22 Years Ago Today, Randy Orton Learned the Hard Way to Trust No One

22 years ago today on RAW, one of the most shocking betrayals in WWE history changed Randy Orton’s career forever. Just one night after defeating Chris Benoit at SummerSlam 2004 to become the youngest World Heavyweight Champion in WWE history, Randy Orton returned to RAW expecting to celebrate with Evolution. Instead, everything changed. Triple H, Ric Flair, and Batista turned on their own protégé after realizing Orton had become a threat to their plans. Triple H wanted the World Heavyweight Championship back, and Evolution brutally attacked Orton before Triple H took the title from him. The betrayal immediately launched Orton into a bitter rivalry with Triple H and became a major turning point in his career as a singles star. The same faction that helped shape The Legend Killer ultimately forced him to stand on his own. Evolution helped create Randy Orton… but on this night, they created their own enemy. 🐍🔥