When Did Randy Orton Start in WWE?

Randy Orton has been a part of WWE for over a decade now, but when did he first start with the company?

Randy Orton’s Beginnings in WWE

Randy Orton has been with WWE for a very long time. In fact, he made his debut in April of 2002. He was part of the original Evolution stable along with Triple H, Ric Flair, and Batista.Orton held the WWE Championship for the first time in 2004 and is a 3-time world champion.

His first match

Randy Orton made his WWE debut in April of 2002, when he was just 21 years old. At the time, he was the youngest wrestler on the WWE roster. He quickly made a name for himself, winning his first match against Hardcore Holly.

His first championship

In April 2004, at Backlash, Evolution (Orton, Ric Flair, Triple H, and Batista) interfered in the WWE Championship match between Chris Jericho and challenger Edge, helping Edge win the title. The following month at Judgement Day, Orton defeated Jericho to win his first WWE Championship, making him the youngest world champion in WWE history at age 24.

Randy Orton’s Heel Turn

Randy Orton joined the WWE in 2001, but he didn’t turn into a full-fledged heel until early 2004. That’s when he aligned himself with Evolution, a stable that included Ric Flair, Triple H, and Batista. Orton quickly became one of the most despised villains in WWE history. Let’s take a look at how it all happened.

His first heel turn

Randy Orton’s first heel turn came in early 2004, when he attacked Hulk Hogan on an episode of SmackDown. This began a feud between the two, which culminated in a match at Backlash, which Orton won. Orton then set his sights on the WWE Championship, held at the time by Chris Benoit.

His second heel turn

Randy Orton’s second heel turn happened on the November 29th, 2010 episode of Raw. This was during the Nexus storyline where he was a part of Team WWE against The Nexus. He had originally turned heel a few months prior when he turned on his father “Cowboy” Bob Orton Sr. and joined The Legacy faction.

Randy Orton’s Face Turn

Randy Orton has been a top Superstar in WWE for over a decade. He is a third generation Superstar and a former WWE Champion. Orton was born into wrestling and made his in-ring debut at the age of 24. He has since become one of the most popular Superstars in WWE history.

His first face turn

Randy Orton made his WWF television debut on the April 21, 2002 episode of SmackDown!, defeating Hardcore Holly with a RKO. Orton quickly began a storyline where he roughed up several veteran wrestlers, including Kane and the Big Show. As part of the storyline, Orton delivered a RKO to Stephanie McMahon, on-screen head of WWE’s creative team, which led to him being suspended “indefinitely” by McMahon.

His second face turn

On the December 6 episode of SmackDown, following a backstage brawl with Wade Barrett, in which Barrett destroyed Orton’s locker room, resulting in Orton being knocked unconscious, General Manager Theodore Long allowed a “no holds barred” match between the two at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs. At the pay-per-view, Orton defeated Barrett to end their feud. The following night on SmackDown, during a tag team match pitting Orton and Sheamus against Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger (with Vickie Guerrero), Ziggler superplexed Orton from the top rope and injured him. As a result, Orton was sidelined for nearly two months.