WASHINGTON, D.C. – Chris Jericho should have known better. As any sane person can attest, you don’t invite Randy Orton onto your talk show, antagonize the dangerous Superstar and expect to walk away unscathed. 

The host of “The Highlight Reel” opened his show by proclaiming the night’s episode at WWE Battleground the biggest in WWE history. Orton, sidelined for nine months with a shoulder injury, would make his return in a WWE ring to discuss his recovery as well as his match against Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam on Sunday, Aug. 21. When he entered the ring, Orton told the audience the one thing he’d been missing over the last nine months was the energy of the WWE Universe, which showered him with appreciation. As for Jericho, that was an entirely different story.

After being sidelined for nine months, Randy Orton levels Chris Jericho with an RKO and sends a message to his SummerSlam opponent, Brock Lesnar.

WWE’s first Undisputed Champion reveled in antagonizing his guest, even having the audacity to offer Orton “the Gift of Jericho.” He then called The Viper’s judgment into question after unspooling a montage of Lesnar’s most brutal suplexes. 

For his part, Orton dismissed the criticism, saying that although it may take 20 suplexes to go to Lesnar’s infamous “Suplex City,” it only takes one RKO to go to “Viper-ville.”

Apparently, The Viper’s answers weren’t satisfactory enough for the scarf-clad Superstar, who continued to taunt Orton until enough was enough. After his continued provocations, The Viper finally struck, nailing Jericho with an “RKO outta nowhere” to abruptly end ”The Highlight Reel” and send a message to Brock Lesnar.