Randy Orton's Forgotten Run In ECW, Explained
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WWE's relaunch of Extreme Championship Wrestling in 2006 may have been a long-term failure, but it did provide some entertainment throughout its run as a separate brand from Raw and SmackDown. For instance, during the early stages of the ECW brand, fans witnessed many cross-over feuds and matches between WWE and ECW wrestlers. One of those wrestlers is Randy Orton, who didn't have the best relationship with ECW when it returned in mid-2006.
RELATED: 10 Most Muscular Physiques In ECW History
The Relaunch Of Extreme Championship Wrestling
Since Extreme Championship Wrestling closed its doors after airing its final PPV in early 2001, many felt that ECW didn't go out in the best way considering the promotions had many problems in its last days. However, as WWE purchased ECW in January 2003, it allowed WWE to breathe new life into the hardcore brand of professional wrestling.
Following the successful ECW One Night Stand 2005, which got universal acclaim from fans and critics alike, it was only a matter of time before WWE revived ECW full-time. And the company did, as ECW got revived as a separate brand from Raw and SmackDown when it started airing weekly on the Sci-Fi channel in mid-2006.
RELATED: 10 Reasons ECW's New Jack Was One Of The Most Controversial Wrestlers Of All Time
Randy Orton Picks A Fight With ECW & Feuds With Kurt Angle
During the build-up for the second edition of ECW One Night Stand in 2006, one WWE superstar who instantly established himself as ECW's foe was Randy Orton, who got scheduled to face Kurt Angle at the PPV. On the WWE vs. ECW Head-to-Head event in June 2006, airing the same week as the PPV, Randy Orton went out of his way to trash ECW in the most ridiculous way imaginable during a promo with Angle. Orton undermined Kurt Angle's association with ECW while simultaneously trashing ECW fans, with an intense Angle looking on from the ring.
At ECW One Night Stand 2006, Kurt Angle defeated Randy Orton by submission as Orton was showered with boos upon his humiliating loss. Following Kurt Angle's win, it looked as if ECW had the last laugh over Randy Orton. Orton losing to Angle in front of a hostile ECW audience showed that ECW was to be taken seriously, as there was a lot of momentum surrounding the newly-revised brand, especially with Rob Van Dam defeating John Cena for the WWE Championship.
However, as WWE superstars kept appearing on ECW's weekly show, Randy Orton wasn't done messing with ECW. In a rematch at Vengeance 2006, Orton defeated Angle in a rubber match, thus ending his feud with Kurt Angle altogether and getting one over ECW.
Randy Orton Brutalizes ECW's Rob Van Dam
When Randy Orton feuded with Kurt Angle when ECW first relaunched in mid-2006, it was clear that Orton was still in his cocky "Legend Killer" phase. However, Orton started taking a more aggressive approach to his persona in mid-2007, becoming more vicious than he was in his career. Because of this, Orton earned "The Viper" moniker, as he'd come out of nowhere and strike his opponents.
Upon his newly-adopted deranged persona, Randy Orton once again targeted ECW, specifically ECW's Rob Van Dam. After brutalizing Shawn Michaels at Judgment Day 2007, Orton decided to pick a fight with Van Dam due to Van Dam expressing his disgust over Orton's actions. On a May 2007 episode of Monday Night Raw, Randy Orton defeated Rob Van Dam after giving him a wicked punt to the head, further embracing his ultra-menacing side.
As Randy Orton got ready for a rematch against Rob Van Dam in a Stretcher match at One Night Stand 2007, he decided to head to ECW to boast about what he did to Rob Van Dam during their bout on Raw. Orton's ECW appearance turned into a match against ECW Original Tommy Dreamer, which ended with Orton punting Tommy Dreamer in the head as Van Dam failed to make the save.
RELATED: How Randy Orton Keeps The Legacy Of WCW Legend Ron Garvin AliveAt One Night Stand 2007, Rob Van Dam wrestled his final WWE match by defeating Randy Orton in their Stretcher match. However, moments after Van Dam was declared victorious, Orton attacked him by giving him a DDT at ringside. Ending his feud with ECW, Orton once again got the last laugh over the extreme brand of professional wrestling, sending Rob Van Dam to the hospital on his way out of the company.
