MLB Announcer Sings Randy Orton WWE Theme During Live Broadcast

By Sai Mohan

Very few pro wrestlers in 2022 still have crossover appeal, and Randy Orton is undoubtedly one of them.

During the live telecast of the Philadelphia Phillies vs. Washington Nationals game on 7/5, the legendary John Kruk belted out the opening line from Orton's WWE theme song. As seen below, Kruk would even name-drop the wrestler by saying "That's the Viper Randy Orton's walk-out music" while explaining his choice of words on commentary for NBC Sports Philadelphia.

A few years ago, Orton crossed over to the mainstream when streaming website Vine posted a compilation of his signature "RKO Outta Knowhere" attacks, which led to all sorts of celebrities and fans posting their own versions of the meme. In an interview with The Kurt Angle Show earlier this year, Orton would thank the person who started the pop-culture meme.

"For whoever started the RKO outta nowhere viral videos – thank you very much," Orton said. "It helped me, my brand, my finish means more than it really does."

Orton is presently sidelined with an undisclosed injury, and there is talk of the 14-time World Champion undergoing surgery at some point in the future. He was rumored to challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at the upcoming SummerSlam premium live event, but the match was reportedly scrapped after Orton's injury proved to be more serious than initially expected.

Several outlets have reported Orton is dealing with severe back issues, but there is no confirmation on the same. According to Fightful Select, he got work done on his injury prior to RK-Bro's Tag Title Unification Match against The Usos in May 2022, but the injury has "progressively gotten worse" for Orton, and sources fear that he may have to undergo surgery and sit out the remainder of 2022. In the aftermath of RK-Bro's loss to The Usos, WWE issued a statement on the injury status of Orton, stating that he was "undergoing consultations with neurosurgeons and orthopedic spine surgeons to determine the extent of his injury." At the time, it was widely believed that the statement was to further the rivalry between The Bloodline and RK-Bro, and Orton was just taking time off.

Earlier this week on the 7/4 "WWE Raw" episode, Riddle would hit Seth Rollins with an RKO and then dedicate the moment to his tag team partner. Riddle vs. Rollins is expected to take place at the 7/30 SummerSlam premium live event in Nashville, TN.

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