Randy Orton Shows Respect To Up-And-Comer Je'Von Evans After Beating Him On WWE NXT

Je'Von Evans' star shined bright on "WWE NXT" in St. Louis, Missouri on Tuesday, but it wasn't enough for him to topple the city's own "Apex Predator," Randy Orton. Orton hit an RKO on Evans to score the victory in his "NXT" debut. He raised the "bouncy" one's hand in the middle of the ring following the match, however, as General Manager Ava announced backstage Evans would be added to a triple threat number one contender's match for the NXT Championship next week, featuring Ethan Page and Wes Lee.

Evans attempted to use his speed to his advantage during the match, and he went for a dropkick, but Orton simply stepped out of the way, not once, but twice. Orton beat down Evans in the corner and patted him on the head, earning himself a kick to the chin, then a dropkick from Evans, sending him out of the ring. On the outside, Evans jumped from the commentary desk to the apron, then went for a dive to Orton, but got caught by the "Legend Killer." Orton slammed Evans onto the desk four times in a row, but the desk didn't give.

Back in the ring, Orton beat down Evans, and Evans once again used his speed, jumping from the top to deliver a forearm, then followed up with chops across Orton's chest. He attempted to jump from the ropes again, but Orton caught him with a power slam. Orton got Evans up for the draped DDT, then looked for the RKO, but was hit with a superkick. Evans hit a cutter after bouncing from the top rope, but went for another and missed. Orton hit his own RKO for the win, but with a title opportunity on the line next week, Evans also walked out victorious.