Before Randy Orton turned the RKO into the three most deadly letters in sports entertainment, he used the often criticized Overdrive.
The Overdrive is a leg-assisted neck breaker that looks like it does more damage to the person performing the move than it does to the person receiving it. Due to an injury, Orton had to cut the move from his arsenal, leading to him finding the RKO.
Speaking to Steve Austin on Broken Skull Sessions, Orton discussed leaving the Overdrive in reverse and moving full speed ahead with the RKO.
"It took on a mind of its own," Orton said of the RKO. "I'm so fortunate to work with so many guys that are so creative in a way that they'll have me hit them with it. I can't take credit for all these memes where I hit it out of a 360. It's their idea. As far as the move goes, there's the Diamond Cutter and the Ace Crusher. [John Laurinaitis] had my back. I was trying the Overdrive and it was hurting my shoulder a bit, which had already been fixed up. Laurinaitis was like, 'Do the Ace Crusher.' I said, 'Okay' and changed it up a little bit. Holy shit, thank you Johnny because now I can hit anybody with, from anywhere. Not set up, no nothing, just 'boom' and it happens. The first night I was doing it on TV, it may've been against Hurricane Helms, Vince is walking the hallway and we needed a name for it. My initials, Randy Keith Orton, and I came up 'TKO, RKO, KO' what do you think? He never skipped a beat, kept walking, never broke stride, 'I like it.'"
The RKO has become so big that it's turned into a meme online with a picture of Orton performing the move out of nowhere in viral photos.
Orton will need the RKO and then some at WrestleMania 37 when he takes on "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt.
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