The Gimmick: Randy Orton - Legend Killer.

[Ferbian]

This is the first thread in the series, with many more to come.

The purpose of this thread series will be to discuss what you think or thought of a currently active, or previously active gimmick.

The very first one we will be looking into will be:

Randy Orton - The Legend Killer.​

Randy Orton debuted this gimmick briefly after his first participation in an Elimination Chamber match at Summerslam 2003, and took it upon himself to start taking out well respected legends of the business, the lines of Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley and many more.

Randy became an Intercontinental champion during the period that this gimmick spanned, as well as a tag team champion and world champion (with both the WWE and World Heavyweight championship).

The gimmick spanned from 2003 to 2008 and has featured a lot of different feuds with guys like Triple H, John Cena, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, Evolution, and many more as well.

This as well were during the period where Randy solidified himself as a definite main event player, and one of the top heels of the WWE, before he transfered into the viper gimmick.

So to start the very first thread in what I hope will become a long series of threads, I leave you to tell the rest of the people viewing this thread:

What did you think of this gimmick? and why?

 

[Theo Mays]

I was a fan of the gimmick. It worked and got Orton some heat and got him on the spot. His feud with Foley was some good stuff and Foley might have been the best guy for it to work with. Foley is loved and he is like the Cubs of the wrestling world, he is the lovable loser. It was some good stuff and made Orton enjoyable. Off topic, but I know many think it should be brought back, but I disagree. I don't want to see Orton offing legends again. Lets stick with the Apex predator and run with that for awhile before changing Orton up again. I don't see the need to bring back the Legend Killer gimmick, as I truly think it was given to Orton for him to get over with the fans and then they could move on.

Back on topic. Why did I like the Legend Killer gimmick? Maybe because it involved Mick Foley, who is one of my all time favorites and I always enjoyed his work. Or maybe because it helped develop Orton into the star he would become. There are many reasons to like the gimmick. It was entertaining, it was something different, and it helped get a young star over with the crowd and develop him into one of the bigger names in the business today.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

I thought and still think it was the perfect gimmick for him. He was so cocky and arrogant and was good on the mic. His in-ring work wasn't that bad either when he was facing HBK, Undertaker, Angle, and Mysterio. I long for the day when he can return to this gimmick but I just never been into the character he's been for the past couple of years especially now since he's a face. The problem with the Legend Killer gimmick was that he didn't really kill any legends. He defeated Ric Flair in 2004 and Foley in 2004 and that was basically it and even Flair and Foley wrestled matches after that so the gimmick didn't live up to the hype so to say. It would have been perfect now as he could have retired Flair in 2008 and HBK this year.

 

[vanderhevel]

I thought it was a gimmick that he pulled off great because of his attitude, but it had its limits. i mean, how many old men can you watch him beat up before it becomes old hat. its something that you can do a couple of times and then it loses its shock value and becomes commonplace and boring.

 

[Nate DaMac]

It was perfect for him, he fit the role very well. He was the typical brash, young, and cocky heel, but he did some downright brutal shit to some of the Legends. That's what set him apart from the pack and his inevitable rise to the top.

I agree with Theo here, the shit with Foley was great. Especially in the hardocre style match they had when Randy became a man.

It just goes to show you that if you just add one little element to someones character, it can turn them into a star. For example, if you take away the Legend Killer aspect of Orton's character, was he really any different than say, Dolph Ziggler? Just another cocky cowardly heel. But when he put his sights on the likes of Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, and Foley, it's what made everyone notice and he became a breakout star. It was a really simple gimmick, and Randy worked that shit to the fullest.

 

[FunKay the Inevitable]

It was a great gimmick for Orton to have. He was a third generation superstar meaning he already had a legacy coming from legends so it would only be natural for him to prove himself by taking out legends. He played up the cocky heel role perfectly as you could believe that he was who he acted like he was. There was a real believability in his attitude. The fact that the gimmick didn't stop with wrestling legends was an interesting idea as well (if you recall, he RKO'd Mark Cuban at Survivor Series 2003) as it made him seem like a genuine threat. He acted well in the role and it suited him and that was why I liked it.

 

[a0161613]

I'd go so far as to say that this is the most successful gimmicks of the recent era. This is the best ever example of Vince choosing the right gimmick for the right guy at the right time. This was WWE star-making at its best.

Orton went from cocky shit who earnt nothing to an instant name, who looked like he was on the fast track to legendary status in his own right. This happened in a matter of months.

The company did a great job of getting legends out of retirement to bump for this no-name kid. The Foley storyline was superb and that was possibly his best ever work.

The fact that this was combined with Evolution, the greatest stable since the Horsemen, meant that even with a famously bad attitude, Orton would not screw this up.

He may have had a few bad years since dropping the Legend Killer thing but there is little doubt his time as the Legend Killer will serve him well.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

I enjoyed the Legend Killer gimmick. Foley, Hogan, Taker, etc. It gave Randy Orton a great deal of credibility moving forward.

But in all honesty, it was exactly what we are calling it...a gimmick. It was a gimmick that worked out well, and bumped Orton up to SuperStar status. It helped to make him a top guy in the business. So yes, I think it worked, and was well done.

But, as I said earlier, it was a gimmick. Randy Orton has moved onto something bigger. From time to time, I hear people say they would like him to return to his Legend Killer gimmick. I really wouldn't want to see that. The Legend Killer gimmick went as long as it should have. If he would have continued down that path, he would have ran out of legitimate legends to knock off. It would have gotten old, and stale.

With his new gimmick, which he has had (approx.) since the formation of Legacy, he is able to show a lot more depth, and have a lot more range. His eyes are set on a much bigger goal; becoming the best in the business. The Legend Killer gimmick was all about him showing he COULD do it. He COULD be the best. After taking out those legends, he showed us that he belongs.

I just think the Legend Killer gimmick was limited. It served it's purpose, and now he's moved on. What he's doing now isn't a gimmick. It is a more realistic-type character, with not such a limited set of goals. I understand being called The Viper, or the Apex Predator, makes it sound gimmick-ish. And to tell you the truth, I could care less if he has a nickname or not. But this character doesn't have nearly as many limits (goal wise) as the Legend Killer did.

 

[fenfool]

This gimmick got me to hate Orton in a good heat kind of way...prior to this, I really didn't like him in a channel-changing kind of way. I think it really helped to propel him as a heel...seeing the heroes of your childhood drop one by one, you kept rooting for one of them to fight back, but the list grew...I seem to remember a shirt they sold at one point listing the victims, really a great idea imho.

 

[J-Dogg]

For the whole time Orton had the Legend Killer gimmick i enjoyed it, he was cocky, an asshole and arrogant, he took out countless legends and hall of famer's. His work when facing Cena, Triple H and even Shawn Michaels was great, those feuds were entertaining, now he is The Viper, and when that happened he became one of the top heels taking out everyone and seizing what he wanted, he even took out The McMahons.

Randy even formed his own stable The Legacy, and that worked out well, and now he is a face/tweener and still using the Viper gimmck and is still arrogant and cocky, and that style has worked for him for years. So i don't think taking away the perfect gimmick for him will happen.

 

[gremmlinsmith]

The Legend Killer is probably my favorite gimmick ever. Randy Orton owes his career to whoever gave him that one. He played the cocky bastard so well. I remember marking out seeing him shake Mae Young's hand and proclaim "This is Mae Young! Legend! And I'm Randy Orton.... Legend Killer."

 

[Ruthless-RKO]

This was the perfect gimmick for Orton, suited him very well, he was a cocky young wrestler who we all knew will become a top star, because these legends that he 'Killed', helped put him over as well..it was a top gimmick, i think it lasted a good time and it could return at anytime, but not for Orton, he has moved on and has now been on the level of other top stars...If this gimmick was to return...it should be to another new comer..it can help wrestlers a lot this gimmick..

 

[Goliath Uterus]

This gimmick is one of the decades best, and Randy Orton's most natural feeling role. He fit into the "Legend Killer" role so well, he seemed so sadistic and violent, yet so cocky and arrogant at the same time. Taking out, or fueding with legends such as Foley, Flair, Hogan, Michaels, Taker, etc. gave him a lot more credibility and it certainly propelled him to the status he currently holds today.

Nick brings up an interesting point, saying that the Legend Killer gimmick had a limited set of goals, therfore the less gimmicky "Viper" Orton is the best option for him right now, I would have to disagree, Orton could still be the "Legend Killer" without any legends to kill, he could kill future legends, like Cena, Triple H or whoever, and stay in the hunt for the world title, maybe briefly fued with, or beat the shit outta legends that return every once in a while. What I'm saying is, the gimmick worked well for him, and I think if he still used it, he may have been able to become even more succesful then he is now.

 

[The Crock]

This gimmick is my favorite gimmick of the post attitude-era. Randy Orton has always acted like he was entitled to being one of the greatest superstars ever. Orton is cocky and he fit this gimmick perfectly. He picked off legends one by one and his feud with Mick Foley was amazing. The attempted RKO on the tacks sticks out in my mind when I think about this just because Mick Foley somehow managed to reverse it. This match and all the other matches he had as the Legend Killer propelled him into the Main Event scene and made him one of the most memorable stars of the last 20 years.

 

[Bobby B]

It was a great gimmick in my eyes. I didn't see some of the early stuff (before 2005) but the stuff after that period was still good. The feud with The Undertaker was fantastic, and it really helped establish him as a big main eventer.

I think a good thing about this gimmick was that may have though (and I've only read this) that when Orton won his first World title, it was in place so that Brock Lesnar wasn't the "Youngest Ever WWE Champion". The legend killer angle really took him away from the title which helped.

I thought the gimmick was great. It setup some great fueds, and really helped establish him as a great heel.

 

["Cool Guy" Jensen]

I was a huge fan of "The Legend Killer" gimmick. At the time of the start of the gimmick, I was 10 years old and since I had only been watching WWE for a few months and I was young... I usually hated all the heels. However, Randy Orton... there was something about his character that I fell in love with immediately. His disrepect towards legends that I actually loved, got me very upset, but I just couldn't be upset at Randy. He was just awesome!

It was his "Legend Killer" gimmick that put Randy Orton on the map as a huge WWE star. Due to his feuds with legends such as Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley, Triple H, Ric Flair, The Undertaker, and Hulk Hogan. Combined with attacks on other legends such as Harley Race, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, and others... really helped make the "Legend Killer" gimmick so successful. You couldn't ask for a better gimmick really.