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The Legacy (professional wrestling)
Encyclopedia
The Legacy was a villainous
alliance of professional wrestlers
in World Wrestling Entertainment
. The group was led by Randy Orton
and contained the tag team of Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase
.
In June 2008, Rhodes and DiBiase first formed an alliance after winning the World Tag Team Championship at Night of Champions
, when Rhodes betrayed his original partner, Hardcore Holly
, to align with DiBiase. Soon after, the pair tried to earn Orton's respect, which they eventually did. Together, the team helped Orton win the 2009 Royal Rumble
match, giving Orton an opportunity to main event at WrestleMania XXV
. The team also wrestled together in a tag team match to win the WWE Championship
for Orton at Backlash
. The team would help Orton win the championship three times over the course of 2009 despite a tumultuous relationship which saw Orton often physically attacking his two students. This led to Orton splitting from the group in early 2010. Rhodes and DiBiase eventually turned on each other in their match with Orton at WrestleMania XXVI
, splitting up the trio.
), uncle (Barry Orton) and grandfather (Bob Orton, Sr.
) were all professional wrestlers. Ted DiBiase, meanwhile, takes his name from his father, (Ted DiBiase
) who wrestled before him along with both his grandparents (adoptive grandfather, Mike DiBiase
and grandmother Helen Hild). Cody Rhodes is only a second generation wrestler, taking after his father (Dusty Rhodes
) and his two uncles (Jerry Sags
and Fred Ottman
), who precede him in the business. Due to their status as second or third generation wrestlers, all the members of The Legacy believe themselves to be superior to the other wrestlers in WWE, in storyline.
In an interview, Orton said the point of The Legacy was to create "future opponents" for himself and the others who would be wrestling in main events in WWE over the next decade. The Legacy has been compared to the former WWE faction Evolution
of which Orton was a member, but Rhodes and DiBiase have said that they see the comparison as an opportunity to prove themselves and show their potential.
, who was acting as a mentor to him. Ted DiBiase made his first WWE appearance on the May 26 episode of Raw
, in which he claimed that he and a mystery partner would take the World Tag Team Championship from Rhodes and Holly. At the Night of Champions
pay-per-view
event in June, DiBiase revealed his partner was running late and started the match without him, however Rhodes quickly betrayed Holly by attacking him. This turned Rhodes into a villainous character
and meant that he and DiBiase won the championship.
In September, Randy Orton
, who at the time was injured, made an appearance on Raw, where he criticized all the champions, mocking Rhodes and DiBiase for allowing their title belts to be stolen by Cryme Tyme
(Shad Gaspard
and JTG). The two responded by assaulting Cryme Tyme and introducing Manu
(son of Afa the Wild Samoan
) as their new member at Unforgiven
. This did little to impress Orton, so later that evening Rhodes, DiBiase, and Manu assaulted World Heavyweight Champion
CM Punk
as Orton confronted him backstage. This allowed Orton to punt Punk in the head, removing him from his championship match, and gaining Orton's respect.
When Orton was well enough to wrestle, Punk demanded a match with him, which he won via disqualification when DiBiase interfered. As a result, Orton punted DiBiase in the head, putting him out of action; this storyline was put in place in order for DiBiase to take time off to film The Marine 2. Orton then invited Rhodes and Manu to form a group with him called The Legacy, and used them to help in his rivalry with Batista leading to a three-on-two handicap match where Batista was put out of action for four months.
After Sim Snuka, the son of Jimmy Snuka
, also expressed interest in joining the group, Orton made them qualify through a series of tests which Manu failed the first week. On the January 5 episode of Raw, Snuka and Rhodes won a tag team match against Cryme Tyme. Before the match, Orton informed them that they had to win the match in order to be part of the group. After the match, Orton explained that since Snuka did not pick up the pinfall, he was out of the group. The following week, Manu and Snuka informed Rhodes that they were intending to assault Orton and had brought someone to help them do so, giving Rhodes an ultimatum to choose a side. When Rhodes refused to side with them, Manu and Snuka brought out a returning Ted DiBiase to aid them, and tried to assault Rhodes and Orton. Instead, however, DiBiase joined The Legacy, attacking Manu and Snuka, and forgiving Orton for attacking him.
With The Legacy finally formed, Manu and Snuka still wanted revenge on Orton. Fearing they would try to convince Raw General Manager Stephanie McMahon to fire him, Orton went to speak to her himself but their conversation ended in an argument. When Mr McMahon, Stephanie's father, made his return that night Orton maintained he was owed an apology. His brashness angered McMahon who responded by trying to fire Orton, but before he could finish his sentence Orton slapped McMahon and gave him a running punt which left him hospitalized in the storyline. During the 30-man Royal Rumble match that Sunday
the group worked as a team, making them three of the last four contestants in the ring with Triple H
as the other. Ultimately, in throwing out Rhodes and DiBiase, Triple H was distracted enough to allow Orton to throw him over the top rope and win the match. The next evening on Raw, The Legacy came to the ring accompanied by lawyers and doctors, with Orton explaining his outburst against Mr McMahon was a result of intermittent explosive disorder
(IED) and threatened to sue the company and cancel WrestleMania XXV
if he was fired, as winning the Rumble guaranteed him a championship match at WrestleMania. Instead he was booked for a no holds barred match with Mr McMahon's son, Shane
, at No Way Out
in February, which Orton won. The night after the event, they fought again until Orton punted Shane unconscious
. Stephanie McMahon came to the ring to oversee her brother being carried away by the paramedics and shouted at Orton until he performed an RKO, his finishing move, to her. Triple H ran to the ring and chased away the group, standing over the body of Stephanie McMahon.
In an interview on SmackDown that week, Triple H revealed his real life marriage to Stephanie (even though they had divorced on-screen in 2002 prior to their actual marriage). Originally, Orton announced he did not have intentions of facing Triple H, who at the time was the WWE Champion
, but instead planned to face the World Heavyweight Champion. Triple H, however, goaded Orton into "avenging" his first World Championship loss and ousting from their previous stable, Evolution
, and Orton changed his mind, leading to their match being booked for WrestleMania XXV. Orton revealed that he had targeted the McMahon family in order to avenge his unceremonious departure from Evolution in 2004. Due to the intensity of the rivalry, the decision was made that the WWE Championship could change hands at WrestleMania due to a countout or disqualification; despite this, Triple H won the match after hitting Orton with a sledgehammer while the referee
was knocked down.
The night after WrestleMania, Orton demanded a rematch, threatening Linda McMahon
, Mr McMahon's wife, as well as their grandchildren. McMahon did not grant him the rematch but scheduled a six-man tag team match for the pay-per-view Backlash
between Triple H, Shane and Mr McMahon
and The Legacy, with a preview that evening between Mr McMahon and Orton. However, Raw's General Manager at that time, Vickie Guerrero
, made their six-man tag team match a WWE Championship match. The stipulation was that if Triple H's team won, he retained the championship, while if The Legacy won, Orton would win the title. As the singles match progressed, Shane and Triple H came to Mr McMahon's aid, causing both Rhodes and DiBiase to interfere until a returning Batista appeared and cleared the ring; McMahon then announced that Batista was to replace him in the match at Backlash. At the event, Orton won by pinning Triple H after an RKO and a running punt, leaving Triple H hospitalized according to the storyline. In spite of Triple H's absence, Shane McMahon continued his feud with the group, leading to another match between him and Orton on Raw. After the original match ended in a no contest due to interference, Rhodes and DiBiase won singles matches to be entered into a handicap match with all of The Legacy facing Shane later that night. This match was used to write him out of the storyline, as The Legacy members used the steel ring steps to shatter his ankle.
Batista was left on his own as a result of The Legacy attacking Shane McMahon, but continued to challenge Orton for the WWE Championship. Orton and Batista had a match at Judgment Day
, but it ended with Orton intentionally slapping the referee to cause a disqualification, which meant that the championship did not change hands. In their rematch, however, which was held inside a steel cage at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view, Batista won the championship.
The following night on Raw, during Batista's celebratory speech, The Legacy attacked Batista, and injured him in storyline. This storyline was used to cover a real injury Batista had sustained. Orton's rematch that night, intended to be used despite Batista's absence, went awry when Triple H returned, resulting in the match being declared a no contest. The following week, a match was held to determine the new WWE Champion between Orton, Triple H, John Cena
and The Big Show, which Orton won. At The Bash pay-per-view, signs of dissention between DiBiase and Orton appeared when DiBiase argued with Orton backstage. Despite this, DiBiase and Rhodes both helped Orton retain his WWE Championship later that night against Triple H. This tension was later expanded upon when DiBiase's father
booked Orton and DiBiase in a match on Raw while he was in charge; Orton won the match but the team showed solidarity later in the same evening by interfering in a WWE Championship contender match between Triple H and Cena, leading to it being ruled a no contest. This made the subsequent match at Night of Champions
a triple threat contest. Similar tensions arose briefly in the group late in August when Rhodes' father, Dusty, booked Orton and Rhodes in a match on Raw. It quickly turned out to be a ruse with Dusty's intention to allow The Legacy to attack Cena, who was special guest referee. Despite the four standing tall together, Orton quickly gave an RKO to Dusty which angered Rhodes though he would fall in line.
After Orton retained the championship in July's Night of Champions, the team worked together again to prevent Triple H from receiving a rematch against Orton by slowing his Beat The Clock Challenge match, so that he did not have the quickest time and did not receive a championship match. As a result, Triple H refocused his attention on Rhodes and DiBiase, losing to them in a handicap match, and reforming D-Generation X
(DX) with Shawn Michaels
. Rhodes and DiBiase faced DX at SummerSlam
, but lost the match, although they later defeated DX in a Submissions Count Anywhere match at the Breaking Point
pay-per-view, using a combined figure-four leg lock and Million Dollar Dream on Shawn Michaels. The following month DX defeated DiBiase and Rhodes at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view by locking DiBiase out of the cell and double-teaming Rhodes, just as the team had done to Michaels earlier in the match. Meanwhile, Orton retained the title against Cena at SummerSlam after the match was restarted a number of times to prevent Orton sneaking a win through disqualification and count out, with an unknown fan, later revealed to be Ted's brother Brett
, eventually coming in from the crowd to attack the referee and cause a distraction which helped Orton retain. At Breaking Point, Orton lost the WWE Championship to John Cena in an "I Quit" match only to win it back the next month in a Hell in a Cell match at the eponymous event. At WWE Bragging Rights, Orton lost the championship back to Cena in a 60 minute Iron Man match
with the stipulation that it would be the last championship match between the two. Earlier in the evening Rhodes appeared on Team Raw in a match that pitted Raw against SmackDown in a tag team match. He was seen backstage blaming Kofi Kingston
for the loss and in retaliation Kingston ran out to chase away Rhodes and DiBiase when they interfered in the Iron Man match.
Kingston won a return match against Chris Jericho
the following night, who had pinned him at Bragging Rights, but after the match Orton attacked him. Kingston retaliated by vandalising a NASCAR
that Rhodes and DiBiase bought him to cheer him after his title loss. The rivalry continued when, at Madison Square Garden
, Orton attacked Hall of Famer
Roddy Piper
but just before he could deliver a punt Kingston came out and attacked Orton, making him bleed and leg dropping him through a table. Kofi headed a team at November's Survivor Series
against Orton's team of The Legacy, William Regal and CM Punk which ended with Kingston eliminating Punk and then Orton in quick succession to become the sole survivor while Christian
eliminated Rhodes and DiBiase earlier. The next night on Raw Jesse Ventura
announced the contender for the WWE Championship would be determined by a series of matches contested for by wrestlers who had never held the title before. Despite this Orton managed to persuade Ventura to allow him into the tournament by defeating Evan Bourne while Rhodes and DiBiase defeated Cryme Tyme
to make it through but in the Battle Royal final were eliminated by Mark Henry while Orton was pulled over by Kingston, who held on to the ropes after Orton had thrown him out. Orton defeated Kingston the following week on November 30's Raw after he was attacked from behind by both Rhodes and DiBiase separately, while Kingston took a return win the following week after guest referee Mark Cuban
made a fast count leading to a rubber match at the TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view which Orton won.
announced that the winner of a triple threat match later that night between Orton, Kingston, and John Cena would challenge Sheamus for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble
. Orton ultimately won with the help of The Legacy, who attacked Cena and Kingston. At the Royal Rumble, Orton failed to win the championship when he was disqualified when Rhodes tried to interfere. After the match, Orton attacked Rhodes and DiBiase, who attempted to aid Rhodes. On the February 15 episode of Raw, Orton took on Sheamus in a non-title rematch, but was again disqualified after Rhodes and DiBiase interfered. During the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber
match at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, in which both Orton and DiBiase participated, Rhodes passed a pipe to DiBiase. DiBiase hit Orton with it, and eliminated him. The next night on Raw, The Legacy participated in a six-man tag team match against Kingston, Yoshi Tatsu
, and Evan Bourne, designed to show their unity, but Orton attacked Rhodes and DiBiase and the following week on Raw, Rhodes and DiBiase attacked Orton in retaliation, although Orton was able to fight them off. Orton's split from the group was cemented when he lost a handicap match against both Rhodes and DiBiase on Raw and showed increasing signs of becoming a fan favorite. This led to a Triple Threat Match between all three members at WrestleMania XXVI
, where Rhodes and DiBiase proclaimed neither minded not winning so long as Orton was pinned, but in the match Orton pinned DiBiase. DiBiase and Rhodes attacked each other during the match, ending the duo, and Rhodes was punted by Orton and taken out of action for approximately a month. The split was confirmed when Rhodes moved to SmackDown brand during the 2010 WWE Supplemental Draft.
Cody Rhodes defeated Ezekiel Jackson to win the Intercontinental Championship
for the first time. On the August 19, 2011 edition of SmackDown, Rhodes announced that Legacy had officially reunited, though he was simply mentioning that all of the members were in the ring (Orton, DiBiase, and Rhodes) not officially reuniting with Orton. On the August 26 edition of SmackDown, the team once again disbanded when Rhodes turned on DiBiase after DiBiase lost a match to then World Heavyweight Champion
, Randy Orton
. On the September 23, 2011 episode of SmackDown, the feud between Orton and Rhodes began when Orton bashed Rhodes' head with a timekeeper's bell resulting in Rhodes getting nine stitches and a huge loss of blood. The feud continued when Rhodes prevented Orton from winning his match against Mark Henry and then proceeded to humiliate Orton by putting a paper bag over his head. This resulted a match for Vengeance (2011)
in which Orton won.
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
alliance of professional wrestlers
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
in World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
. The group was led by Randy Orton
Randy Orton
Randal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand...
and contained the tag team of Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase
Ted DiBiase, Jr.
Theodore Marvin "Ted" DiBiase Jr. is an American professional wrestler and actor signed with WWE, where he appears on its SmackDown brand...
.
In June 2008, Rhodes and DiBiase first formed an alliance after winning the World Tag Team Championship at Night of Champions
Night of Champions (2008)
Night of Champions was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on June 29, 2008 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. It was the first annual event to be promoted solely under the Night of Champions name and the eighth...
, when Rhodes betrayed his original partner, Hardcore Holly
Bob Holly
Robert "Bob" Howard better known by his ring name Bob "Hardcore" Holly, is a American professional wrestler. He is best known for his 15-year stint with World Wrestling Entertainment ....
, to align with DiBiase. Soon after, the pair tried to earn Orton's respect, which they eventually did. Together, the team helped Orton win the 2009 Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble (2009)
Royal Rumble was the twenty-second annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on January 25, 2009 at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan and featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown and ECW brands...
match, giving Orton an opportunity to main event at WrestleMania XXV
WrestleMania XXV
WrestleMania XXV was the twenty-fifth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on April 5, 2009 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas...
. The team also wrestled together in a tag team match to win the WWE Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
for Orton at Backlash
Backlash (2009)
Backlash was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on April 26, 2009 at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island. The 11th and final event under the Backlash banner, it featured talent from all three WWE brands: Raw,...
. The team would help Orton win the championship three times over the course of 2009 despite a tumultuous relationship which saw Orton often physically attacking his two students. This led to Orton splitting from the group in early 2010. Rhodes and DiBiase eventually turned on each other in their match with Orton at WrestleMania XXVI
WrestleMania XXVI
WrestleMania XXVI was the twenty-sixth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on March 28, 2010 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, Arizona. This was the fourth WrestleMania to...
, splitting up the trio.
Concept
The concept behind the group was that each member is a multi-generational wrestler. The name of the faction, The Legacy, referred to their extensive family histories in wrestling. Randy Orton's father (Bob Orton, Jr.Bob Orton, Jr.
Robert Keith Orton is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Cowboy" Bob Orton. He is the father of wrestler Randy Orton, who is signed to World Wrestling Entertainment...
), uncle (Barry Orton) and grandfather (Bob Orton, Sr.
Bob Orton
Robert Dale "Bob" Orton was an American professional wrestler. He was also known as Bob Orton, Sr. to distinguish him from his son, "Cowboy" Bob Orton, Jr...
) were all professional wrestlers. Ted DiBiase, meanwhile, takes his name from his father, (Ted DiBiase
Ted DiBiase
Theodore Marvin "Ted" DiBiase, Sr. is a retired professional wrestler, manager, ordained minister and color commentator. DiBiase achieved championship success in a number of wrestling promotions, holding thirty titles during his professional wrestling career...
) who wrestled before him along with both his grandparents (adoptive grandfather, Mike DiBiase
Michael DiBiase
"Iron" Mike DiBiase was an Italian professional wrestler and the adoptive father of professional wrestler "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase. He married Ted's mother Helen Hild , and legally adopted and raised Ted...
and grandmother Helen Hild). Cody Rhodes is only a second generation wrestler, taking after his father (Dusty Rhodes
Dusty Rhodes (wrestler)
Virgil Riley Runnels, Jr. , better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler currently working for WWE...
) and his two uncles (Jerry Sags
Jerry Sags
Jerome Saganovich is an American professional wrestler best known as Jerry Sags. He is one half of the tag team The Nasty Boys along with Brian Knobbs.-Career:...
and Fred Ottman
Fred Ottman
Fred Ottman is a retired American professional wrestler best known as Tugboat or Typhoon and teaming with John "Earthquake" Tenta as The Natural Disasters in the World Wrestling Federation. Ottman is also well-known for his infamous "Shockmaster" gimmick in World Championship Wrestling...
), who precede him in the business. Due to their status as second or third generation wrestlers, all the members of The Legacy believe themselves to be superior to the other wrestlers in WWE, in storyline.
In an interview, Orton said the point of The Legacy was to create "future opponents" for himself and the others who would be wrestling in main events in WWE over the next decade. The Legacy has been compared to the former WWE faction Evolution
Evolution (professional wrestling)
Evolution was a villainous professional wrestling stable on WWE's Raw brand between 2003 and 2005. At the height of its existence, the group consisted of Triple H, Ric Flair, Randy Orton, Batista and briefly Eugene....
of which Orton was a member, but Rhodes and DiBiase have said that they see the comparison as an opportunity to prove themselves and show their potential.
Formation (2008)
Cody Rhodes was a World Tag Team Champion throughout the beginning of 2008 alongside Hardcore HollyBob Holly
Robert "Bob" Howard better known by his ring name Bob "Hardcore" Holly, is a American professional wrestler. He is best known for his 15-year stint with World Wrestling Entertainment ....
, who was acting as a mentor to him. Ted DiBiase made his first WWE appearance on the May 26 episode of Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
, in which he claimed that he and a mystery partner would take the World Tag Team Championship from Rhodes and Holly. At the Night of Champions
Night of Champions (2008)
Night of Champions was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on June 29, 2008 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. It was the first annual event to be promoted solely under the Night of Champions name and the eighth...
pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
event in June, DiBiase revealed his partner was running late and started the match without him, however Rhodes quickly betrayed Holly by attacking him. This turned Rhodes into a villainous character
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
and meant that he and DiBiase won the championship.
Randy Orton
Randal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand...
, who at the time was injured, made an appearance on Raw, where he criticized all the champions, mocking Rhodes and DiBiase for allowing their title belts to be stolen by Cryme Tyme
Cryme Tyme
For animated series named Crime Time, visit Crime TimeCryme Tyme was a professional wrestling tag team that was signed to WWE.The team consisted of JTG and Shad , an over-the-top parody of stereotypical street thugs.-Early lives:Of Haitian and...
(Shad Gaspard
Shad Gaspard
Shad Chad Javier Romane Chittick Gaspard is an American professional wrestler of Haitian and Curaçaon descent, currently signed with Inoki Genome Federation...
and JTG). The two responded by assaulting Cryme Tyme and introducing Manu
Afa Anoa'i, Jr.
Afa Anoa'i, Jr. is an American professional wrestler of Samoan descent. He is best known for his work in World Wrestling Entertainment, where he competed on its Raw brand under the ring name Manu.-World Xtreme Wrestling:...
(son of Afa the Wild Samoan
Afa Anoa'i
Arthur "Afa" Anoa'i, Sr. is a Samoan American retired professional wrestler and professional wrestling manager. Since retiring in the 1990s, he has operated the World Xtreme Wrestling promotion and trained wrestlers at the Wild Samoan Training Facility.-Early life:Anoa'i was born in Samoa, but...
) as their new member at Unforgiven
Unforgiven (2008)
Unforgiven was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on September 7, 2008 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio...
. This did little to impress Orton, so later that evening Rhodes, DiBiase, and Manu assaulted World Heavyweight Champion
World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
CM Punk
CM Punk
Phillip Jack "Phil" Brooks , better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE and working on its Raw brand currently serving his second title reign as WWE Champion....
as Orton confronted him backstage. This allowed Orton to punt Punk in the head, removing him from his championship match, and gaining Orton's respect.
When Orton was well enough to wrestle, Punk demanded a match with him, which he won via disqualification when DiBiase interfered. As a result, Orton punted DiBiase in the head, putting him out of action; this storyline was put in place in order for DiBiase to take time off to film The Marine 2. Orton then invited Rhodes and Manu to form a group with him called The Legacy, and used them to help in his rivalry with Batista leading to a three-on-two handicap match where Batista was put out of action for four months.
After Sim Snuka, the son of Jimmy Snuka
Jimmy Snuka
James William "Jimmy" Reiher is a semi-retired Fijian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. Originally from the Fiji Islands, Snuka wrestled for several promotions in the 1970s and 1980s. Snuka is a two-time world heavyweight champion, having been a...
, also expressed interest in joining the group, Orton made them qualify through a series of tests which Manu failed the first week. On the January 5 episode of Raw, Snuka and Rhodes won a tag team match against Cryme Tyme. Before the match, Orton informed them that they had to win the match in order to be part of the group. After the match, Orton explained that since Snuka did not pick up the pinfall, he was out of the group. The following week, Manu and Snuka informed Rhodes that they were intending to assault Orton and had brought someone to help them do so, giving Rhodes an ultimatum to choose a side. When Rhodes refused to side with them, Manu and Snuka brought out a returning Ted DiBiase to aid them, and tried to assault Rhodes and Orton. Instead, however, DiBiase joined The Legacy, attacking Manu and Snuka, and forgiving Orton for attacking him.
Feud with the McMahon family (2009)
Royal Rumble (2009)
Royal Rumble was the twenty-second annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on January 25, 2009 at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan and featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown and ECW brands...
the group worked as a team, making them three of the last four contestants in the ring with Triple H
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
as the other. Ultimately, in throwing out Rhodes and DiBiase, Triple H was distracted enough to allow Orton to throw him over the top rope and win the match. The next evening on Raw, The Legacy came to the ring accompanied by lawyers and doctors, with Orton explaining his outburst against Mr McMahon was a result of intermittent explosive disorder
Intermittent explosive disorder
Intermittent explosive disorder is a behavioral disorder characterized by extreme expressions of anger, often to the point of violence, that are disproportionate to the situation at hand. It is currently categorized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as an impulse...
(IED) and threatened to sue the company and cancel WrestleMania XXV
WrestleMania XXV
WrestleMania XXV was the twenty-fifth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on April 5, 2009 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas...
if he was fired, as winning the Rumble guaranteed him a championship match at WrestleMania. Instead he was booked for a no holds barred match with Mr McMahon's son, Shane
Shane McMahon
Shane Brandon McMahon is an American executive, currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of YOU On Demand. A former executive and professional wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment , he is the son of WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon and former US Senate candidate Linda...
, at No Way Out
No Way Out (2009)
No Way Out was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on February 15, 2009 at the KeyArena in Seattle, Washington. It was the 11th and final event under the No Way Out name and featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown and ECW brands...
in February, which Orton won. The night after the event, they fought again until Orton punted Shane unconscious
Unconsciousness
Unconsciousness is the condition of being not conscious—in a mental state that involves complete or near-complete lack of responsiveness to people and other environmental stimuli. Being in a comatose state or coma is a type of unconsciousness. Fainting due to a drop in blood pressure and a...
. Stephanie McMahon came to the ring to oversee her brother being carried away by the paramedics and shouted at Orton until he performed an RKO, his finishing move, to her. Triple H ran to the ring and chased away the group, standing over the body of Stephanie McMahon.
In an interview on SmackDown that week, Triple H revealed his real life marriage to Stephanie (even though they had divorced on-screen in 2002 prior to their actual marriage). Originally, Orton announced he did not have intentions of facing Triple H, who at the time was the WWE Champion
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
, but instead planned to face the World Heavyweight Champion. Triple H, however, goaded Orton into "avenging" his first World Championship loss and ousting from their previous stable, Evolution
Evolution (professional wrestling)
Evolution was a villainous professional wrestling stable on WWE's Raw brand between 2003 and 2005. At the height of its existence, the group consisted of Triple H, Ric Flair, Randy Orton, Batista and briefly Eugene....
, and Orton changed his mind, leading to their match being booked for WrestleMania XXV. Orton revealed that he had targeted the McMahon family in order to avenge his unceremonious departure from Evolution in 2004. Due to the intensity of the rivalry, the decision was made that the WWE Championship could change hands at WrestleMania due to a countout or disqualification; despite this, Triple H won the match after hitting Orton with a sledgehammer while the referee
Referee (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling referee is the official figure that makes sure that wrestling matches move smoothly in an attempt to maintain kayfabe. The referee also has the ultimate power in the ring...
was knocked down.
The night after WrestleMania, Orton demanded a rematch, threatening Linda McMahon
Linda McMahon
Linda Marie McMahon is an American professional wrestling magnate and politician. She is notable for her career developing WWE with her husband Vince McMahon. She was in the company from 1980 to 2009. During this time, WWE grew from a small regional business in New York to a large multinational...
, Mr McMahon's wife, as well as their grandchildren. McMahon did not grant him the rematch but scheduled a six-man tag team match for the pay-per-view Backlash
Backlash (2009)
Backlash was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on April 26, 2009 at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island. The 11th and final event under the Backlash banner, it featured talent from all three WWE brands: Raw,...
between Triple H, Shane and Mr McMahon
Team McMahon
Team McMahon, also known as The McMahons in appropriate general reference to the family involved, is the name of a familial alliance in World Wrestling Entertainment , usually on its Raw brand and consisting of WWE chairman/majority owner Vince McMahon, his son Shane, and at least one wrestler...
and The Legacy, with a preview that evening between Mr McMahon and Orton. However, Raw's General Manager at that time, Vickie Guerrero
Vickie Guerrero
Vickie Lynn Guerrero is an American professional wrestling personality, manager, shifting authority figure and occasional wrestler. She is the widow of professional wrestler Eddie Guerrero, currently signed to WWE on its Raw brand...
, made their six-man tag team match a WWE Championship match. The stipulation was that if Triple H's team won, he retained the championship, while if The Legacy won, Orton would win the title. As the singles match progressed, Shane and Triple H came to Mr McMahon's aid, causing both Rhodes and DiBiase to interfere until a returning Batista appeared and cleared the ring; McMahon then announced that Batista was to replace him in the match at Backlash. At the event, Orton won by pinning Triple H after an RKO and a running punt, leaving Triple H hospitalized according to the storyline. In spite of Triple H's absence, Shane McMahon continued his feud with the group, leading to another match between him and Orton on Raw. After the original match ended in a no contest due to interference, Rhodes and DiBiase won singles matches to be entered into a handicap match with all of The Legacy facing Shane later that night. This match was used to write him out of the storyline, as The Legacy members used the steel ring steps to shatter his ankle.
Orton as WWE Champion (2009)
Judgment Day (2009)
Judgment Day , a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , took place on May 17, 2009 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. It was the eleventh and final show under the Judgment Day name and the tenth show held annually; it...
, but it ended with Orton intentionally slapping the referee to cause a disqualification, which meant that the championship did not change hands. In their rematch, however, which was held inside a steel cage at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view, Batista won the championship.
The following night on Raw, during Batista's celebratory speech, The Legacy attacked Batista, and injured him in storyline. This storyline was used to cover a real injury Batista had sustained. Orton's rematch that night, intended to be used despite Batista's absence, went awry when Triple H returned, resulting in the match being declared a no contest. The following week, a match was held to determine the new WWE Champion between Orton, Triple H, John Cena
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand....
and The Big Show, which Orton won. At The Bash pay-per-view, signs of dissention between DiBiase and Orton appeared when DiBiase argued with Orton backstage. Despite this, DiBiase and Rhodes both helped Orton retain his WWE Championship later that night against Triple H. This tension was later expanded upon when DiBiase's father
Ted DiBiase
Theodore Marvin "Ted" DiBiase, Sr. is a retired professional wrestler, manager, ordained minister and color commentator. DiBiase achieved championship success in a number of wrestling promotions, holding thirty titles during his professional wrestling career...
booked Orton and DiBiase in a match on Raw while he was in charge; Orton won the match but the team showed solidarity later in the same evening by interfering in a WWE Championship contender match between Triple H and Cena, leading to it being ruled a no contest. This made the subsequent match at Night of Champions
Night of Champions (2009)
Night of Champions was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on July 26, 2009 at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was the second annual event to be promoted solely under the Night of Champions name and the...
a triple threat contest. Similar tensions arose briefly in the group late in August when Rhodes' father, Dusty, booked Orton and Rhodes in a match on Raw. It quickly turned out to be a ruse with Dusty's intention to allow The Legacy to attack Cena, who was special guest referee. Despite the four standing tall together, Orton quickly gave an RKO to Dusty which angered Rhodes though he would fall in line.
After Orton retained the championship in July's Night of Champions, the team worked together again to prevent Triple H from receiving a rematch against Orton by slowing his Beat The Clock Challenge match, so that he did not have the quickest time and did not receive a championship match. As a result, Triple H refocused his attention on Rhodes and DiBiase, losing to them in a handicap match, and reforming D-Generation X
D-Generation X
D-Generation X was a professional wrestling stable in WWE . The group originated in the midst of the WWF's "Attitude Era" from 1997 to 2000...
(DX) with Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
. Rhodes and DiBiase faced DX at SummerSlam
SummerSlam (2009)
SummerSlam was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on August 23, 2009 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. It was the 22nd annual SummerSlam event and featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brands...
, but lost the match, although they later defeated DX in a Submissions Count Anywhere match at the Breaking Point
WWE Breaking Point
Breaking Point was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on September 13, 2009 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brands. The name of the event was voted by fans via...
pay-per-view, using a combined figure-four leg lock and Million Dollar Dream on Shawn Michaels. The following month DX defeated DiBiase and Rhodes at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view by locking DiBiase out of the cell and double-teaming Rhodes, just as the team had done to Michaels earlier in the match. Meanwhile, Orton retained the title against Cena at SummerSlam after the match was restarted a number of times to prevent Orton sneaking a win through disqualification and count out, with an unknown fan, later revealed to be Ted's brother Brett
Brett DiBiase
Brett DiBiase is a retired American professional wrestler and professional wrestling referee. known for his time with the WWE, where he worked in their developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling. He is a former FCW Florida Tag Team Champion with Joe Hennig as The Fortunate Sons.Brett...
, eventually coming in from the crowd to attack the referee and cause a distraction which helped Orton retain. At Breaking Point, Orton lost the WWE Championship to John Cena in an "I Quit" match only to win it back the next month in a Hell in a Cell match at the eponymous event. At WWE Bragging Rights, Orton lost the championship back to Cena in a 60 minute Iron Man match
Iron Man match
An Iron Man match is a professional wrestling match type that is set to go a specific amount of time, usually 30 or 60 minutes, with the competitor with the most falls at the end of that time named the victor...
with the stipulation that it would be the last championship match between the two. Earlier in the evening Rhodes appeared on Team Raw in a match that pitted Raw against SmackDown in a tag team match. He was seen backstage blaming Kofi Kingston
Kofi Kingston
Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah , is a Ghanaian American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Kofi Kingston. He is currently signed to WWE and works on its Raw brand where he is one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions with Evan Bourne as Air Boom...
for the loss and in retaliation Kingston ran out to chase away Rhodes and DiBiase when they interfered in the Iron Man match.
Kingston won a return match against Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...
the following night, who had pinned him at Bragging Rights, but after the match Orton attacked him. Kingston retaliated by vandalising a NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
that Rhodes and DiBiase bought him to cheer him after his title loss. The rivalry continued when, at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, Orton attacked Hall of Famer
WWE Hall of Fame
The WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for professional wrestlers maintained by WWE. It was officially created on the February 1, 1993 episode of the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw television program...
Roddy Piper
Roddy Piper
Roderick George Toombs , better known by his ring name "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, is a Canadian semi-retired professional wrestler and film actor who is currently signed to WWE. In professional wrestling, he is best known for his work with WWE...
but just before he could deliver a punt Kingston came out and attacked Orton, making him bleed and leg dropping him through a table. Kofi headed a team at November's Survivor Series
Survivor Series (2009)
Survivor Series was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on November 22, 2009 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.. It was the 23rd annual Survivor Series event. It featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown and ECW brands...
against Orton's team of The Legacy, William Regal and CM Punk which ended with Kingston eliminating Punk and then Orton in quick succession to become the sole survivor while Christian
Jason Reso
William Jason Reso is a Canadian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring names Christian and Christian Cage...
eliminated Rhodes and DiBiase earlier. The next night on Raw Jesse Ventura
Jesse Ventura
James George Janos , better known as Jesse Ventura, is an American politician, the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003, Navy UDT veteran, former SEAL reservist, actor, and former radio and television talk show host...
announced the contender for the WWE Championship would be determined by a series of matches contested for by wrestlers who had never held the title before. Despite this Orton managed to persuade Ventura to allow him into the tournament by defeating Evan Bourne while Rhodes and DiBiase defeated Cryme Tyme
Cryme Tyme
For animated series named Crime Time, visit Crime TimeCryme Tyme was a professional wrestling tag team that was signed to WWE.The team consisted of JTG and Shad , an over-the-top parody of stereotypical street thugs.-Early lives:Of Haitian and...
to make it through but in the Battle Royal final were eliminated by Mark Henry while Orton was pulled over by Kingston, who held on to the ropes after Orton had thrown him out. Orton defeated Kingston the following week on November 30's Raw after he was attacked from behind by both Rhodes and DiBiase separately, while Kingston took a return win the following week after guest referee Mark Cuban
Mark Cuban
Mark Cuban is an American business magnate and investor. He is the owner of the National Basketball Association's Dallas Mavericks, Landmark Theatres, and Magnolia Pictures, and the chairman of the HDTV cable network HDNet....
made a fast count leading to a rubber match at the TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view which Orton won.
Split from Orton and dissolution (2010)
On the January 11, 2010 episode of Raw, guest host Mike TysonMike Tyson
Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...
announced that the winner of a triple threat match later that night between Orton, Kingston, and John Cena would challenge Sheamus for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble (2010)
Royal Rumble was the twenty-third annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on January 31, 2010 at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia and featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown and ECW brands...
. Orton ultimately won with the help of The Legacy, who attacked Cena and Kingston. At the Royal Rumble, Orton failed to win the championship when he was disqualified when Rhodes tried to interfere. After the match, Orton attacked Rhodes and DiBiase, who attempted to aid Rhodes. On the February 15 episode of Raw, Orton took on Sheamus in a non-title rematch, but was again disqualified after Rhodes and DiBiase interfered. During the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber
Elimination Chamber
The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE promotion. It features a large chain-linked circular steel structure or "chamber" which encloses the ring. The chamber's floor is platformed over the ringside area which elevates it to ring level and within...
match at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, in which both Orton and DiBiase participated, Rhodes passed a pipe to DiBiase. DiBiase hit Orton with it, and eliminated him. The next night on Raw, The Legacy participated in a six-man tag team match against Kingston, Yoshi Tatsu
Naofumi Yamamoto
is a Japanese professional wrestler and former boxer, who is currently signed to WWE, performing on its SmackDown brand under the ring name Yoshi Tatsu.-New Japan Pro Wrestling :...
, and Evan Bourne, designed to show their unity, but Orton attacked Rhodes and DiBiase and the following week on Raw, Rhodes and DiBiase attacked Orton in retaliation, although Orton was able to fight them off. Orton's split from the group was cemented when he lost a handicap match against both Rhodes and DiBiase on Raw and showed increasing signs of becoming a fan favorite. This led to a Triple Threat Match between all three members at WrestleMania XXVI
WrestleMania XXVI
WrestleMania XXVI was the twenty-sixth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on March 28, 2010 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, Arizona. This was the fourth WrestleMania to...
, where Rhodes and DiBiase proclaimed neither minded not winning so long as Orton was pinned, but in the match Orton pinned DiBiase. DiBiase and Rhodes attacked each other during the match, ending the duo, and Rhodes was punted by Orton and taken out of action for approximately a month. The split was confirmed when Rhodes moved to SmackDown brand during the 2010 WWE Supplemental Draft.
Brief reformation (2011)
Rhodes and DiBiase reunited on SmackDown in May 2011. On the August 12, 2011 edition of SmackDownCody Rhodes defeated Ezekiel Jackson to win the Intercontinental Championship
WWE Intercontinental Championship
The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is the original secondary title of the promotion. Currently, it is the secondary championship exclusive to the SmackDown brand...
for the first time. On the August 19, 2011 edition of SmackDown, Rhodes announced that Legacy had officially reunited, though he was simply mentioning that all of the members were in the ring (Orton, DiBiase, and Rhodes) not officially reuniting with Orton. On the August 26 edition of SmackDown, the team once again disbanded when Rhodes turned on DiBiase after DiBiase lost a match to then World Heavyweight Champion
World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
, Randy Orton
Randy Orton
Randal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand...
. On the September 23, 2011 episode of SmackDown, the feud between Orton and Rhodes began when Orton bashed Rhodes' head with a timekeeper's bell resulting in Rhodes getting nine stitches and a huge loss of blood. The feud continued when Rhodes prevented Orton from winning his match against Mark Henry and then proceeded to humiliate Orton by putting a paper bag over his head. This resulted a match for Vengeance (2011)
Vengeance (2011)
Vengeance was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by WWE that took place on October 23, 2011 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. It is the 12th event under the Vengeance/Night of Champions chronology and the first event under the Vengeance name since the 2007 edition...
in which Orton won.
In wrestling
- Orton's finishing moves
- RKO (Jumping cutter)
- Running punt to an opponent's head
- DiBiase's finishing moves
- Cobra clutch legsweep
- Dream Street (Cobra clutch slam)
- Rhodes' finishing moves
- Cross Rhodes (Rolling cutter)
- The Silver Spoon DDT (DDTDDT (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling a DDT is any move in which the wrestler has the opponent in a front facelock, and falls down or backwards to drive the opponent's head into the mat...
)
- Entrance themesMusic in professional wrestlingMusic in professional wrestling serves a variety of purposes. The most common uses of music in professional wrestling is that of the entrance theme, a song or piece of instrumental music which plays as a performer approaches the ring...
- "Voices" by Rich LuzziRev TheoryRev Theory is an American hard rock band formed in 2002 in North Andover, Massachusetts. The band has released three studio albums: Truth Is Currency , Light It Up , and Justice . The song "Voices" is currently being used for World Wrestling Entertainment star Randy Orton...
and Jim JohnstonJim Johnston (composer)James Alan "Jim" Johnston is an American music composer who has been working for WWE since 1985. His work is often accredited to the names Jim Johnston, James A...
(Orton) - "Priceless (remix)" by Jim Johnston (January 2009 – May 2009; Rhodes and DiBiase)
- "It's a New Day" by Adelitas WayAdelitas WayAdelitas Way is a hard rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada that broke into mainstream in 2009 for their song "Invincible", which is the official theme song for WWE Superstars on WGN America. They also perform the song "A New Day" as the theme song for the defunct WWE Tag Team The Legacy and later used...
(June 2009 - March 2010; Rhodes and DiBiase) - "Only One can Judge (Smoke & Mirrors Instrumental Remix)" by Jim Johnston (May 2011 - August 2011; Brief reformation of Rhodes and DiBiase)
- "Voices" by Rich Luzzi
Championships and accomplishments
- World Wrestling Entertainment
- WWE ChampionshipWWE ChampionshipThe WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
(3 times) – Orton - Royal RumbleRoyal RumbleThe Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view event, produced every January by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. The event was created in 1988, with its inaugural event taking place on January 24, 1988 at the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario...
(2009Royal Rumble (2009)Royal Rumble was the twenty-second annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on January 25, 2009 at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan and featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown and ECW brands...
) – Orton
- WWE Championship