A member of a famous wrestling dynasty, he was born on April 1, 1980, in Knoxville, Tennessee.
He is the grandson of professional wrestler Bob Orton and the nephew of fellow wrestler Barry Orton.
Enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, serving from 1998 to 1999.
Won the Intercontinental Title and earned the moniker "The Legend Killer" for his many on-screen battles against wrestling royalty.
After defeating Chris Benoit at SummerSlam 2004, he became the youngest WWE World Heavyweight Champion in the company's history.
He started fighting with some of his old comrades on the Evolution, thus they kicked him off of the squad.
During this feud, Orton played the villain role, attacking his on-screen fiancée and aiming his ire at The Undertaker.
The Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell bout at Survivor Series, an annual elimination contest.