November 24, 2003 RAW - Randy Orton vs. Sgt. Slaughter in a RAW Roulette "Legend vs. Legend Killer Match"
RAW was live in Salt Lake City, Utah for the first Legend Killer Match in WWE history. The product of RAW’s controversial game of chance, RAW Roulette, this match pit a young Randy Orton against former WWE Champion Sgt. Slaughter. This was Orton’s first match with a WWE Hall of Famer and would enhance Orton’s reputation going forward as a plausible Legend Killer.
Before the match, Orton entered General Manager Eric Bischoff’s office and was informed that the RAW Roulette wheel had been spun. Bischoff not only told Orton that he would compete in the first-ever Legend Killer Match, but that a very special WWE Legend was flown in just for the occasion.
Moments later, Orton stood in the ring and awaited his immediate destiny until the familiar music of an American original, Sgt. Slaughter, filled the arena. Slaughter moved toward the ring with his signature scowl upon his face, intent on introducing the insolent Orton to one of Sarge’s legendary Boot Camps.
“[Randy] Orton qualifies as a Legend Killer,” admitted Sgt. Slaughter in a recent interview with WWE.com. “[But] for me, Legend Killer means disrespect,” added the former WWE Champion.
Seemingly unimpressed by his opponent, Orton maintained his arrogant, smug smirk even as Sgt. Slaughter marched over and stood eye-to-eye with him in the ring. Slaughter had a history with the Orton family, having wrestled both Randy Orton’s father, “Cowboy” Bob Orton and his late grandfather, Bob Orton, Sr. As he stared in the face of the youngest Orton, Slaughter had all intentions of teaching the Legend Killer a wrestling lesson he wouldn’t soon forget.
“The Ortons are a great wrestling family,” said Slaughter of his battles with Randy Orton and his lineage. “Bob Orton, Jr. was more technical [whereas] Randy looks for the bending of rules…[he] looks for outs. If he senses injury, hurt or fear, he goes after that and there’s nobody better at it than [Randy] Orton.”
The opportunistic Orton saw a chance to seize the advantage at the start of the match, as Slaughter turned his back on Orton and walked back towards his corner. Orton charged and swung at Slaughter but the wiser WWE Legend ducked the shot, quickly reversed the tides and applied the dreaded Cobra Clutch. Trapped in Slaughter’s trademark hold, Orton desperately struggled for escape, eventually reaching the ropes.
An unrelenting Slaughter showed little ring rust as he continued a rugged ground assault on his younger adversary, blasting Orton with a barrage of knee lifts to the midsection and a vicious gutbuster. The resilient Orton managed to gain the advantage with a well-placed drop kick to Slaughter’s chin, and then worked on Slaughter with a strong offensive.
Orton then locked in a sleeper hold to wear Slaughter down, but the veteran reversed Orton again, applying the Cobra Clutch for the second time in the short match. A panicked Orton made his way to the ropes and managed to sneak in a low blow on Slaughter. With the Hall of Famer feeling the effects of the cheap shot, Orton sized Slaughter up and mercilessly dropped him with a swift RKO. Covering Slaughter for the pin, the voracious Orton would then attempt to pick the bones of the fallen Legend after the match, stomping away at Slaughter until Rob Van Dam came to the ring to interrupt.
“The Legend Killer has [risen] to the top of the crop in the Orton family. He’s without a doubt the greatest Orton wrestler I’ve ever been in the ring with or seen,” said a retrospective Slaughter. “Randy Orton is the next big thing in pro wrestling.”
Regardless of the fashion in which he emerged victorious that night, Orton became the first Orton that Slaughter could not defeat in his celebrated career. Undeniably on his way to great things in WWE, it became apparent that night that the crafty and talented Randy Orton could possibly surpass the legacies of any Orton that had come before him.