DVD Review- Randy Orton: RKO OUTTA NOWHERE

In the last 15 years, not many superstars have built the career as Randy Orton has. Third generation superstar, 12 time World Champion, Mr. Money in the Bank and Royal Rumble winner, Randy Orton has truly built a future Hall of Fame legacy. This three disc DVD documents the rise of Randy Orton, from his time in OVW to Headlining Wrestlemania. Featuring matches against the likes of CM Punk, Chris Jericho, Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker. In addition to this are sporadic interviews with Randy Orton, who speaks of working with each superstar and their matches.

Admittedly I am a Randy Orton fan, so one may believe that based on my fandom, I may sound bias in my review. However as someone who has watched the career of Orton, I found this documentary to be immersive. Since debuting in 2002, I have had a front row seat in watching Randy Orton‘s WWE career. However I was most impressed with the archived footage from his tenure in OVW, as it was something I had not seen before. Furthermore I found his story on his rookie years interesting, as he is a third-generation superstar. Son of WWE Hall of Famer Cowboy Bob Orton, Randy admitted he had an easier route into the business.

The documentary shows the career of Randy Orton from start to present. From starting out in OVW and working with then fellow rookie John Cena, Orton spoke of their rivalry roots. Archived footage from Orton’s OVW debut and first ever match with John Cena, I found his words on his working with a young John Cena interesting. Considering the intense rivalry the two have created it was cool to see their respective career roots. In addition to this Orton also elaborated on his time working with Mark Henry in OVW. He would express his gratitude for the guidance Mark Henry provided at an early stage of his career.

After making his WWE debut in 2002, in less than two years Randy Orton had established himself on the card. Another match I enjoyed watching was his against The Undertaker as it paved the way for Orton. He expressed his honor in working with The Undertaker and how well he was able to co-operate with him. After watching their match from an episode of Smackdown from May 2002, It was easy to see why Orton enjoyed working with the Phenom. He would also speak of the deadman behind the curtain, as to how much he wanted help Orton look good in the ring. I personally believe Orton’s feud with The Undertaker in 2005 cemented Orton as an established star at the top quality of WWE.

Following his first World Title reign Randy Orton began to headline at the top of the company. The documentary showcases various matches from Orton in the last decade. I enjoyed his matches against Chris Jericho, Shawn Michaels and CM Punk. In particular of all three; I found his match with Shawn Michaels to be the best in the documentary. This is because Orton spoke of the challenge in facing HBK considering the circumstances the two worked under. As well as their match at Survivor Series 2007, which was great to watch. Orton spoke on how working with Michaels essentially benefited both of them, as he also went on to speak of Micheals’ innovation in the ring.

The only issue I really had with this DVD was the almost repetitiveness. Despite the documentary having a very specific layout, at some points I found it tedious. This is due to the fact that I had previously watched most of these matches and that I believe it would have been better if Orton spoke more of the superstars he worked with in greater depth. However this is my inner wrestling nerd coming out, as I enjoy the talk of in-ring psychology in regards to working with fellow professionals. This is not to indicate that the documentaries perspective was poor but I do believe it could have been better. Otherwise in many aspects this felt like another generic WWE DVD Documentary.

Overall I for the most part enjoyed the documentary. As someone who has been a longtime fan of Randy Orton I enjoyed watching some of his best matches in his storied career. A lot of moments were very nostalgic for me, such as his match with Jeff Hardy at Royal Rumble 2008. If I am being honest I have to admit, I’m a sucker for wrestling nostalgia! If you are a huge Randy Orton fan then this is certainly right up your alley. Or even just an avid WWE DVD collector, this would not go a miss in your collection. Recommended.