Randy Orton into the cover. -[crowd] One. Two.
-Three. -[Cole] Orton does it again.
-Orton wins the WWE title. -[King] Oh my gosh.
["Voices" playing]
[Garcia] Here is your winner and the new WWE Champion,
Randy Orton.
[Cole] Randy Orton is now a five-time WWE Champion.
Randy Orton took advantage of damage done by both Triple H and John Cena
to capture the title.
[Big E] Kicking ass and taking names.
Randy would continue to slither his way up the ladder of superstardom.
For our next moment, we jump forward in time to 2010.
Thanks to a little spin of Raw Roulette,
"The Viper" would face his long-time archrival,
"Mr. Hustle, Loyalty, Respect," John Cena,
in a tables match.
[crowd clamoring]
[bell dings]
[Cole] And we're under way.
Cena and Randy Orton two of the six men
who will compete Sunday in the Six Pack Challenge.
[crowd] Randy! Randy! Randy! Randy! Randy!
[Cole] Randy Orton earlier in the evening reminding John Cena
that the last time Cena competed in a tables match,
he was put through a table, or went through a table,
and lost the WWE Championship.
Yeah, that was last December
at the Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view.
Cena losing to Sheamus.
Lock-up center of the ring between Orton and Cena.
Fifteen times combined, they've held World titles.
[crowd roaring]
[Cole] An electric feel here tonight in Cincinnati.
Two of the all-time greats locking up with a unique tables match stipulation.
[King] You're right. You can just feel it.
This is… this is almost the kind of match
that'll make the hair on the back of your neck stand up.
[Cole] And the 245-lb Cena,
five-pound weight advantage over Orton,
wrestles Orton to the mat.
[crowd] Cena! Cena!
[King] The Cenation being heard from right now.
[Cole] A big shoulder knockdown by the brawling Cena.
[King] Well, you can see from the look on the face of John Cena,
he respects Randy Orton.
Both these Superstars know what the other is capable of.
[crowd] RKO!
[Cole] Now we're hearing RKO chants from the WWE Universe.
And so is John Cena hearing those chants.
That's Orton with a headlock now.
Oh wow.
And Orton
sending Cena a little bit of his own medicine.
[King] Did you see those eyes?
The icy eyes of "The Viper."
Orton has such a unique way. He slithers around the ring.
But boy, can he strike when you least expect it.
I mean, both these guys, I mean, this is still a sizing-up process.
This match is gonna have to… This match is gonna have to go
until one of these men puts the other through a table.
Before you'll be able to do that, you know,
you're gonna have to deliver a beatdown on somebody
to have them incapacitated enough, like that,
to lay 'em across a table, dive through 'em,
or slam them through the table.
[Cole] Orton stunned Cena with an elbow to the eye socket.
Randy Orton now begins the attack.
[crowd] RKO! RKO! RKO!
[King] Lord knows that in order to get John Cena through a table
you're gonna have to have him pretty much incapacitated,
and Orton well on his way to doing that right now.
Orton just takes his time to break his opponent down.
I was wondering how long it was gonna take.
-Orton looking at that table. -[crowd] Cena! Cena! Cena!
[Cole] The question is, how does Orton go about putting Cena through it?
-[King] How does he do it? Look. Suplex. -[Cole] Suplex time, perhaps.
Cena countered once.
-And Randy Orton. -[King] Whoa.
[Cole] Cena almost pushing Orton through the table.
If that had happened Cena, would have won.
We have a stalemate thus far between Cena and Orton in a tables match.
One of these men are going through a table
when our main event continues live on Raw next.
[crowd] RKO! RKO!
[Cole] Ladies and gentlemen, there's a reason Monday Night Raw
is the longest-running weekly episodic television show in history.
Because of great athletes like John Cena and Randy Orton,
who are engaged, King, in a tables match here tonight live.
[King] Oh, and what an epic battle this has been so far.
Throughout the break, these men have literally tried to destroy each other.
You see tables around the ring, strewn around the ring,
but so far, nobody's been put through one.
[Cole] This is a very dangerous matchup, ladies and gentlemen.
Both these men will participate in the Six Pack Challenge on Sunday
for the WWE title at Night of Champions,
so neither Cena nor Orton can afford an injury here tonight.
[King] And how do you go through one of these tables without being injured?
[Cole] First time in three years we've had a tables match on Monday Night Raw.
-It has been a spectacular season premier. -[King groans] Oh!
[Cole] Raw Roulette, of course, tonight
for the first time in nearly three years as well.
This is all legal in this matchup.
No count-outs, no disqualifications.
The only way you win is to put your opponent through a table.
You also gain very valuable momentum, King,
if you can win this matchup here tonight going into Night of Champions.
[King] And you gotta know that, uh, the other four members of that, uh, match
are watching this right now,
probably hoping that one or both of these guys are gonna sustain an injury.
[Cole] Cena teetering on the apron.
Cena nearly losing his balance and going through the table.
[wrestlers grunting]
[Cole] Cena counters. Back into the ring out of harm's way.
As John Cena begins to pick up the pace.
[King] Cena gonna have to pick up the pace here.
Orton was starting to dominate. But look at this now.
[Cole] Fisherman's suplex.
John Cena buys himself a little bit of time to regroup.
[crowd clamoring]
[Cole] Already tonight, the WWE Champion, Sheamus,
successful in a Falls Count Anywhere matchup,
as we head toward Night of Champions.
[King] We saw some absolutely extraordinary moves from…
well, from both of those men, especially John Morrison,
but Seamus, as you say, victorious.
[Cole] Chris Jericho worked his way back into the Six Pack Challenge
with a steel cage win over The Hart Dynasty tonight.
[King] Both these guys thinking the same thing.
Both delivering a clothesline, both down.
Orton landing on the back of his head there,
trying to shake the cobwebs out.
[Cole] One of the other participants in this Sunday's Six Pack Challenge,
Edge, sort of had a bittersweet night.
Won a body slam challenge against Evan Bourne,
then lost the same type of matchup against Mark Henry.
[King] 400-lbs Mark Henry.
And the sixth man in that Six Pack Challenge,
the newcomer, the leader of Nexus, Wade Barrett.
Orton back to his feet first.
John Cena… John Cena going for The Attitude Adjustment.
-Randy Orton. What a counter! -[King] RKO! RKO!
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] A DDT by Randy Orton, planting Cena center of the ring.
And what this does, it allows Randy Orton, perhaps,
to get a table into place to put Cena through it.
[King] Yeah, and so far,
this is the first time a table makes an appearance inside the ring.
Cena incapacitated,
as we have been talking about,
what needed to happen here.
[Cole] Now Randy Orton.
Now he needs to try to put John Cena through the table to win this match.
Randy Orton, a six-time World Champion.
You see how Orton is positioning the table here, King?
-It doesn't matter how it is set up. -[King] Good strategy.
[Cole] You just gotta go through it.
-John Cena back to his feet. -[King] Missed.
[Cole] Cena.
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] The flying shoulder tackles. This is vintage John Cena.
[King] Whoa!
[crowd roaring]
[King] Hey. Cena back on top.
What about it, "Viper"?
"You can't see me," but
you might see this Five-Knuckle Shuffle from Cena.
[Cole] And now John Cena suddenly in control, measuring his man.
Orton to his feet.
Cena, Attitude Adjustment time.
[Cole] Through the table, I was thinking, but no.
[Cole] Randy Orton, with a running clothesline,
and you saw Orton begin to shift gears.
He's metamorphizing here.
And there's that Scoop Slam by Orton!
And Orton
moving to that different place,
went for the RKO.
Cena, a counter drop toehold.
STF time.
Remember, a tap-out here by Orton doesn't end the matchup.
-[King] Not gonna do it! -[Cole] This is Monday Night Raw.
[Cole] We are live tonight, ladies and gentlemen, in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Our main event, John Cena versus Orton tables match.
-And here's Barrett and Nexus. -[King] What's this?!
[crowd booing]
[Cole] And again, this is all legal. The match won't end here.
There are no disqualifications.
[King] Well, I wouldn't say it's legal. It's not gonna stop the match, but why?
-What are these guys doing out here? -[Cole] Nexus assaulting John Cena.
RKO to Tarver.
And now Slater, Barrett, Gabriel,
like a pack of feral dogs,
a gang… gang attack on Orton.
John Cena.
AA! Attitude Adjustment to Otunga!
[King] Hey. Oh!
[Cole] Slater through a table!
That table exploded everywhere.
Uh-oh, Barrett.
Look at Cena in trouble. Wade Barrett.
-Wasteland. -[King] My God.
[crowd clamoring]
[King] I think he's broken Cena's ribs.
Watch this again.
[Cole] First of all, Slater exploding through the table.
Wade Barrett followed it up with Wasteland to Cena.
Hold up a minute.
That's Justin Gabriel.
[crowd] You suck! You suck!
-You suck! -[King] I mean, what are these…
[King] We talked earlier about the other members of this Six Pack Challenge match.
Wade Barrett's one of them,
hoping that either Cena,
or Orton, or both would suffer some sort of injury.
I guess he's come out here to make sure they would.
[Cole] And by the way, King, this match is officially still going on.
It's still Orton versus Cena.
Remember, no disqualification.
[King] It doesn't really look like Orton versus Cena.
[Cole] No, no, no, no, no. Oh my God, ladies and gentlemen.
It looked like Gabriel was gonna go for the 450.
And he was sent through a table.
And Wade Barrett flattening Orton.
[King] The carnage around this ring and through these tables.
[Cole] Yeah, caused by the Barrett-led Nexus.
[King] Well, most of the members of Nexus have paid the price.
What is Barrett thinking now?
What… what is he thinking?
I don't know. I don't have that sick and twisted a mind.
[Cole] Wade Barrett, who already laid waste to Cena,
looking to do the same to Randy Orton.
-[King] You're kidding. -[Cole] Right here in front of us.
[Cole] No way.
[Cole] And Orton trying to battle out of this.
-Orton. Barrett hanging on. -[King] Look out!
[Cole] And Barrett through the table!
[King] Ho-ho!
[Cole] Bodies strewn everywhere.
Tables exploding throughout the arena.
And our tables match, our main event, continues.
[King] And with all the carnage around the ring, Nexus bodies everywhere,
as you said,
Randy Orton and John Cena are still involved in this tables match.
[crowd clamoring]
[Cole] Cena's hurt though.
Somebody better tell John Cena that Randy Orton is on the prowl.
"The Viper" is coiling.
Cena is barely moving following… following Wasteland by Barrett.
-There's Edge and Jericho. -[King] Edge? And Jericho!
[Cole] More members of the Six Pack Challenge
going right after Orton.
Edge and Jericho assaulting Orton.
Come on, Jericho!
[shouting indistinctly]
Come on, Edge, go.
[Cole] Now Orton trying to fight back.
[wrestlers grunting]
[King] Orton now
taking it to Edge.
[Cole] Jericho went for The Codebreaker.
[King] Look out.
-[Cole] Oh! -[King squeals]
[Cole] Orton sidestepping Edge, who Speared Jericho into the table.
Nexus is laid out.
Jericho and Edge laid out.
-Sheamus, the WWE Champion. -[King] Sheamus?!
Well, that's… that's all of 'em.
That's every member… Oh!
[Cole] There goes, Cena.
[King] …of Sunday's matchup.
And Sheamus out here, fresh as a daisy.
He's gonna do some serious damage now.
[Cole] Sheamus defending the WWE Championship
at Night of Champions Sunday.
-Attitude Adjustment! -[King] On the floor.
[crowd roaring]
[King] That's it for Sheamus.
[Cole] And Randy Orton and John Cena continue the main event.
Look at Randy Orton.
[King] Uh-oh.
[Cole] John Cena counters.
-[King] Oh no! -[Cole] Randy Orton up high.
Attitude Adjustment time.
Orton's going through a table, ladies and gentlemen.
[King] Oh man!
[Justin] The winner of this match, Randy Orton.
[King] Randy Orton, I think he caught Cena with an RKO!
[Cole] Cena went for The Attitude Adjustment.
I believe Orton countered into The RKO,
putting Cena through the table to win this main event.
["Voices" playing]
[Cole] What a resilient Randy Orton!
But look at the damage and the carnage at ringside.
♪ But when rules start getting broken ♪
♪ You start questioning your faith… ♪
[King chuckles] You're right. Carnage is absolutely everywhere.
-There's Sheamus. -[Cole] There are bodies everywhere.
And Wade Barrett…
♪ A voice that has the knowledge… ♪
[Cole] …and all the Nexus members taken out at ringside as well.
[King] John Cena now, Edge, Jericho through tables.
Barrett through a table.
♪ Blood that's dryin'… ♪
[Big E] What a scene.
Talk about an action-packed finish to that tables match,
which saw "The Viper" stand victorious over the GOAT, John Cena.
[song ends]
Randy would continue his winning ways,
and in 2013, "The Viper" would defend his World Heavyweight title
against the leader of the "Yes!" Movement,
Daniel Bryan.
[Cole] The celebration for Daniel Bryan,
the Superstar of the Year, continues.
What a major match for Bryan tonight in a big-time main event.
-["Voices" playing] -♪ I hear voices in my head ♪
♪ They counsel me ♪
♪ They understand, they talk to me… ♪
[Justin] His opponent, from St. Louis, Missouri,
weighing 245 lbs,
he is the WWE World Heavyweight Champion,
"The Viper" Randy Orton.
[JBL] Randy hears voices in his head all right.
Those voices are the jealousy of every WWE Superstar in the world,
including Daniel Bryan.
[Cole] Well, Randy Orton has no interest in competing in this match here tonight.
He's made it perfectly clear throughout the entire evening.
[King] The only voices Randy Orton's hearing in his head right now
are the voices of this capacity-crowd in Dallas yelling "Yes! Yes! Yes!"
[Cole] Talk about a man on an ego trip.
His ego's inflated a hundred times in the past 24 hours.
[King] A match 50 years in the making, Randy Orton wins it.
Shouldn't he be on an ego trip?
He's the king of the world right now.
[Cole] He is the king of the world,
and he is the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion,
but how about conducting yourself with some class?
Being humble about it?
[King] Randy Orton ought to be on the cover of GQ. Look at him.
That's the face of our company.
Conducts himself with grace and dignity all the time.
[Cole] Remember, this has been a tremendous rivalry
that has dominated the second half of this year.
All began back at SummerSlam the night that Triple H,
the special guest referee, Pedigreed Daniel Bryan
after Bryan had defeated John Cena for the WWE title.
Randy Orton would swoop in,
cash in his Money in the Bank contract to win the championship.
[King] Did he pin Daniel Bryan?
[Cole] Yes, he did.
-After he was, uh, Pedigreed by Triple H. -[King] Make your excuses.
"Sun's in my eyes." "Shoes are untied." I know.
[Cole] Then there would be an event where the official was caught up in the moment.
That official would be fired, being Scott Armstrong.
Randy Orton and Daniel Bryan had an incident
where the championship was…
after Big Show got involved.
Then, at Hell in a Cell,
Shawn Michaels turned his back on the man he trained, Daniel Bryan,
Superkicked him, and, King, handed the championship to Randy Orton.
[King] Yeah, it's unbelievable, Daniel Bryan's road to being the champion.
I mean, he's tried to overcome
every insurmountable obstacle that they've thrown in his way.
[JBL] So Randy Orton has pinned him twice?
[Cole] So you've gotta give… and you've gotta give John Cena credit here tonight.
He could have come here tonight and demanded his rematch
that he's owed against Orton,
but instead he made good on a promise that he made last week.
He said, "If I win Tables, Ladders & Chairs,
Daniel Bryan, you're next for a match."
John Cena then, well, he volunteered Daniel Bryan for this match tonight.
-[JBL] That was real nice. -[King] It was nice.
[JBL] Letting Daniel Bryan do his dirty work. John Cena is a smart guy.
[Cole] I don't think it had to do with that.
I just think it was John Cena being a great sport.
Daniel Bryan deserved this match as much as anyone,
and a win here tonight clearly puts him
in the title picture as the number one contender.
[King] Now, JBL, as to what you said
about what the new World Champion went through last night,
the Tables, Ladders & Chairs match,
that was brutal, and you see Randy Orton showing the effect.
He's already favoring that… I don't know if he's got stitches or whatever,
but he got busted open last night in that match.
[Cole] Well, hey, let's not forget what Daniel Bryan went through last night.
Daniel Bryan was in a three-on-one match against the entire Wyatt family.
[JBL] Waa-waa.
Call a "wambulance." Dial "nine-waa-waa."
[King] Wait. You're the one all waa-waa-waa for Randy Orton.
He wasn't hit with a ladder. He wasn't crashed through a table.
He didn't have a chair crashed against his back.
Randy Orton was,
in one of the most important matches in WWE history.
[Cole] Daniel Bryan trying to counter, and he does slip out.
He's got Orton in trouble.
Daniel Bryan says he knows hundreds of ways to tap a man out.
He can counter hundreds of situations as well.
[JBL] Orton's in big trouble early on in this match.
-[King] Oh. -[Cole] Oh man.
Randy Orton was livid when The Authority agreed to this match tonight.
No. Come on.
Enough! Enough!
[King] This may be the reason why.
[Cole] Randy Orton is special. He deserves to be treated as such.
[groans]
[JBL] You take care of your valuable assets,
and he is the most valuable asset the WWE has.
[King] Now look at this. How unique. Oh man!
Cole and I aren't going to argue the fact that, yes, he is special.
He is the… the Champion of Champions.
He's the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
We admit that.
We acknowledge that.
But as champion, he is gonna have,
as Triple H told him, a target on his chest.
He's gonna have to defend that.
He's going to get all the attention and have to defend himself.
Could you imagine Daniel Bryan, the little-sawed off GOAT,
as the champion of the WWE?
[Cole] I can imagine Daniel Bryan as champion of the WWE.
[King] He'd scare kids. Talk about ruining Christmas.
[JBL] Why don't you walk through this capacity crowd and ask
if any of these people can envision Daniel Bryan as WWE Champion?
Yes, the World Champion, Daniel Bryan.
They would all be chanting, "Yes! Yes! Yes!"
[King] Because they're all Randy Orton haters.
[Cole] And as champion, especially the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion,
Randy Orton has a responsibility, double the workload.
He has to conduct himself in a certain manner,
and you can't stand in the ring and look back
at the locker room that is sitting on stage,
call them jealous, make fun of them,
then basically, in interview, tell the entire world to, well…
-You know what he said. -[King] Kiss his butt.
[JBL] You think he's the first top dog to ever say that?
This is Randy Orton, the Champion of Champions.
[Cole] There's Daniel Bryan.
And now begins to work on the leg of Orton.
Daniel Bryan would love to get Orton to tap out here tonight.
Tenacious, relentless Daniel Bryan.
[JBL] Somewhere John Cena's sitting back, resting on his laurels,
watching Daniel Bryan do his dirty work.
[man] Jesus!
[JBL] It's a brilliant strategy by John Cena.
-[King] Yes! -[JBL] Send the…
Send the troll in there and have him kick Randy Orton while he's down.
-One, two, three. -[King] You know what?
I'll tell you why I disagree with you, JBL.
A Daniel Bryan victory here tonight in this match,
that could knock or move, at least, John Cena out of the championship picture,
and put Daniel Bryan right in it.
[ref] Daniel Bryan, do not do that.
[JBL] Maybe Cena thinks he could beat Bryan.
Maybe John Cena thinks that Daniel Bryan probably won't win,
but has a chance at weakening Randy Orton.
Maybe it's a calculated guess by John Cena.
John Cena's a 14-time champion. He's a smart guy.
[Cole] And he yells at us when we come up with conspiracy stuff.
[JBL] "Maybe!"
[Cole] Now it's Randy Orton in a world of trouble here.
Daniel Bryan is picking apart
the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
Cover. Kick-out by "The Viper."
[King] You know what I'm wondering? What The Authority's thinking
when they're seeing their new World Heavyweight Champion
being handed everything he can take.
[JBL] They're thinking what's best for business. That's how they always think.
[King] What?
[JBL] They must have great faith in Randy Orton.
[King] Oh, I'm sure they do.
[Cole] Well, they have given Randy Orton many chances over the past few months.
[King] Oh man.
[Cole] Uppercut by Randy as well. Now Bryan.
[crowd] Yes! No!
[JBL] The Authority knows what they're doing.
Randy's the type you give him too much rope, he might hang himself,
so they keep him on a short leash. That's good for business.
[Cole] And Bryan with a knee to the midsection.
[King] Boy, you're giving our new World Heavyweight Champion
a lot of credibility there.
He needs to be kept on a short leash, is that what you're saying, JBL?
I think that came out of your mouth.
[JBL] I'm saying that Triple H knows the limitations of Randy Orton
and he's protecting him.
He runs a global, multimedia worldwide company.
[King] So you're admitting the champion is being protected by The Authority?
That Randy Orton does have limitations? That he needs to be protected?
[JBL] Triple H does what… Everybody has limitations, dummy.
[Cole] Again, Daniel Bryan continues to work on the legs of Randy Orton.
[King] A moment ago, you were singing the praises of Randy Orton
being the greatest person in the world.
[JBL] He runs a global media empire. Would you call--
-[King] I'm begging you. -[Cole] Oh, now, what?
Orton took a bit to the knee of Bryan to force the separation.
-[ref] Watch the biting, you understand? -[Cole] Desperate move by Orton.
[JBL] I'd agree!
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Randy Orton was in big time trouble, and what did he do? He bit his opponent.
[Cole] The expression has suddenly changed on the face of "The Apex Predator,"
who now goes on the attack of Bryan.
[ref] Out of the corner.
One, two.
[grunts]
[ref] Out of the corner!
[JBL] I've never seen anyone go on offense with as much ferocity as Randy Orton.
He is truly "The Apex Predator."
You build a sports entertainer from the ground up,
it looks like this man, Randy Orton.
[King] He loves his work, all right.
[Cole] Orton went for The Thesz Press. Half-crab!
-[JBL] What a great counter. -[King] Orton may tap out.
[Cole] Orton went for The Thesz Press, Bryan rolled through into a half-crab.
And now submission move here.
Will Randy Orton tap out to Daniel Bryan?
Major point in this match for Daniel Bryan.
Orton trying is use those lanky, those long arms to get to the bottom rope
and force a break here, and he does.
Get him off.
[ref] Break the hold.
[JBL] Well, Daniel Bryan not gonna go quietly here.
[King] Well, did you expect him to?
[JBL] No, I just meant not gonna break the hold quietly.
He had to get in that one little last shot.
[Cole] Everything Daniel Bryan's been through
the past three or four months,
and to still come back against all that adversity,
come out every night and still be voted "Superstar the Year"
by the WWE fans is nothing short of extraordinary.
-And what a clothesline by Orton. -[JBL] Wow! Ha ha!
Just almost knocked Daniel Bryan's head off.
And I bet he's a dynamo.
Daniel Bryan is popular for a reason.
Randy Orton, though, is the face of the company.
What about what he's been through?
[King] Now, watch this move by Randy Orton. Pow!
-Oh man. -[Cole] What has Randy Orton been through?
He's been handed everything for months.
He's been given opportunity after opportunity.
-[JBL] Was he handed the title last night? -[Cole] No.
He wasn't.
-I agree. -[King] Right.
[JBL] Let me just say this, there were handcuffs involved.
[Cole] Yes. And Randy was smart enough to bring them.
[screaming]
[Cole] I don't think anybody's debating that Orton won that match last night.
Well within the rules of TLC.
[JBL] Daniel Bryan screaming like a little girl.
[man] Come on, Daniel.
[Cole] This is where Orton is dangerous. Wounded prey in the ring.
[ref] What do you wanna do, Daniel?
[crowd booing]
[King] So I guess he's been handed this too.
[Cole] Narcissism seeping from the pores of Orton.
[JBL] Nothing wrong with that.
It ain't cocky if you can back it up.
[ref] Bring him out of the corner.
[JBL] That's backing it up right there. Randy Orton…
[King] I was gonna say, you can just tell by the look on Orton's face,
he loves his work and he loves this type of…
When he gets the upper hand on an opponent, he loves it.
[Cole] Orton continues to headbutt,
despite the fact that the wound from last night has reopened.
[Cole] I think Daniel Bryan's arm is seriously hurt,
off that stomp by Randy Orton earlier.
Randy with an elbow up underneath the chin.
Is this enough here? And a kick-out.
Remember, you take the arm out of Bryan's arsenal,
you take the "YES!" Lock away.
[JBL] You're right about that. And Orton knows that.
[King] Watch this collision.
Listen to it.
Oh man.
[ref] One, two.
[King] And now it's Randy Orton picking apart Daniel Bryant.
[JBL] That elbow of Randy Orton square in Daniel Bryan's chest.
[crowd] Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!
[Cole] WWE fans in Dallas trying to will Bryan on.
[Randy groans] Oh!
[Cole] This kid has got so much heart. Again, back to the injured arm,
and did you hear Bryan let out a wild scream
when he was ripped to the mat?
Orton uses his head. Forearm to the face.
-And a kick-out at two. -[JBL] I told you he was screaming.
That's what happens in there with "The Apex Predator."
The first ever WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
[King] Look at him, there he is.
Talk about living up to the name of a predator.
[wrestlers grunt]
[JBL] The old garbage stomp, they'll rename it.
Daniel Bryan is basically helpless.
[crowd clamoring]
[JBL] There he is, guys, the face of our company.
[King] You say Daniel Bryan is down, but he's not out.
-I don't think he's helpless. -[Cole] Me neither.
And Daniel Bryan now returning the favor.
That's what Randy Orton did early on in this match.
-And Daniel-- -[JBL] Disqualify him.
-Disqualify Daniel Bryan. -[Cole] He unloads on Orton.
Bryan's had enough, and now Bryan's coming back.
[JBL] Why didn't the referee ring the bell?
What's wrong with that referee?
[Cole] The referee allowed Orton to get away with it earlier.
A lot of leeway in this matchup tonight.
An important match for both.
[King] Orton didn't bite anybody.
-[JBL] Yes, he did. -[Cole] He bit his knee.
Yes, he did.
[King] What match are you watching?
-[Cole] Daniel Bryan. Orton sidestepping. -[JBL] Oh no.
[Cole] And Bryan crashing and burning.
And just like that,
the champion buys himself some time, takes control.
This match continues on Raw.
[ref] Let's go.
[Cole] Ladies and gentlemen, this is our main event
live on Monday Night Raw
from Dallas, Texas, the American Airlines Center.
Randy Orton, the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion,
against Daniel Bryan.
Check out what happened before the break.
[King] Watch Bryan leaping out of the ring.
Randy Orton sidestep… not only sidesteps him,
he propels Daniel Bryan.
And watch Daniel's head hit the floor and the wall.
Oh my God!
[Cole] What happened during the break
is Randy Orton was attended to by a ringside physician,
who fixed the open wound on his forehead.
Daniel Bryan barely beat a ten-count back into the ring,
much to Randy Orton's chagrin.
And this is where we are now, Orton and Bryan, crunch time, here on Raw.
[King] Daniel Bryan has absorbed a lot of punishment so far.
If he can come back in this thing, it's going to be, as you like to say, JBL,
"a minor miracle."
[Cole] Orton blasting Bryan off the apron.
So much at stake in this match for Bryan. A victory puts him in the title hunt.
Get in the ring now.
[Cole] Randy Orton so upset that he's even involved in this match tonight.
Upset that Daniel Bryan was voted "Superstar the Year."
-[JBL] He should be upset. -[Cole] Hand full of hair.
[King] You know, what gets me…
[Cole] Again the bad arm of Bryan.
-[screams] -[King] It's a vote.
I mean, it's the opinion of the WWE Universe.
You think Orton is gonna to be able to come out here
and… and insult the entire Universe,
bad-mouth and browbeat every everybody, and then expect them to vote for him?
-[Cole] You heard what Randy Orton said. -[JBL] Yeah.
Telling the truth is not an insult in any world.
[King] Yes.
John, he told the entire world to kiss his backside.
That's what he did.
[ref] Get in the ring now.
[JBL] Maybe that's what's best for business.
[King] It's not going to get him any votes when it comes to "Superstar of the Year."
[Cole] Randy Orton slithers into the cover, hooks the leg. Shoulders down.
Got him. No.
-Near-fall, two and a half. -[JBL] You can't get any higher.
It's Randy Orton.
He's the face of the WWE.
[Cole] I know. He's the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
That's who he is.
And there's only one in the world.
Randy Orton.
-Got to admire Bryan. -[King] He should hire JBL as his PR guy.
[JBL] And like it or not, he represents King.
He represents Michael. He represents me, and I'm proud of it.
-[King] I'm not proud. -[JBL] You should be too.
[King] I'm not proud when a guy like him goes on worldwide television
and tells everybody to kiss his butt.
You'd be proud of that?
[JBL] I'm proud that he's our champion, yes, absolutely, I am.
I'm proud that we have a man who exercises his first amendment rights.
Uh-oh.
-[Cole] Randy Orton, top rope. -[King] Not good.
-Superplex! -[Cole] And it's a long way down.
[King] Wow.
[Cole] Orton knocking the wind out of himself momentarily,
and now he'll nonchalantly hook the leg. Now both legs.
Bryan stays in, again the tenacity of Daniel Bryan.
He's like a Pitbull.
[JBL] How far this is down.
-[Cole] Look at the height. -[King] Wow.
[crowd clamoring]
[King] That is a true Superplex.
I mean, that is all the way from the top.
[Cole] King, look at Daniel Bryan's left arm.
It's immobile.
[crowd chanting, clamoring]
[Cole] Bryan has no use of that left arm.
It's been attacked by Orton for much of this match.
[crowd] Let's go, Bryan!
[JBL] This kid's a fighter.
[Cole] And there's another example of it.
[crowd] Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!
[Cole] And again, Orton back in control.
Daniel Bryan, up over the top, lands on his feet.
Now Daniel Bryan starting to build a little bit of momentum.
-[JBL] Daniel Bryan's hurt. -[King] Yep.
That did as much damage to Daniel as it did to Randy Orton.
[Cole] Randy Orton is checking out his tooth.
He may have a lost a tooth there in that collision.
[JBL] I hope not. He could have a photo shoot coming up.
-[Cole] That'd be a shame. -[JBL] Yeah.
[King] It'd be a shame to damage the face… the face of the WWE.
[Cole] And now Daniel Bryan got him there.
-That may do more damage to it. -[King] Wow.
[Cole] And Daniel Bryan starting to build momentum.
Bryan's in this thing.
-[ref] Come on, let's go. Pull him out. -[crowd] Yes! Yes!
-[ref] One, two. -[crowd] Yes!
[Cole] What a great match.
You wouldn't expect anything different from this great rivalry
between these two.
-[King] Bryan. -[Cole] Oh, Randy Orton.
[Cole] That was close. Bryan hook of the leg again. Shoulders down.
And Orton stays in at two and a half.
[crowd booing]
[King] He's in a lot of pain. That arm is hurting him.
[Cole] Orton's been shaken up as well.
[crowd] This is awesome! [clapping]
[King] And he keeps checking on his teeth.
I think he's broken a tooth or lost a tooth.
[crowd] This is awesome!
[King] That's gonna do one of two things. Shake his confidence or motivate him.
-[Cole] WWE fans showing respect. -[King] Get him ticked off.
[Cole] Showing respect for this matchup.
Now it's Orton dazed.
Daniel Bryan digging down deep.
We've learned he's a great late-inning player.
And there's The Backbreaker…
[crowd clamoring]
[Cole] …by the champion.
[JBL] Daniel Bryan favoring that left shoulder still.
[Cole] Been the target of Orton throughout much of this matchup.
[Cole] Oh, oh, oh! Bryan caught him.
-Bryan caught the champion. -[King] Get him!
He's trying to wrestle Orton into position for the "Yes!" Lock.
-[JBL] Uh-oh. -[Cole] And Randy Orton counters it.
[Cole] And he sends Daniel Bryan up over the top.
[King] But he hangs on. Daniel Bryan hangs on.
[Cole] And manages-- Oh man, Randy Orton.
-Bryan's hanging on momentarily. -[Randy] Let him in?
[Cole] Think that arm had something to do
with Bryan not being able to wrestle into the "Yes!" Lock?
[King] The referee's told Randy Orton to let him in.
Orton said, "You want him in? I'll help him in."
"And then knock him out."
[Cole] Randy Orton realizes it's just a matter of time.
[JBL] You know where Randy's going now.
Say it, Michael, say it. Vintage Orton.
[Cole] Randy Orton heading to that place.
[crowd booing]
[Cole] Daniel Bryan's been stunned.
[King] Oh boy.
[man] Yes!
[Cole] Here we go.
Time for "The Viper" to strike.
Went for the RKO.
-Daniel Bryan backslide. -[King] Backslide.
-Two-count. Got him! -[Cole] Boy, was that close.
-[King] Near-fall. -[Cole] Right in the side of the head.
-[King] This could be it. Pin the champ. -[Cole] Does Bryan have it?
And again a near-fall for Daniel Bryan.
-[King] Wow. -[Cole] Incredible action.
[King] You can't stop now, Daniel. Stay on him.
[crowd] Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!
[Cole] Listen to this place in Dallas.
[crowd] Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!
[Cole] Bryan gonna go up top.
[JBL] I got to give it to him. I don't know how he's doing this.
Randy Orton, there's "The Viper."
And he's not now. The shrewd champion.
-[crowd] This is awesome! -[crowd] Randy! Randy! Randy! Randy!
[crowd] This is awesome! [clapping]
[ref] And Orton…
[Cole] Ladies and gentlemen, this is Monday Night Raw.
We are live tonight
at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
Randy Orton, your new WWE World Heavyweight Champion,
in the battle right now with Daniel Bryan.
It has been an incredible main event.
[King] Not another superplex. I don't think Daniel can take another one.
Bryan betting on it all.
He's trying to block it as well as he can.
-[JBL] He better block it. -[crowd] Yes! Yes! Yes!
[Cole] These WWE fans firmly behind "Superstar of the Year" Daniel Bryan,
who now goes to the top rope.
The champion is in deep trouble.
Daniel Bryan digging down deep.
-Headbutt! Headbutt! Is it enough? -[King] Oh!
[Cole] Hook of the inside leg.
-And a near-fall! -[King] Wow!
[crowd clamoring]
[King] That is amazing.
What an amazing match this is.
Watch this flying headbutt.
Watch it land… Oh man! …right into the heart of Randy Orton,
who still has something.
Orton kicks out.
That's why he is the Champion of Champions.
[Cole] And you're seeing why Daniel Bryan's "Superstar of the Year,"
because of performances like this.
Digging deep down inside.
-[King] Oh no! -[Cole] Oh, Daniel Bryan.
And another sidestep by Orton.
[JBL] And that's why Randy Orton is the WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
Because of performances like this.
[King] You're right. He's so resilient.
Just when you think you have Orton.
[Cole] Both these guys are resilient.
And look at Randy Orton. Shoulders are down now.
Oh, Daniel Bry-- What a counter!
-[King] He got him. -[Cole] Middle of the ring.
-[King] "Yes!" Lock. Submission hold! -[Cole] Middle of the ring!
-Orton's gonna tap! Orton's gonna tap! -[King laughs]
[Cole] Orton's gonna tap!
Randy Orton trying to slither his way to the bottom rope,
dragging Bryan with him.
And forces the break.
[JBL] Those long arms come in handy.
The only chance that Randy Orton had not to lose.
[King] Watch it, Randy. Incoming.
-There goes the champ. -[Cole] This time, Daniel Bryan hit it.
Bryan is so fired up here tonight on our main event on Raw.
[King] Oh!
Ya!
[Cole and King] Oh!
[Cole] Orton and Bryan everywhere.
Bodies flying all over the place.
[JBL] Daniel Bryan is on fire right now. He may have Randy Orton's number.
What a victory this would be for Daniel Bryan.
[King] Don't turn around, Orton. You won't like the view.
[Cole] And a flying missile dropkick!
Kick-up by Bryan.
[King] Look at the resiliency of Daniel Bryan.
[JBL] This would be the first match
since Randy won that WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
[crowd] Yes! Yes! Yes!
[JBL] Everybody's out of their seats here.
-[Cole] Oh no. -[King] Oh no.
[Cole] What a low blow! A blatant low blow.
Talk about the cheap way out. Talk about the cheap way out.
[crowd booing]
[King] Come on.
Randy Orton knew he was gonna get beat by Bryan,
and he took the cheap way out.
[JBL] I have to agree with you.
[King] Pathetic.
[man] Come on, Orton.
[Randy] I'm gonna finish it.
Not you.
-["The Time Is Now" playing] -[crowd roaring]
[Cole] And here comes Cena!
And Cena takes down Orton.
-And now the… -[King] Look at this.
[Cole] John Cena.
It was because of Cena that Bryan was in this match tonight.
[King] Watch out. Randy Orton's back.
[Cole] RKO! RKO to Cena.
[crowd clamoring]
[Cole] In my estimation, an absolutely pathetic display
by the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion tonight.
[King] After an absolutely brilliant match by both these Superstars, then that.
[JBL] Yeah, I have to agree with you.
He robbed us of an incredible match.
-Daniel Bryan-- -[King] Well, the match was incredible.
-[Cole] A low blow to Bryan -[JBL] An incredible finish.
We should have seen that. That was… that was epic. That was classic.
[Cole] And a low blow to Bryan,
and then John Cena came down, doing the right thing,
checking on Bryan, and then the cheap shot from behind,
the RKO to John Cena.
-["Voices" playing] -♪ They counsel me ♪
♪ They understand, they talk to me… ♪
[song ends]
By hook or by crook,
"The Apex Predator" found a way to hang on to his World Heavyweight Championship
while dismantling his rival John Cena in the process.
They say iron sharpens iron.
And Randy's list of opponents have no doubt shaped him
into one of the most dangerous Superstars in all of WWE.
But in 2019,
Randy Orton's might was truly tested like never before
when he collided with "The Phenomenal One" AJ Styles
in this epic match on Monday Night Raw.
-["Voices" playing] -♪ I see darkness fallin' ♪
♪ I hear voices callin' ♪
♪ I feel justice crawlin' ♪
-♪ I see faith has fallen… ♪ -[song fades]
-["Phenomenal" playing] -♪ Yeah yeah yeah ♪
♪ Yeah yeah yeah yeah ♪
♪ Yeah yeah… ♪
[Vic] What about this matchup we're about to witness tonight.
[Rome] And his opponent, representing the O.C.,
from Gainesville, Georgia,
weighing in at 218 lbs,
"The Phenomenal" AJ Styles.
[Vic] AJ Styles said that he told The O.C. to hang out in the back, King.
To your point, tonight, Styles wants to go one-on-one with Randy Orton.
♪ They don't want none ♪
♪ No, they don't want none ♪
♪ They looking scared No, they don't really want none ♪
♪ I'm a Mack truck ♪
♪ Don't get run over ♪
♪ We some country boys Working overtime for it ♪
♪ Kings of the South We never had nothing ♪
♪ Blue collar boys Do it with our hands muddied ♪
♪ They don't want none ♪
♪ No, they don't want none ♪
♪ They don't want none, no… ♪
[King] Guys, we've heard from Seth Rollins, declaring himself,
first of all, a "Visionary," but declaring himself,
he's gonna be the leader… the leader here at Monday Night Raw.
But what does that mean for these two men,
"The Phenomenal One" and "The Viper"?
What, are they supposed to fall in line behind AJ Styles?
Or behind Seth Rollins? Somebody like AJ Styles or Randy Orton?
They're not… they're not followers.
[Vic] It's all about #OrtonVersusStyles.
Randy Orton has not taken his eyes off "The Phenomenal One."
And look, Styles has fallen victim
to Randy Orton's calculated schemes over the past few weeks,
which has resulted in AJ Styles not only losing his United States Championship,
but also not able to regain it.
And Randy Orton right on top of Styles out the gate.
[King] Oh man.
[Joe] When you talk about power advantage, Randy Orton has it in spades,
but AJ, he's a very crafty individual.
He just managed to find those openings. Like right here, probably.
[Vic] Styles to the midsection.
Orton said earlier tonight he hasn't forgotten about WrestleMania.
When Styles pulled a victory
over Orton earlier this year,
and, well, Styles has been very vocal about Randy Orton on social media,
but Styles-- Oh!
Looking for the RKO,
and Styles able to get free.
[Joe] Almost there.
The most dangerous letters in sports entertainment,
RKO.
-[King] Look at "The Viper." -[Vic] Styles on the outside.
Orton not gonna wait.
You just feel the energy here tonight, King.
The tension has been building between these two Superstars for weeks,
coming to a head here tonight.
[King] Look out.
[Vic] Styles now to the outside.
For a Superstar that you know very well in AJ Styles,
what does this matchup mean to him?
As Styles gets dropped spine first.
[Joe] One thing about AJ Styles you can be assured of
is that his ego is bigger than his brain.
I don't really agree with not having The O.C. here,
especially with a competitor like Orton, who's very dangerous in his own right.
[King] You can say that about both of them,
I mean, Randy Orton never has to go on a vacation
because he's always on a permanent ego trip.
[Vic] Well, Randy Orton has stated he does what he wants, when he wants.
And "The Viper" now, as cold and calculated as they come,
starting to physically dissect AJ Styles here tonight.
-[Vic grunts] Oh! -[AJ yells]
[Joe] Just going after those small joints.
[Vic] Orton reminding AJ Styles why he is, in fact, superior.
[King] You're right. That was the perfect description of Randy Orton.
"Cold and calculated." He's so cold, he has got his own windchill factor.
And AJ may find that out in this match tonight.
[Vic] Randy Orton slowing the pace down in this matchup.
Oh boy.
And now AJ Styles dropping Orton over the top rope.
[Joe] And therein lies AJ's strength.
He finds these openings,
these little moments when you're just not expecting it.
[Vic] Styles now flying, and got caught by Orton on the outside.
Man.
But what about, Joe, Randy Orton able to shut the door quickly on Styles?
[Joe] And rightly so,
because once AJ gets going, it's really hard to get him to stop.
[Vic] Oh, Randy Orton. We've seen this in the past, King.
[King] Have we ever.
This is vintage Randy Orton.
[Vic] Able to get through, wait. Look at the reversal.
-[Joe] Calf Crusher. -[Vic] Calf Crusher looking to connect.
[Joe] Great block by Orton.
Pushing back on the foot.
No, AJ powered it through.
[Vic] Styles able to get The Calf Crusher center of the ring.
[Joe] Orton's gotta get that arm around that face, crossface him out.
He's gotta do something to get AJ off.
[Vic] You can see the pain on the face of "The Viper."
[Joe] Reach back. He's got it.
He's got a hook.
-[Vic] Styles wrenching. -[Joe] That is deep.
[Vic] Wrenching the left knee.
[Joe] The compression on the… compression on the calf right now is unbelievable.
[Vic] And Orton so close to the bottom rope, reaching out.
Randy Orton, trying his best, desperately.
Styles dragging Orton back to the middle to ring.
[King] The pain on Orton's face there.
[Vic] Looking to lock in one more time that calf pressure.
Orton doing his best, though, to block.
[Joe] Absolutely. As long as he keeps that foot on the ground,
and takes off--
That is fully locked in.
[Vic] Locked in center of the ring, Randy Orton, is he gonna tap up AJ Styles?
[King] We may see history made right here.
[Vic] Styles is gonna show why he's superior, twisting on the ankle.
Orton's in trouble. Orton's crawling.
[Joe] That knee is like a Rice Krispie, it's going snap, crackle, and pop.
[Vic] Fingertips away, and Orton got to the bottom rope.
[King] Yeah, but how much damage has been done to Randy's leg here?
[Vic] And, Joe, you saw Styles hold on to the count of four.
[Joe] Absolutely. Maximizing the damage. I mean, powering through.
Randy with great defense, trying to keep that foot on the ground,
but, inevitably, AJ just found a way to crank through and lock that in deep.
[Vic] And now it's Styles standing tall.
And it was Styles who said it was time to get back to O.C. business.
And we have a weakened "Viper" here tonight.
[King] Yes, we do. Randy, he just went from describing his legs
to "right leg, left leg" to "good leg" and "bad leg."
[Joe] Watch out. Here comes AJ.
[Vic] Chopping down Orton.
Can Randy Orton figure out a way to solve the problem of AJ Styles?
[Randy groaning]
[Vic] Championship Wednesday for NXT,
but right now, Randy Orton is being beaten down by AJ Styles.
And Styles, who has called Randy Orton a fraud.
How about this before the break, guys?
Styles focusing on the knee after The Calf Crusher
was implemented in the center of the ring.
Randy Orton's chopped down by "The Phenomenal One."
Joe, how effective can Randy Orton be on one leg?
[Joe] Not very. I mean, AJ's using a tried-and-true tactic.
If you're dealing with a superior power,
you put them on the ground and give them a limp.
[King] This is exactly what Randy Orton did not want to happen in this match.
-[Vic] Orton trying to fight back. -[Joe] Severe disadvantage.
[Vic] Orton with a couple of right hands rocking Styles.
Orton on one leg, trying to be effective as he can be,
but one kick to the knee drops Orton.
Styles back in control.
And the left knee, how much damage, King, could possibly be done?
[King] Every part of that leg has been damaged,
especially like Joe said earlier, that Calf Crusher is exactly that.
I mean that puts so much pressure, so much damage done to your calf,
and then to your knee as well.
And AJ has been working on his upper leg too.
His entire leg is damaged.
[Vic] There's a bullseye on the body of Randy Orton.
-[Vic] An equalizer. -[Joe] Absolutely.
[King] Speaking of bullseye.
[Vic] Orton, a little separation, trying to regroup,
maybe get feeling back into his left knee.
Styles, coming right back in on Orton.
Orton, however, dropping Styles on the top turnbuckle.
And now Randy Orton, a veteran, has been able to, well, weather storms in the past.
[King] Trying to buy himself some time is what he's trying to do. You see that.
Anything he can do to try to get that leg rehabilitated just a little bit.
[JBL] And see, this is… this is the disadvantage of being the bigger guy,
being the power guy in these types of matchups,
is that you're stacking up weight on that wheel
and that wheel doesn't look good right now.
[Vic] Randy Orton trying to block the pain out tonight
against AJ Styles.
Orton fires back with a right hand.
Orton continuing to fight back against "The Phenomenal One."
Third time right between the eyes.
-Ooh! -[JBL] Ho-ho-ho-ho!
Man, Randy can barely keep both… both legs underneath him now.
[Vic] And Randy Orton who has been a thorn in the side of AJ Styles for weeks.
Styles will love nothing more than to beat Randy Orton here tonight.
But Orton continuing to punch and pummel Styles,
and Styles back to the left knee.
[Vic] You had to see that Randy tried, well, he really tried to shoot a kick--
-Powerslam. -[JBL] Beautiful powerslam.
And look at the… look at the damage done to that leg.
[Vic] Joe, just when you think Randy Orton is down,
he always, somehow, pulls an ace out of his sleeve.
[JBL] But you gotta wonder what that ace cost him.
Whenever you have these explosive moves, especially that powerslam,
it generates a lot of force on those ligaments, on those legs.
You gotta wonder if he blew something out.
[Vic] Randy Orton just trying to get back to a vertical base and does.
But Orton,
the left knee has been beaten down by Styles with a Calf Crusher.
[King] He can barely walk.
[JBL] And Styles is rabid. He's staying on that leg.
[Vic] And now Randy Orton again trying to fight his way free.
Orton and Styles, our main event here on Monday Night Raw.
It's Styles. Gets caught.
Orton now.
Inverted backbreaker, but, again, Joe, the knee of Randy Orton.
[JBL] Randy Orton'd normally be capitalizing right away
on an opportunity like this.
[Vic] Taking time for Orton to crawl into the cover.
Forearm across the face.
And a kick-out by Styles.
[JBL] Obviously, that knee is hampering him.
Randy can put absolutely no weight on his left leg.
[Vic] You can see Randy Orton looking down, trying to get some sort of feeling.
[King] That could be a torn ligament.
[JBL] When you start going to the massage routine mid-match,
you know that knee's really done.
[crowd] RKO!
[Vic] WWE Universe trying to rally "The Viper" here against AJ Styles.
[crowd] RKO! RKO!
[Vic] Those voices in the back of Randy Orton's mind
telling him to fight through, block out the pain,
continue to beat down "The Phenomenal One."
[King] AJ Styles is trying to block out those voices of the WWE Universe,
but the way to do that is to get back on the offense.
[Vic] Right hand by Randy Orton.
Styles is rocked.
[King] Yeah, he's reeling.
[JBL] Randy has to be careful here.
[King] No, no, no. Watch the leg.
[JBL] He's heading to an area that AJ's very familiar with,
and he's got a bad wheel.
[crowd cheering]
[King] You see, he's got to put a ton of pressure on that left leg here,
if he's going to try to lift AJ.
[Vic] Randy Orton on one leg, going all the way to the top rope.
Don't do it.
Styles able to slide through,
and then pulled out Orton over the top turnbuckle.
Styles's been able to stay one step ahead of Orton
throughout this entire matchup.
And a big chop, and Orton down.
[Randy groaning] Oh!
Ah!
[King] Man, oh man.
We tried to tell Randy not to do it,
but AJ Styles made sure Randy didn't do it.
And watch this. Look at this. Oh man!
[Randy] God!
[Vic] And you heard Randy Orton screaming out in pain.
Styles looking for the moonsault, connects.
Styles got Orton with a moonsault. Cover to pin Randy Orton tonight.
And Orton.
Left shoulder just getting off the mat.
[JBL] Amazing athleticism by Styles right here.
He did not get all the footing on that moonsault.
Still managed to execute it perfectly.
[Vic] Styles trying to keep his emotions in check
because this matchup is all about retribution for AJ Styles.
-[King] Watch this. Watch this. -[Vic] The moonsault connected.
[King] Here's where the… the true champion of Randy comes out.
He make sure that the referee sees that left shoulder is up.
[Vic] 100%, but as we know, going into this matchup for AJ Styles,
it was about beating Randy Orton.
Hey, now, Styles could be looking for The Styles Clash.
Styles wanting to send an exclamation point to Orton.
-Orton now trying to fight free. -[King] Look out! Look out!
[Vic] Styles up and over and lands on his feet.
-[King] Oh man. Look out. -[Vic] Oh!
[King] Big right hand,
but, man, that leg of Randy Orton's is killing him.
[JBL] He's pulling him out.
[Vic] Does he have the leg to do it?
-DDT! -[King] Yes! Yes!
[Vic] Orton got over the DDT!
[King] Oh, but, see, he can't just-- He doesn't have the quickness now.
-That leg is hurting him so bad. -[Vic] "The Viper" on one leg now.
-Here goes Randy Orton. -[JBL] He's doing his best to coil.
[Vic] Randy Orton is trying to go down to places not many men have.
[King] You're right.
"The Viper" wants to strike.
[Vic] Randy Orton feeding off the WWE Universe,
and it might be time for "The Viper" to coil up in the center of the ring.
Yo-ho-ho!
[crowd cheering]
[King] AJ Styles, you're in big trouble, brother.
[Vic] Orton, looking at Styles.
Looking for The RKO.
Styles had it scouted.
[JBL] Right back into The Calf Crusher.
-[Vic] No. -[JBL] No block. No block.
-[Vic] This is it. -[JBL] He's got it full.
[Vic] Pain stretching through the body of Randy Orton.
[JBL] Oh, it's sunk in.
[Vic] Randy Orton, is he going to tap?
Orton trying to fight free.
Styles back to his feet.
Orton able to kick free.
This could be the moment for Orton now. Orton has a little separation.
"Viper" sending Styles up and over.
-"Phenomenal One" on his feet. -[JBL] He's looking for it.
-[King] Look out, Randy. Here it comes. -[Vic] No.
-[JBL] Oh man. -[Vic] Orton trying--
-The knee of Randy Orton. -[JBL] He got him anyway.
-[King] RKO. -[Vic] He did it.
-[King] He did! Get him. -[Vic] Cover by Orton.
-Oh my gosh. -[crowd] One, two, three.
-[JBL] Yes. -[Vic] Randy Orton strikes again.
-["Voices" playing] - ♪ I hear voices in my head… ♪
[Rome] Here is your winner,
Randy Orton.
[Big E] RKO, out of nowhere.
Orton's timing was impeccable,
catching AJ mid-flight to put "The Phenomenal One" away.
Those are the matches and the opportune moments
that have defined the spectacular career of Randy Orton.
Whether it was during his time in Evolution,
as a brash young upstart, or as the sadistic "Legend Killer,"
"The Viper" has become a staple of Monday Night Raw,
and is a future Hall of Famer whenever he decides to retire the boots.
Now, if you'll excuse me, the voices in my head are telling me
that's all for this episode of Raw Classics.
I'm Big E, and I'll see you next time.
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