Despite its popularity for coming “outta nowhere,” Randy Orton’s RKO has actually been around for quite some time.
The Viper has used the venomous maneuver for most of his career, first hitting Kane with the move in 2003. WWE.com picked out the five coolest RKOs ever and made them into GIFs so you can watch The Apex Predator strike over and over and over again. Feast your eyes on these mesmerizing GIFs.
Jeff Hardy had Randy Orton right where he wanted him when he caught The Viper in the Twist of Fate. But alas, the high-flying Superstar would suffer his own cruel twist of fate, in the form of an RKO. The Charismatic Enigma never saw it coming.
Orton’s ability to strike with the RKO “outta nowhere” was on full display at WWE Money in the Bank 2010. Chris Jericho thought it was down to him and Edge, but out of the corner of your screen comes The Viper with a lethal RKO off the ladder.
Over the years, The Viper has become extraordinarily resourceful when it comes to delivering his finishing maneuver. A perfect example of this is when Orton countered Dolph Ziggler’s attempt at a Famouser into a powerful RKO. Game, set, match.
Orton has always been incredibly adept at turning another Superstar’s aerial assault into his own venomous strike. Back in 2010, The Viper gave us a preview of his ability to ground an aerial attack when he turned Evan Bourne’s Shooting Star Press into an RKO that would send a chill down the spines of high-flyers everywhere.
Randy Orton saved his coolest RKO for The Grandest Stage of Them All, and why not? In front of 76,976 WWE fans at Levi’s® Stadium, Seth Rollins went to finish off the serpentine Superstar with a Curb Stomp when Orton sprung up, catapulting his foe straight into the air. Unfortunately for Rollins, gravity took hold, sending him straight down into the most amazing RKO ever.