Rating Randy Orton's 5 Greatest RKO's of All-Time

At the end of his career, Randy Orton will go down as one of the greatest in WWE history, given his long line of accomplishments, fantastic rivalries, and great matches, but the thing he'll always be best known for is his deadly finishing move, the RKO.

It is devastating, can come out of nowhere and has transcended the WWE into popular culture, but yet, it's still sometimes so unexpected that WWE fans can't even see when it's coming.

A good finishing move can sometimes be wasted on a terrible performer, but the WWE got it completely right here, as arguably the best finishing move in WWE history has been given to a fantastic performer, and boy has he had some good ones.

So with all that in mind, sit back and read along as we look back at the illustrious career of The Legend Killer, and analyse his 5 greatest RKO's ever (obviously there is a lot we missed out on, so feel free to discuss in the comments below which ones you would have included on our list).

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#5. Carlito at Unforgiven 2006

Out of all the opponents that Randy has had over the years, Carlito won't rank among the best, but these two had several fantastic matches in the mid-2000s, with the most notable moment being this one at Unforgiven. Sure, the show ended with a classic between John Cena and Edge in a TLC match, so it's somewhat overshadowed, but this was arguably the first instance of Orton countering a springboard into his deadly finisher.

While perched on the second rope, Carlito beautifully springboarded his way across the ring, but instead of hitting a move, he was nailed with the RKO to the shock and delight of the crowd in attendance, and while it won't be the most replayed RKO of all-time, it may have been the first of many beautiful counters that Randy would employ over his career.

#4. The Undertaker at WrestleMania 21

The Undertaker's streak is one of the most impressive things in WWE history, but when he came up against someone known as The Legend Killer at WrestleMania 21, it seemed that it could be coming to an end, and when Randy nailed the RKO, it seemed all but over. Going for one of his patented Chokeslam's, it seemed the match was over for Orton, until out of nowhere, he countered the move into his RKO, stunning the entire crowd in attendance.

This was one of the earliest occurrences of an amazing RKO, and even though it wasn't as aesthetically pleasing as countering a high-flying move, it was just as amazing as any of those. Unfortunately for The Legend Killer, the surprising RKO wasn't enough to end the streak, as The Deadman rose and recovered from the deadly move, but it is a move that will live in WrestleMania infamy, along with our #1 pick on this list.

#3. Jeff Hardy at the Royal Rumble 2008

A lot of Randy's RKO's involve elaborate setups or springboards into the most dangerous move in the WWE, but a lot of the excitement comes from the unexpected, and this counter against Jeff Hardy at the Royal Rumble certainly came 'out of nowhere'.

The springboard counters have become seemingly predictable as of late (the one on AJ Styles on the latest edition of Smackdown Live was so obvious to anyone watching), but this counter from Jeff's Twist of Fate certainly did come out of nowhere.

This was yet another failed attempt for Hardy at challenging for the WWE Championship, but that wasn't the story here, as Orton proved yet again he is the most deadly performer in the WWE with the RKO.

This was one hell of a rivalry, and this finish to their great match was so unexpected and exciting, and will forever go down as one of the best RKO's in his 15-year career with the WWE.

#2. Evan Bourne on RAW

We mentioned Carlito's springboard being countered into the RKO earlier, and that's been done several times since (even though it's still amazing every single time), but never before had a Shooting Star Press been countered into the RKO.

Before this, Randy hadn't been hitting his RKO counter as frequently, so no one ever expected something like this to be possible, and the reaction of the WWE Universe on RAW echoed that sentiment.

It didn't look like the strongest RKO that Orton has ever hit, but given how smooth Bourne's Shooting Star Press is, both men made it look absolutely amazing and inspired a long line of amazing Orton RKO's.

This move wasn't on the big stage that the others on our list were, but given how innovative and truly shocking this move on Evan Bourne was, it will always be a highlight on the career package of The Viper.

#1. Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 31

When you think that you've seen it all, Randy Orton somehow manages to top it again, but we don't think that he can top the incredible RKO out of nowhere against Seth Rollins on the Grandest Stage of Them All. While going for his incredibly dangerous Curb Stomp, Orton countered Seth into the RKO that shocked the sold-out crowd in Santa Clara.

Ultimately it would be Seth Rollins who would come out on top that night, as he walked away as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, but in this match, it was Orton who came away on top. The Legend Killer, The Viper, The Master of the RKO has had so many great moments over his legendary WWE career, and while beating Rollins at WrestleMania wasn't one of his biggest, the manner in which he did will never be forgotten by the WWE Universe.