Randy Orton reflects on Vince McMahon’s role in protecting RKO finisher
Randy Orton’s RKO is often deemed as one of the most dangerous finishers in WWE, and his former boss, Vince McMahon, had a major role to play in it.
Recently speaking with The Schmo for an interview before WWE WrestleMania 42, Orton was asked to name the Mount Rushmore of father-child wrestling combos. Orton opened up and shared several names, including Rey & Dominik Mysterio, Ric & Charlotte Flair, Dusty Rhodes and his sons, when a fan yelled and suggested Vince and Shane McMahon.
Opting not to say anything negative, Orton instead opened up and reflected on McMahon’s importance in his career. The 14-time World Champion narrated how McMahon helped him protect his RKO finisher.
“It’s funny because that RKO is everything. Vince [McMahon] had a huge hand to play because when I would be wrestling somebody, and I was younger, they would want to kick out of my finish. Vince would pull me aside and say, ‘We’re not going to do that. We’re not going to let that happen.’ I’ll never hit a guy with three RKOs to cover him and pin him,” Orton said.
“I’m not going to dilute my finish. That is always going to be a kill shot, and I can hit it out of nowhere. Vince has a huge part to play when it comes to my finish, and that’s a huge part of being a WWE superstar, what’s your finishing move.”
Although Orton did not always have the RKO as his finishing move. Instead, he began his WWE career using the O-Zone (Overdrive) as his finisher. He later transitioned it into the RKO and the much more devastating Punt kick.
Shounak Chakrabarti is an experienced sports journalist with a lifelong passion for athletics and storytelling. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Journalism from the University of Leeds and joined F4WOnline in 2025.
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