Opened: July 16th, 2004
High spots: Entering the year as WWE Champion, the Legend Killer seared his place in history on the grandest stage in entertainment, retaining his title at WrestleMania XXIV, defeating archrivals John Cena and Triple H in a Triple Threat Match.
Low blows: While basking in his WrestleMania success, the joy for Orton was short-lived, as several weeks later, Randy lost the WWE Title to Triple H in a Fatal Four Way Match at Backlash. Orton’s attempts to regain his title from Triple H were unsuccessful, leading to a collar-bone fracture at the hands of The Game at One Night Stand, which derailed Orton’s title pursuits for the majority of 2008.
Crystal ballin’: With Orton fully recovered from injury, and seemingly amassing allies in the locker room (Cody Rhodes and Manu), the championship potential for Orton seems limitless. Could this be the start of the second “Age of Orton?” We’ll soon find out.
