5 Best Matches Of The 2010s (& 5 Worst)
Love him or hate him, the 2010s was the decade where Randy Orton was solidified as a lifetime main event performer in WWE. Orton's defenders often cite his crisp in-ring technique and unhinged character as his positives, while his critics point to his tendency toward not putting his heart into his performance as a reason not to like him.
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Wherever one may fall, Orton has been a part of wrestling for nearly two decades and has seen his share of all-time classics and all-time stinkers alike. Let's take a look at the 5 best and 5 worst matches of Randy Orton from 2010-2019.
10 Best: Randy Orton vs CM Punk (Wrestlemania XXVII)
Though not remembered as one of Orton's more inspiring feuds, this Wrestlemania encounter between Orton and New Nexus leader CM Punk ranks as one of the best in either man's library. The two have undeniable in-ring chemistry together and fight very smoothly throughout, capped off with a clever CM Punk dodge of the RKO into one of the more impressive variations of the move onto a flying Punk.
Punk and Orton's match together felt like a breath of fresh air in a not-well-remembered Wrestlemania and is definitely worth going out of your way to watch.
9 Worst: Randy Orton vs Bray Wyatt (Wrestlemania 33)
This one had the potential to be worthwhile but the little things about it still end up bugging fans to this day. Orton and Wyatt were in the middle of a fairly well-received feud up to this match, in which WWE Champion Wyatt tried to gain the psychological advantage by projecting images of insects onto the canvas.
This tactic confused fans and took away from the match, which was ultimately nothing special. What's more, the breath of fresh air of Bray Wyatt as champion was ended unceremoniously in favor of Orton winning his ninth WWE title, a not particularly exciting idea. Disappointing more than anything, this is neither man's finest hour.
8 Best: Randy Orton vs Christian (Summerslam 2011)
One of Orton's most unexpected classic opponents came in the form of Christian, himself an unlikely candidate for World Heavyweight Champion. The underrated competitor found himself in the role of champion after his best friend Edge retired, only for Orton to relieve him of it shortly after.
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The ensuing feud saw Orton and Christian put on excellent matches in a surprisingly compelling story, ending in a superb No Holds Barred match at Summerslam. This final encounter is violent and fun and is a great representation of one of Orton's more underrated feuds.
7 Worst: Randy Orton vs Edge (Over The Limit 2010)
This one might have been something if not for a truly unfortunate botch. Orton and Edge were former partners engaged in a rivalry together after Edge cost Orton the World Heavyweight Championship the month prior.During the match, Orton pounded the mat with his arms so hard that he separated his right shoulder and badly enough that the match was effectively called off in a double count-out.
Both men were incredibly capable young talents and likely had a good match in them, but it was not to be with this disappointing-on-all-fronts match.
6 Best: Randy Orton vs Seth Rollins (Wrestlemania 31)
Orton had a big role to play in the development of young heel Seth Rollins during the latter's ascent toward his first WWE Championship and this match is a great milestone on that journey. Both men kicked off Wrestlemania that year with a tremendous match showing off their in-ring abilities, ending with one of the more memorable RKO spots of all time.
Rollins would "get his win back" later that night by winning the WWE title, but his match with Orton was far more substantial and showed that Orton still had plenty to offer in a more supporting role.
5 Worst: Randy Orton vs Alberto Del Rio (Hell In A Cell 2012)
Sometimes two great in-ring performers just don't have chemistry together and this phenomenon was certainly on display in 2012 when Orton faced off with the seeming future of WWE. Orton and Del Rio never seemed to be able to get out of gear in this match and a messy conclusion that featured an awkward exchange more akin to cats swiping at each other was memorable for the wrong reasons.
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Considering the quality of matches that both men would go on to have, it's a shame that said quality couldn't be found between the two on this particular occasion.
4 Best: Evolution vs The Shield (Payback 2014)
Any doubts that fans may have had at the return of legendary stable Evolution were soon silenced by the quality of matches the group had with young up-and-comers The Shield. Orton, along with Triple H and Batista, faced off against Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, and Roman Reigns in two six-man collisions that served to get The Shield over and were entertaining in their own right.
The second match, a No Holds Barred elimination match, was particularly dramatic and epic in scale, one of the more memorable matches of that year and a fine send-off for both groups in the eyes of wrestling fans.
3 Worst: Randy Orton vs Jinder Mahal (Battleground 2017)
Wrestling fans, in general, do not have fond memories of the infamous Punjabi Prison match and this iteration did nothing to change their minds. Engaged in a stale months-long feud with WWE Champion Jinder Mahal, Randy Orton looked to settle the score in a match type that is literally hard to watch for a great deal of the viewing audience.
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Not even a surprise appearance from the Great Khali could save this one, as Mahal and Orton's lack of chemistry definitely wasn't helped by a convoluted stipulation and a view of the ring obscured by bamboo.
2 Best: Randy Orton vs Batista vs Daniel Bryan (Wrestlemania XXX)
One of Randy Orton's finest matches of the decade came as part of the end of the story of Daniel Bryan's rise to championship glory. Orton and Batista, originally slotted for a singles match at this Wrestlemania, ably tried to play spoiler to Bryan's title aspirations but were unable to deny him the biggest win of his career.
This match is incredibly dramatic and holds a special place in the hearts of many who longed to see Bryan win and Orton (along with Batista) helped to make it a great match through the performance of a lifetime.
1 Worst: Randy Orton vs Bray Wyatt (Payback 2017)
Orton and Wyatt seemed to never get a chance to end their feud properly, as Orton faced off with the spooky Wyatt in a match only eerie in his reminisce to TNA'sThe Final Deletion.
The "match", really just a long vignette of Orton and Wyatt brawling in a haunted house and resembling a horror movie more than a wrestling match, was laughable at best and is an embarrassing coda to a feud that ultimately did little to enhance Wyatt's standing in the company and was not something that Orton could hang his hat on, either. One of the more embarrassing matches of Orton's past decade.
