Randy Orton’s finishing move, The RKO is one of the most popular moves for the fans to see but a devastating one for his opponents to take. The move has helped the Viper win multiple championship titles in the company. While Orton received a lot of praise for the move, he was not the first person to come up with the maneuver.
WWE veteran Johnny Ace who is known to modern wrestling fans as John Laurinitis is the pioneer of the move. He called it the “Ace Crusher” and it helped him achieve success in the industry. WCW legend Diamond Dallas Page later made the move even more famous. He used a different variation and called it “The Diamond Cutter.” After both Ace and Page hung up their boots, Cowboy Bob Orton’s son took the responsibility of carrying the legacy of the move.
Orton during an appearance on WWE legend Stone Cold Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions, spoke about how he started using the RKO. He revealed that he used to perform a different variation of the cutter named The Overdrive back in the day and it used to hurt his shoulders.
“I was trying this move off the shoulder, I believe it was called the Overdrive. It was hurting my shoulder a little bit, which had already fixed up. Laurinitis said ‘Hey man use the Ace Crusher’ I said ‘Okay’ change it up a little bit. Holy sh*t thank you Johnny because now I got this thing that I can hit anybody from anywhere. There’s no setup, no nothing just Boom and it happens.” Orton said.
When will Randy Orton make his WWE return?
The veteran WWE star has been missing from WWE TV for a while now. The reason for his absence is due to a serious back injury. Fightful Select reports that people in the WWE are concerned about the star’s injury and there are fears that he will have to retire from action.
However, it looks like Orton is gearing up for a shock return. A wrestling bootmaker recently confirmed that Orton got in touch with him. Jose G Sanz, who makes wrestling boots for some of WWE’s top stars, revealed that Orton requested new boots for his WWE return.
Randy Orton Reportedly Preparing For WWE In-Ring Return https://t.co/MNHCKax3kH
— WrestlingINC.com (@WrestlingInc) February 17, 2023
Orton’s tag team partner Matt Riddle is also currently out of action. The former NXT star received a suspension after he failed a drug test. Fans hope that the two stars will return and continue their RKBro storyline right from where they left off. A return for the two at either WrestleMania 39 or Raw after Mania is predicted by many.