Following Armageddon, Orton entered the January 2006 Royal Rumble as the thirtieth wrestler to enter the match, but he was eliminated by Rey Mysterio.[72] Mysterio won the match at a title shot, an...
Following Armageddon, Orton entered the January 2006 Royal Rumble as the thirtieth wrestler to enter the match, but he was eliminated by Rey Mysterio.[72] Mysterio won the match at a title shot, and Orton urged him to put the title shot at stake in a match at No Way Out.[73] In the weeks preceding No Way Out, Orton made disparaging remarks about Eddie Guerrero, Mysterio's friend, in an attempt to gain heel heat.[74] Guerrero's death had occurred only months previously, and many fans felt the comments were unwarranted and highly distasteful.[75][76][77] Orton won at No Way Out, earning Mysterio's title shot for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 22.[78] General Manager Theodore Long re-added Mysterio to the WrestleMania 22 title match, however, making it a Triple Threat match between Orton, Mysterio, and then-champion, Kurt Angle.[79] On April 2, at WrestleMania 22, Orton was pinned by Mysterio, making Mysterio the World Heavyweight Champion and ending their on-screen rivalry.[80]
On April 4, 2006, Orton was suspended for sixty days for "unprofessional conduct."[81] In an interview, Orton stated, "my conduct was unbecoming of a champion, which is what I will be again when I return".[82] To cover for the suspension, a faked injury was devised, where Kurt Angle broke Orton's ankle during a grudge match.[83] In July, Orton said his suspension resulted from smoking marijuana backstage.[84] Orton returned from his suspension in June to the Raw brand,[85][86] where he engaged in a storyline feud with Hulk Hogan. Orton began cutting promos insulting the aging Hogan and flirted with Hogan's eighteen-year-old daughter Brooke.[87][88] At SummerSlam, the two met in a "Legend vs. Legend Killer" match, which Hogan won.[89]
After the newly-reformed D-Generation X (DX) (Triple H and Shawn Michaels) cost Edge the WWE Championship numerous times, Edge approached Orton and asked him to join forces to defeat the team. Orton, whose championship reign had been ended by Triple H in 2004, agreed, forming the tag team Rated-RKO. The two became the first to defeat DX since their reunion and quickly dominated the Raw brand's tag team division to become tag team champions.[90][91] As part of the angle, Rated-RKO attacked Ric Flair with steel chairs to enrage DX on November 27.[92] At New Year's Revolution, Rated-RKO faced DX in a title defense, but the match was declared a no-contest when Triple H suffered a legitimate injury during the match.[93]
Orton showing off his signature poseWith Triple H out of action, Rated-RKO continued their on-screen rivalry with remaining DX member Shawn Michaels. Michaels teamed with John Cena to defeat Rated-RKO for the tag team championship on January 29.[94] Orton and Edge suffered a series of losses to Cena and Michaels in the following months, building hatred towards one another. Edge and Orton also became rivals in their goals of achieving the WWE Championship. Neither Edge nor Orton won the Championship, and they lost their claims as number one contenders after a failed match with Cena at Backlash.[95] Orton then continued his "Legend Killer" persona, attacking Shawn Michaels. Using frequent attacks to the head, including an elevated DDT and a running punt to the face, Orton defeated Michaels at Judgment Day. When the kayfabe wounded and concussed Michaels collapsed in the ring, the referee was forced to stop the match and award Orton the victory.[96] Orton continued his attacks when he engaged himself in feuds with Rob Van Dam,[97] Ric Flair,[98] Dusty Rhodes,[99] and Sgt. Slaughter.[100
