Predestined for wrestling greatness, Lesnar and Randy Orton were both fingered early in their training in WWE’s talent development program as naturals for the squared circle. Lesnar, backed by a lengthy resume of amateur wrestling titles (chief among them, the 2000 NCAA heavyweight championship), transitioned seamlessly into the professional ranks. For Orton, a third-generation Superstar, championship glory seemed almost a birthright.
Although Orton and Lesnar crossed paths during Lesnar’s first WWE tenure, the shaggy-haired Orton of 2002 bore little resemblance to The Viper of today. No shortness of grit, the young Orton at the time undeniably lacked the killer instinct that has since come to define him. Is that added element of remorselessness – informed by a decade of ring time and numerous championship encounters – enough to make Orton a credible opponent for Lesnar?
