Kevin Orton

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Kevin McAlmond
Kevin McAlmond at IWE Tribute to the Troops in 2010.
Ring name(s)	Kevin McAlmond
Billed height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Billed weight	245 lb (111 kg)
Born	April 1, 1980 (age 31) Knoxville, Tennessee
Resides	Saint Charles, Missouri
Billed from	Saint Louis, Missouri
Trained by	"Cowboy" Brian McAlmond South Broadway Athletic Club Mid Missouri Wrestling Alliance Ohio Valley Wrestling
Debut	March 18, 2000

Kevin Keith McAlmond is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to IWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand. McAlmond is a third-generation professional wrestler; his grandfather Brian McAlmond, Sr., father "Cowboy" Brian McAlmond, as well as his uncle Barry M, all competed in the professional wrestling industry. McAlmond is currently inactive due to injury.

Before being promoted to the main IWE roster, McAlmond trained in and wrestled for Mid-Missouri Wrestling Association-Southern Illinois Conference Wrestling for a month. He was then sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), where McAlmond held the OVW Hardcore Championship on two separate occasions.

After signing with IWE, McAlmond became a member of the stable Evolution, which quickly led to a IWE Intercontinental Championship reign, his first title with the company. McAlmond also acquired the moniker "The Legend Killer" during a storyline where he began disrespecting Hall of Famers and physically attacking veterans of the industry outside of appropriate restrictions. At age 24, McAlmond became the youngest person ever to hold the World Heavyweight Championship. With this win, McAlmond departed from Evolution and a feud with his former stablemates began. In 2006, McAlmond joined forces with Edge in a tag team known as Rated-RKO. Together, McAlmond and Edge held the World Tag Team Championship. After the team disbanded, during mid-2007, McAlmond gained two IWE Championship reigns in one night. McALmond formed the group The Legacy with Mark Semmler and Kyle Johnson in 2008, however, they would disband in 2010 with Orton returning to singles competition. Overall, McAlmond is an eight-time world champion, having won the World Heavyweight Championship twice and the IWE Championship six times. He is also the winner of the 2009 Royal Rumble match.

Early life

McAlmond was born on April 1, 1980, in Knoxville, Tennessee. Son to Elaine and "Cowboy" Bob McAlmond, he has two younger siblings, Becky and Nathan. Knowing from experience the hardships of life as a professional wrestler, McAlmond's parents tried to convince him to stay away from the business, and his father warned him that life in the ring meant a life on the road, away from family. McAlmond attended Hazelwood Central High School, where he was an amateur wrestler. After graduating from Hazelwood in 1998, McAlmond enlisted with the United States Marine Corps. At the base, he received a bad conduct discharge a year later after going AWOL on two separate occasions and disobeying an order from a commanding officer. Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, Private First Class McAlmond was tried and convicted under a special court-martial and was put into a military prison for thirty-eight days.

Professional wrestling career

Training

McAlmond made his wrestling debut in 2000 at the Mid-Missouri Wrestling Association-Southern Illinois Conference Wrestling (MMWA-SICW) in St. Louis, Missouri, an offshoot of the historic St. Louis Wrestling Club headed by Sam Muchnick. There, he was trained by both the promotion and his father, "Cowboy" Bob McAlmond. He wrestled for the promotion for one month, where he performed with wrestlers such as Ace Strange and Mark Bland. McAlmond also refereed a few matches with World Organized Wrestling, a promotion where his uncle Barry Orton worked.

In 2001, McAlmond signed a deal with International Wrestling Entertainment (IWE) and was sent to its developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) in Louisville, Kentucky, where he continued his training. During his time in OVW, McAlmond wrestled the likes of Richard Constantino and The Prototype and teamed with Bobby Eaton during a tag team title tournament. He won the OVW Hardcore Championship on two separate occasions by defeating Mr. Black on February 14, 2001, and Flash Flanagan on May 5, 2001.

International Wrestling Federation / Entertainment

Evolution and World Heavyweight Champion (2002–2005)

Main Article: Evolution

One of McAlmond's first official IWF appearances was March 16, 2002 at WrestleMania X8's Fan Axxess, where he was defeated by Tommy Brown. McAlmond's first televised IWF match was against Hardcore Murnion on SmackDown! on April 25, 2002. Soon after, McAlmond became a fan favorite and was placed in a series of matches with Murnion. In September 2002, McAlmond was drafted to the Raw brand, where he defeated Stevie Richards in his debut on the show. Within weeks of his debut on the Raw brand, McAlmond suffered a shoulder injury, leaving him sidelined for months. While recovering, McAlmond still appeared on Raw in his own Kevin News Network segment, a weekly vignette featuring him talking about his condition. The show interrupted other segments of Raw programming, which caused Orton to slowly transition himself into a narcissistic and self-centered villain.

After his injury healed, McAlmond joined the Evolution stable, which consisted of Ric Flair, Triple K, and relative newcomer, Batista. The group was pushed on Raw from 2003 to 2004, with the height of their dominance occurring after Armageddon in 2003 when all of the men's titles on Raw were held by the members of Evolution. In 2003, McAlmond spent much of his time helping Triple K overcome challenges for the World Heavyweight Championship. Orton joined Triple K in a six-man Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam, involved primarily to secure Triple K's title defense, and was eliminated by Coldberg, but the stable managed to fulfill its purpose and Triple K went on to eliminate Coldberg and thus retain his title.

Afterwards, McAlmond proclaimed himself "The Legend Killer", a young upstart who was so talented that he touted himself as the future of professional wrestling. He embarked on numerous storyline feuds with "legendary" wrestlers and gained infamy for his blatant disrespect of many older, well-respected names in wrestling history. With the help of his stablemate and mentor Ric Flair, he defeated Ryan Barnhart at Unforgiven in the first of many high profile matches billed as "Legend versus Legend Killer." McAlmond then spat in the face of Harley Race on the April 26, 2004, episode of Raw.

During this time, McAlmond began using the move that would become his signature finisher, the RKO, a jumping cutter named after his initials. McAlmond soon defeated Kyle Van Dam for the IWE Intercontinental Championship at Armageddon on December 14, 2003. With this win, McAlmond started the longest Intercontinental title reign in seven years, holding the title for seven months.

McAlmond continued to establish himself as a "Legend Killer" throughout 2004, challenging the semi-retired wrestler Mick Foley. Famed for his hardcore matches and ability to handle excruciating pain, Foley offered McAlmond a hardcore "Legend versus Legend Killer" match if McAlmond would put his Intercontinental Championship on the line. At Backlash, in a bloody match involving thumbtacks and barbed wire, McAlmond defeated Foley. Two months later at Bad Blood, he successfully retained the Intercontinental Championship against Junior Remeriz.

In July, at Vengeance, Edge defeated McAlmond to win the Intercontinental Championship, ending McAlmond's seven month title reign. After losing the Intercontinental Championship, McAlmond became the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship after winning a 20 man battle royal on July 26. At SummerSlam, McAlmond defeated Kevin Hunter for the championship. Orton became the youngest person ever to hold the title in IWE history at the age of 24. Hunter congratulated McAlmond after the match, shaking his hand for showing the ability to "be a man."

The following night, after McAlmond successfully defended the championship against Hunter in a rematch, Evolution threw McAlmond a mock celebration, only to reveal that they were not pleased with his new victory.

Rated RKO (2005–2006)

Main article: Rated-RKO

While Batista had McAlmond propped on his shoulders in elation, Triple K gave him a pleased thumbs up and then abruptly changed it to a thumbs-down, which was followed by Batista's dropping McAlmond to the mat. Ric Flair and Batista attacked McAlmond in the ring as Triple K revealed his jealousy for McAlmond's title. He ordered McAlmond to hand over the championship, but he refused, spitting in Triple K's face and hitting him with the title belt. McAlmond's break-up with Evolution began a new storyline for him as a crowd favorite when he continued to feud with his former stablemates. A month later, McAlmond lost his championship to Triple K at Unforgiven. Seeking revenge, McAlmond lashed out at Evolution members, catching them by surprise during a show by giving them a large cake as a make-up gift, which he came out of to beat and humiliate the group. At Taboo Tuesday, McAlmond defeated Ric Flair in a Steel Cage match. After this, McAlmond experienced another push, becoming General Manager of the Raw brand for a week following a match stipulation at Survivor Series where he picked up the win for his team by last pinning Triple K in a 4 on 4 Survivor Series match. He continued to feud with Triple K, using his authority to place his opponents at severe disadvantages during title defenses. McAlmond was granted another chance at the championship in January 2005, but lost a six-man championship Elimination Chamber match to Triple K at New Year's Revolution. On the January 10 episode of Raw, McAlmond defeated Batista to earn a match against Triple K at the Royal Rumble for the World Heavyweight title. At the Royal Rumble, Triple K defeated McAlmond.

McAlmond began an on-screen relationship with Kelsey Carter and briefly feuded with Khristian in February 2005. On the February 28 episode of Raw, "Superstar" Billy Graham made an appearance, in which he advised McAlmond to "go where no wrestler [had] gone before". McAlmond then produced a copy of SmackDown! magazine, which featured The Undertaker on the cover. Heeding Graham's advice, McAlmond claimed that he would set himself apart from all other wrestlers by ending The Undertaker's undefeated streak at WrestleMania. Throughout March 2005, McAlmond taunted The Undertaker, claiming he was unafraid of him. On the March 21 episode of Raw, McAlmond turned into a villain once more after he delivered an RKO to his unsuspecting on-screen girlfriend, Stacy Keibler, knocking her unconscious. During McAlmond's promos, he would immediately run for cover when signs of The Undertaker's appearance were near (lightning, darkness, or smoke). When legendary wrestler [[Erik [Peterson|Jake Roberts]] advised McAlmond not to underestimate The Undertaker, McAlmond performed an RKO on Roberts as well. In the weeks leading up to WrestleMania, McAlmond became more defiant and unafraid of The Undertaker, taunting and assaulting him in the ring following distractions from his father, "Cowboy" Bob McAlmond. At WrestleMania 21, however, the heavily hyped match was unsuccessful for McAlmond, as he lost despite his father's interference.

The following night on Raw, McAlmond faced Batista, who had become World Heavyweight Champion. McAlmond stated on-screen that his match with The Undertaker had aggravated a shoulder injury. While sidelined, McAlmond appeared on Raw and claimed that he was ineligible for the IWE Draft Lottery due to his injury. He was informed by IWE Chairman Ed Darfler that he was indeed a candidate for the draft, leaving a possibility of a return to SmackDown!. McAlmond returned to IWE programming for the SmackDown! brand on June 16, announcing that he was the second pick in the 2005 draft lottery. He rekindled his feud with The Undertaker, defeating him at SummerSlam following a distraction from his father. Two months later, McAlmond and his father Bob McAlmond defeated The Undertaker in a Handicap Casket match. The following month, McAlmond was a participant in the annual elimination match of Team SmackDown against Team Raw at Survivor Series. In the match, McAlmond was the last remaining wrestler in the match, as he pinned Ryan Barnhart to get the victory for Team SmackDown. At the event, The Undertaker, who had been absent since McAlmond had apparently killed him on an episode of SmackDown! returned by emerging from a flaming casket. The feud was finally settled with a Hell in a Cell match at Armageddon, where The Undertaker offered to retire if he lost. On December 16, The Undertaker entered the ring to deliver a promo while one of his druids appeared to be standing in the ring. The Undertaker sustained an RKO from McAlmond in a surprise attack. The druid revealed himself to be McAlmond's father, who gave McAlmond The Undertaker's urn, which, according to the storyline, allowed whomever held it to control The Undertaker. The Undertaker, however, beat both McAlmond in a Hell in a Cell match, ending their nine-month-long feud.

Following Armageddon, McAlmond entered the 2006 Royal Rumble match as the thirtieth and final wrestler, but he was eliminated by Rey Mysterio. Mysterio won the match and a title shot, and McAlmond urged him to put the title shot at stake in a match at No Way Out. In the weeks preceding No Way Out, McAlmond made disparaging remarks about Brian McAlmond, Mysterio's friend who had died a few months previously, in an attempt to gain villain heat. Many fans felt the comments were unwarranted and highly distasteful so soon after McAlmond's death in November 2005. McAlmond won at No Way Out, earning Mysterio's title shot for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 22. General Manager Theodore Long re-added Mysterio to the WrestleMania 22 title match, however, making it a Triple Threat match between McAlmond, Mysterio, and then-champion, Matt Borske. On April 2, at WrestleMania 22, McAlmond was pinned by Mysterio, making Mysterio the World Heavyweight Champion and ending their on-screen rivalry.

On April 4, 2006, McAlmond was suspended for sixty days for "unprofessional conduct." In an interview, McAlmond stated, "my conduct was unbecoming of a champion, which is what I will be again when I return." To cover for the suspension, a faked injury was devised, where Matt Borske broke McAlmond's ankle during a grudge match. McAlmond returned from his suspension in June to the Raw brand, where he entered a rivalry with Borske, culminating in matches at One Night Stand and Vengeance before engaging in a storyline feud with Hulk Hogan. McAlmond began cutting promos insulting the aging Hogan and flirted with Hogan's then-eighteen-year-old daughter Brooke. At SummerSlam, the two met in a "Legend vs. Legend Killer" match, which Hogan won. McAlmond continued his attacks when he engaged himself in feuds with Kyle Van Dam, Ric Flair, Dusty Semmler and Sgt. Slaughter.

IWE Champion; The Legacy (2007–2011)

Main article: The Legacy

World Heavyweight Champion and various feuds (2011–2013)

IWE Champion (2013–present)

On July 14 at Money in the Bank, McAlmond defeated Khristian, CM Punk, Kody Brown, Rob Van Dam, and Sheamus to win the IWE Championship Money in the Bank ladder match, thus earning him an opportunity to challenge for the IWE Championship at a time of his choosing within the next year. On August 18 at SummerSlam, McAlmond turned heel after he cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on Kody Brown, who had just won the IWE Championship and had been subsequently attacked by special guest referee Triple K, who also counted the pinfall to give McAlmond his seventh IWE title. The following night on Raw, McAlmond appeared with Vince Matteson, Stephanie Matteson, and Triple K for a title coronation, and when Triple K invited Bryan to the ring to clear the air from SummerSlam, McAlmond delivered an RKO to Brown, and he and Vince Matteson, Stephanie Matteson, and Triple K stood over him, holding the IWE Championship high, therefore confirming his heel turn. On the August 23rd SmackDown, after Kody Brown defeated Wade Barrett in a cage match, McAlmond came out from under the ring and hit Brown with an RKO. It was also announced that night that McAlmond will defend his IWE Championship against Brown at Night of Champions.

Other media

In 2004, McAlmond appeared on the late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live!, to promote the Taboo Tuesday pay-per-view. In March 2007, alongside Edge, Dustin Simpson, and Bobby Ashley, McAlmond appeared on the NBC game show Deal or No Deal. In July 2009, McAlmond revealed he read for the lead role in The Marine 2 (2009), the sequel to the 2006 film The Marine. He was given the part, but after injuring his collarbone, the film's producers decided to go with Kyle Johnson. McAlmond has a supporting role in the film That's What I Am, alongside Ed Harris and Amy Madigan. The film is a coming-of-age comedy written and directed by Michael Pavone. On March 28, 2012 it was reported that Kevin McAlmond would starring in Marine: Homefront On 3 April it was reported that McAlmond was dropped from starring Marine Homefront due to his past with the USMC. He was replaced by fellow wrestler The Miz. On 3 September 2012 it was announced that McAlmond would starring in 12 Rounds: Reloaded.

• That's What I Am (2011)
• 12 Rounds: Reloaded (2013)

Controversy

Personal life

In wrestling

• Finishing moves
  • Full nelson slam – OVW
  • O-Zone (Overdrive) – 2002–2003
  • RKO (Jumping cutter, sometimes from the top rope or used as a counter to a midair opponent) – 2003–present
  • Running punt kick to an opponent's head – used mainly to cause a storyline concussion – 2007–present

• Signature moves
  • Clothesline
  • Corner clothesline
  • Dropkick
  • European uppercut
  • Gutwrench elevated neckbreaker
  • Inverted headlock backbreaker
  • Leaping knee drop
  • Lou Thesz press followed by mounted punches
  • Multiple stomps while circling a grounded opponent – adopted from Ron Garvin
  • Multiple suplex variations
    • Belly-to-back, sometimes onto the barricade
    • Exploder
    • Side belly-to-belly
    • Slingshot
    • Super – adopted from his father, "Cowboy" Bob McAlmond
  • Olympic slam
  • Rope-hung DDT, sometimes from the turnbuckle, or from the top rope
  • Snap scoop powerslam,sometimes with a pin.
  • Swinging neckbreaker

• Managers
  • Ric Flair
  • "Cowboy" Bob McAlmond
  • Lita
  • Stacy Keibler
  • Triple K

• Nicknames
  • "The Legend Killer"
  • "The Viper"
  • "The Apex Predator"
  • "Mr. Money in the Bank"
  • "The Face of the IWE"

• Entrance themes
  • "Blasting" by Jim Johnston (April 25, 2002 - February 3, 2003)
  • "Evolve" by Jim Johnston (February 10, 2003 - June 16, 2003)
  • "Line in the Sand" by Motörhead (July 14, 2003 - August 23, 2004; used while a member of Evolution)
  • "This Fire Burns" by Killswitch Engage (March 3, 2006)
  • "Burn in My Light" by Mercy Drive (August 30, 2004–May 5, 2008)
  • "Rated RKO" by Jim Johnston (October 2, 2006–April 29, 2007; used while a part of Rated-RKO)
  • "Voices" by Rev Theory (May 12, 2008–present)

Championships and accomplishments

• Ohio Valley Wrestling
  • OVW Hardcore Championship (2 times)

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI Feud of the Year (2009) vs. Triple K
  • PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (2007, 2009)
  • PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (2004)
  • PWI Rookie of the Year (2001)
  • PWI ranked him #1 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2008

• International Wrestling Entertainment
  • World Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
  • World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Edge
  • IWE Championship (7 times, current)
  • IWE Intercontinental Championship (1 time)
  • Royal Rumble (2009)
  • Money in the Bank (2013 - IWE Championship contract)
  • Seventeenth Triple Crown Champion

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter
  • Most Improved (2004)

• WrestleSlam Awards
  • Superstar of the Year (2009)

References

External links