When did Randy Orton make his WWE debut?

Randy Orton is one of the greatest and most influential WWE Superstars of all time. His career and longevity are unparallelled, as is his dedication and passion towards the business.

Orton recently celebrated twenty years in WWE. The company honored him by hosting a Randy Orton edition of RAW, where everyone paid tribute to the legendary superstar. The fans in attendance and those watching at home acknowledged how far he has come since starting out as a young brash kid.

Naturally, the question arises as to when Randy Orton made his WWE debut. If you have come here looking for the answer to that question, look no further.

Randy Orton made his debut in WWE on April 25, 2002. He appeared on SmackDown and was placed in a match with Hardcore Holly. The youngster made quite the impression in his first match and drew praise by defeating the veteran Holly via pinfall to score an upset victory.

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Randy Orton's rise to superstardom

Since his debut in 2002 Randy Orton's rise in WWE has been unstoppable. Within two years, he became the youngest-ever world champion in the company's history at the time when he won the World Heavyweight Championship from Chris Benoit.

Since then, Orton has gone on to win the world title thirteen more times. He is also a one-time Intercontinental Champion, a one-time United States Champion and a four-time Tag Team Champion. The present day sees him reign as RAW Tag Team Champion alongside partner Riddle.

The Viper has plenty of other feathers in his cap as well. He won the Royal Rumble match in 2009 and 2017 and was Mr. Money in the Bank in 2013. All of these achievements make him one of the greatest superstars to ever step foot in a WWE ring.

What makes Orton an all-timer is his longevity and ability to adapt over the years. He has mastered the art of playing both babyface and heel to perfection. In his two-decade career, he is as over as he has ever been and genuinely looks like he could go strong for another decade.

The 14-time world champion currently sits joint-second on the all-time list of world championship reigns. With Ric Flair retired and John Cena only making part-time appearances, he has a shot at gunning for the top of the standings and establishing himself as the greatest to ever do it.

However, even if he doesn't pull that off, there is no questioning Orton's stature and legacy (pun intended). Greatness surrounds him like a magical aura, and that is something that didn't come out of nowhere.