How Many Of Randy Orton's Title Reigns Actually Mattered?

Slowly but surely, over the last couple of years, wrestling fans have come around to truly appreciate how great Randy Orton is. In the year 2021, Orton is one of the most over stars in the company and his longevity is peerless. The third-generation superstar is still going strong at 41 years of age, competing at a high level inside the ring and retaining his credibility as a character by constantly evolving his persona througout his tenure with the company.This feat is made impressive when you take into consideration that Orton has been a part of the roster since 2002, making him one of the longest-tenured employees currently in the company.Randy Orton is a fourteen-time world champion, a part of a very elite group of wrestlers alongside Triple H, John Cena, Ric Flair, and The Rock.These superstars have held a world title ten or more times, putting them at the upper echelon of kayfabe accomplishments. Orton has won the WWE Championship 10 times, and the now-defunct World Heavyweight Championship a total of 4 times. However, as great as this accomplishment is on paper, many of his reigns were forgettable, especially during the late 2000s as the title shifted back and forth between various superstars, without a defining moment to immortalize the reign as one for the history books. As for Orton, despite a number of his championship reigns lacking prestige and excitement, there are a few that truly stand out.RELATED: WWE: Randy Orton's 5 Longest Championship Reigns (& His 5 Shortest)Orton won his first world title at SummerSlam 2004, against he who shall not be named, Chris Benoit. The company does recognize this reign, but not the compelling history and significance of his initial title win. Back in 2004, Benoit was the one to finally dethrone Triple H, and despite numerous attempts to regain the gold, Triple H fell short against Benoit who was presented as the one obstacle that the Cerebral Assassin could not overcome. Meanwhile, Orton was touted as the future of the business during his time with Evolution and when Triple H could not beat Benoit, Orton did and in doing so, captured his first world title.

His First World Title Reign Was A Disappointment

Contrary to the popular belief at that time, Orton had a disastrous first reign as he quickly lost the title to Triple H at the next PPV, Unforgiven 2004, and while he feuded with his former mentor all the way to WrestleMania season; Orton did not recapture the title. The following few years, he was a prominent name that feuded with the likes of The Undertaker and teamed with Edge to form Rated-RKO.

However, Orton would win his first WWE Championship in 2007 at the No Mercy PPV. The event started with Vince McMahon awarding the belt to Orton due to Cena vacating the title due to injury. Orton then lost the title to Triple H in the opener, but he was far from done. He exercised his rematch clause during the same night and beat Triple H in a brutal Last Man Standing match to win the title a second time.

The Age of Orton had begun and the third-generation wrestler adopted a vastly different character during his pursuit of gold. He was no longer the Legend Killer, but a far more sinister character with the moniker of The Viper, a cold and calculating competitor who was unrivaled in terms of ruthlessness and cunning.

This was the title reign that truly pushed Orton to the top of the company. He defended his championship against the likes of Chris Jericho, Shawn Michaels, and Jeff Hardy. However, his defense at WrestleMania against Triple H and John Cena was the pinnacle of his third title reign, and it is considered his greatest to date.

Orton's Reign From 2013 To 2014 Was Possibly His Most Meaningful

Finally, his eleventh title reign in 2013/14 is another to remember. Orton had been working as a babyface for the past few years, but at SummerSlam 2013, he reverted back to an antagonistic character when he sided with Triple H and cashed in his MITB briefcase against Daniel Bryan to win the title for the tenth time.

RELATED: 5 Best World Title Reigns Of Randy Orton's Career (& The 5 Worst)

Bryan won the title at Night of Champions, but with the Authority backing up Orton, the underdog was stripped of the title and the two faced off again at Hell in a Cell 2013. This time, with a little help from the special guest referee, Shawn Michaels, Orton started his eleventh reign with the title. He went on to unify his WWE Championship with the World Heavyweight Championship at TLC 2013 where he defeated John Cena.

The booking was nothing too special, but this particular reign is memorable as Bryan was the one to dethrone Orton, at the grandest stage of them all, WrestleMania 30. In many ways, Orton was a transitional champion, holding the title for someone else — but the story of a chosen one being defeated by an underdog like Bryan makes this one a bit too special.

Orton is one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. His other title reigns are far from the worst in wrestling history, but the aforementioned reigns truly matter a lot more in comparison to others. His first title win, his true ascension to the top, and finally, his long-awaited demise at the hands of Daniel Bryan, will go down in the history books.