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Randy Orton recently completed twenty years in the wrestling business. Staying at the top and wrestling at a high level for so many years is no easy feat. There is no doubt that he is a true WWE legend and an all-time great of the industry.
Throughout the two decades he has spent in WWE, Orton has wrestled countless matches. Most of them have ranged from solid to good, but there have been some truly great contests that he was part of.
The 2020s have seen The Viper switch between babyface and heel and excel at both. His commitment to character work and execution is outstanding, as is his ability to tune his in-ring game according to his role.
In celebration of Randy Orton's achievement, here are five of his best matches from 2020 to the present day.
#5. On our list of top Randy Orton matches from 2020-22: Vs. Seth 'Freakin' Rollins (RAW, February 14, 2022)
Randy Orton and Seth 'Freakin' Rollins go back a long way. They are incredibly familiar with each other, and that translated to a great match in 2022.
Orton and Rollins went back and forth in a hotly-contested encounter that had fans on the edge of their seats. The Viper and The Visionary traded their best shots and wrestled a classic that was hard to predict on free television.
As the match reached its final stage, Orton hit Rollins with an RKO and looked set to take the win. However, a distraction from Alpha Academy saw the former step out of the ring to fight them alongside tag team partner Riddle.
After disposing of Chad Gable and Otis, the 14-time World Champion walked right into a huge Stomp from his opponent and took the L. However, that should not take away from the cracker of a match they contested.
#4. RK-Bro vs. The Usos (Survivor Series 2021)
WWE's tag team divisions received major boosts in the form of The Usos and RK-Bro's reigns over their respective brands. The two teams have been the benchmarks of the division and the best parts of the product for a while.
So when Randy Orton and Riddle took on Jimmy and Jey Uso at Survivor Series, it had a legitimate big fight feel. Champions took on Champions in a great encounter that was as exciting as it was unpredictable.
After an intense back-and-forth encounter, Jimmy Uso went for a splash to finish things, only to run right into an RKO from Orton. The RAW Tag Team Champions prevailed that night, and the encounter was one of the best matches of the night.
#3. Vs. Drew McIntyre (Hell in a Cell 2020)
Randy Orton's feud with Drew McIntyre was one of the highlights of the pandemic era. It was a brilliant rivalry that represented the standards the company brought to the table when every fan was at home.
While a case can be made for any of their encounters to appear on this list, we are picking their phenomenal Hell in a Cell encounter. It was high-octane from start to finish and had a shock conclusion in The Viper winning his 14th world title.
From the challenger attacking the champion before the bell rang to sending him through the announce table from the cell, it was a brutal affair throughout. Orton and McIntyre did a great job of making the rivalry seem a big deal, and this match was testament to their efforts.
#2. RK-Bro vs. Alpha Academy vs. Seth 'Freakin' Rollins and Kevin Owens (RAW, March 7, 2022)
This match was an absolutely brilliant affair that saw six superstars wage war for the RAW Tag Team titles. Every man played his role to perfection, and the result was a scorcher that is one of the greatest matches to have taken place on RAW in the past decade.
Chad Gable and Otis defended their RAW Tag Team Championships against Randy Orton, Riddle, Seth 'Freakin' Rollins and Kevin Owens. All three teams came within touching distance of winning the title, but it was RK-Bro who prevailed and became tag team champions for the second time.
A big part of that was Orton, who delivered the match-changing moment in emphatic fashion. His RKO to a moonsaulting Gable popped the crowd and swung the momentum in his team's favor. Moments later, Riddle picked up the victory for RK-Bro and the Apex Predator added another classic to his cap.
#1. Vs. Edge (Backlash)
Right off the bat, we will say that 'The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever' was some extremely ambitious copywriting. However, we will also say that it was Randy Orton's best match since 2020.
The rivalry between Orton and Edge was one of the best ones to take place during the Empty Arena Era. It was a heated feud that was emotionally charged on maximum capacity and neither superstar held anything back throughout its run.
WWE marketed the Backlash encounter incorrectly, but no one can deny that it was a great, great match. It was violent, intense and unpredictable, with the former Rated-RKO teammates turning it up to 11 from start to finish. The Randy Orton victory that came leveled the score and allowed the feud to carry on.
