Why Cowboy Bob Orton Was Fired From WWE In 2006, Explained
Elijah King
Published Mar 27, 2026
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When a WWE superstar has a well-known family member as their manager, it usually ends up one of two ways. Either one of the two outshine the other, like Ric Flair managing Charlotte in 2016, or it actually turns out pretty well. In late 2005, the latter took form when Cowboy Bob Orton managed his son, Randy Orton. These two took charge on SmackDown and entered into a bitter feud with The Undertaker that lasted from SummerSlam all the way to Armageddon. There were major plans for the father and son duo going into 2006, however, an unfortunate situation developed concerning The Undertaker and the potential transmission of a virus.
RELATED: 10 Things You Didn't Know About "Cowboy" Bob Orton Jr.
The Feud Between The Undertaker And The Ortons In 2005
After Randy Orton failed to end the streak at WrestleMania 21, Orton would reignite his feud with The Undertaker in the summer. This led to another grudge match at SummerSlam. The Undertaker would have Orton beaten until a mysterious person cost The Deadman the match. It was revealed that the mysterious man was Randy's father, Cowboy Bob Orton, in makeup.
RELATED: Randy Orton's 2005 Legend Killer Run Was His Best Work
Throughout the fall, Randy and his father continued their feud with The Undertaker. They had another match on SmackDown where Taker would get the win, but there were casket shenanigans involved which led to Undertaker challenging them to a handicap Casket Match at No Mercy. The Ortons would win the Casket Match, and then, in a callback to the 1998 Royal Rumble, dumped the casket in the gasoline and set it aflame with The Undertaker still inside. Of course, this led to one of the more legendary returns of The Undertaker at Survivor Series 2005. Undertaker then possessed Josh Matthews and told Orton they were going to battle once more, but this time, inside Hell in a Cell.
The Hell In A Cell Match Between Randy Orton And The Undertaker At Armageddon 2005
Long before the annual Hell in a Cell pay-per-view started up in 2009, the famous cage was only used for the most bitter and personal of feuds. This made Hell in a Cell a big deal, so it was clear that this would be the main event at Armageddon 2005. The match was very good. It wasn't as good as the other Hell in a Cell in 2005 between Triple H and Batista at Vengeance, but it still held its own. Randy looked strong, and he even hit a Tombstone on The Undertaker. However, Bob Orton would get involved in the match that ended up being extremely bloody. This is what caused the issues behind the scenes after the match.
Cowboy Bob Orton Was Released For Almost Giving The Undertaker Hepatitis
Both Taker and Randy bled, but so did Bob Orton. This was always the plan, so therefore, Bob Orton had to go in for a blood test before the match. The issue was that Bob Orton tested positive for Hepatitis C. Orton would claim that he's had it since he was a teenager, but never showed any symptoms, so he forgot. The real culprit in this absolute monostrosity of ethics is John Lauranitis. He was informed of Bob Orton's condition, but didn't tell anyone. He let the match go on as planned.
Unfortunately for Johnny Ace, the doctor doing the blood test was a very good friend of The Undertaker. He informed Taker of what happened, and he wasn't very pleased. By that, he was absolutely pissed off. He got himself immediately tested as both he and Bob Orton bled on each other in the match, and he thankfully came up negative. The Undertaker, deservedly, took some time off after only just coming back, Bob Orton was taken off of television, and Randy's monster push was canceled.
RELATED: Every WWE Armageddon Main Event, Ranked From Worst To Best
The Aftermath Of The Situation Led To Major Heat On Randy Orton
Randy Orton was lined up for a very big 2006. He was set to win the Royal Rumble Match, beat Batista at WrestleMania for the World Heavyweight Title, and go on to have a very long reign with his father, continuing to screw over his opponents. However, due to the Hepatitis incident, as well as Randy's poor attitude backstage at the time, Randy's push got cut off at the knees. Many other matches at WrestleMania 22 were changed, but he still got a World Title match at the event. However, Orton would be the one to eat the pin from Rey Mysterio, and then wasn't put in world championship contention for over a year.
There are always some interesting reasons as to why certain wrestlers get major heat on themselves. Some deserve it more than others, but this situation was certainly deserved. The fault is primarily on John Lauranitis for allowing a match to go on where a man with a serious blood transmitted disease bleeds on another man. However, Bob Orton is just as much to blame, and he would go on to get released in Feburary. The Undertaker would cool off after a while, and be ready to make a return to the company at the Royal Rumble and then put on an absolutely fantastic match with Kurt Angle at No Way Out.
