The Unauthorized Story of Randy Orton and The Viper's Strike on WWE by Michael Essany

 
     
    Part 1: The Legend Killer Becomes The Legend
     
    Randal Keith Orton was born April 1, 1980.
     
    For a time in his youth, however, many wondered if the date upon which Randy was born - April Fool's Day - held a veritable curse over the third-generation wrestling star's life.
     
    It was during Randy's teenage years and early twenties when the Knoxville, Tennessee-born future grappler would, admittedly, make some of the most foolish decisions of his entire life.
     
    "I grew up around it [wrestling]," Orton told Jimmy Kimmel during a 2010 interview. "Just like any other child growing up seeing their parents or their father doing something that maybe they want to do one day, whether that's being a doctor, or... here that happened to be professional wrestling. So I'm doing that now and living my dream. And it's great. I'm really enjoying it."
     
    That was Randy Orton’s "easy" answer to the question he is most frequently asked. The hard answer isn't such a pretty one.
     
    In his 2011 DVD profile titled "Randy Orton: Evolution of a Predator," Orton admits that he didn't really dream of being a WWE superstar while still a youngster. Orton, in fact, didn't have much direction at all.
     
    "My father wrestled, my uncle wrestled and my grandfather wrestled," Orton told viewers during a recent guest appearance on George Lopez Tonight. "If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here. They paved the way for me."
     
    Yet it wasn't until 1999 that Orton first began to consider the wrestling business as a professional possibility. It was a fateful decision that would lead him to OVW developmental territory at the same time John Cena, Batista, and Brock Lesnar were training for a future spot in WWE.
     
    For Orton, the jump to wrestling came at a time when few - including Orton - had any clue as to what would become of the son of legendary WWE Hall of Famer "Cowboy" Bob Orton. After graduating from high school, Orton enlisted with the United States Marine Corps - a decision, as it turned out, that Orton wasn't fully prepared to make at that juncture in his life.
     
    Despite possessing great reverence for the men and woman who wear the uniform of the United States, Orton says he didn't experience that which he signed up for. And after attempting to feign injury in hopes of getting discharged, Orton was eventually dishonorably discharged in 1999 after going AWOL on more than one occasion. He subsequently disobeyed orders from his commanding officer and served well over a month in military prison at Camp Pendleton as punishment for his actions.
     
    Upon Orton's dishonorable discharge, one member of the military wished Orton good luck in his future. And it was at that very moment when Orton soberly confronted that very prospect: the future - one that, for the time being, lacked any real sense of direction or even inspiration.
     
    The Family Business
     
    Living in the basement of his parents’ home and determined to find a path toward success somewhere, Orton finally began - for the first time in his life - to seriously consider a career in professional wrestling.
     
    After broaching the subject with his father, Randy's old man agreed to train him and take the wannabe wrestler to a WWE show in person.
     
    Given his father's pull, Randy Orton soon landed a try-out, which resulted in a development deal, and eventually a shot at the big time.
     
    In April 2002, Randy Orton debuted on WWE SmackDown in a match against Hardcore Holly.
     
    He immediately went over with fans thanks to his natural athleticism and good looks.
     
    Within one year, Orton would find himself as one of the company's biggest heels as part of the now-infamous and unforgettable wrestling stable known as "Evolution," which also included Triple H, Ric Flair, and Batista. At SummerSlam 2004, Randy Orton defeated Chris Benoit to become the youngest champion in WWE history.
     
    After Orton moved away from Evolution, the brightest young star in the WWE would soon earn