This could work, which is why WWE won't do it (Orton-WM related)

[dablackguy]

Have him go over. Clean.

Orton has had the belt since October. In that time, he's 'beaten' HBK on a gimmick that he couldnt use the Superkick. He then lost to Y2J but kept the belt on a DQ. Beat Hardy and lost to Cena via DQ. So what's missing?

The look of a credible champion.

Now I realize with the 'golden boy' of the company in one corner and the son in law of the owner in the other, there's a better chance that I win the lottery than this happening, but having him go over would make him credible by beating arugably the top 2 stars in the company. It would make him look like a legitimate threat and give WWE a semifresh main event talent. Forbid they go back to the Hardy-Orton feud and have a fresh main event scene. That may work.

Which is exact;y why they won't do it.

[Fox]

Randy Orton doesn't deserve to be one out of the only three heels to ever leave WrestleMania's main event with the WWE Championship. He's not on the level of Triple H or Stone Cold yet, and a win at Mania would only be a major disappointment for everyone.

....unless Jeff Hardy cashed in MITB and took the belt right after.

[Renaissance man]

Why does this last post make so much sense? Orton cheats and wins and is about to walk out of mania and then Hardy cashes in....sweet!

[dablackguy]

Randy Orton doesn't deserve to be one out of the only three heels to ever leave WrestleMania's main event with the WWE Championship. He's not on the level of Triple H or Stone Cold yet, and a win at Mania would only be a major disappointment for everyone.

....unless Jeff Hardy cashed in MITB and took the belt right after.

Not trying to flame you, but that's the same bullshit that's probably being spewed at WWE HQ right now.

NO ONE is on that level. The sooner everyone at WWE stops trying to recreate Wrestling circa 2001, the better off we're all going to be. Not giving Hardy the belt at the Rumble was a huge missed opportunity. The guy was over as hell. Instead we opt back to the same old HHH/Cena stuff that we've seen ad naueum. Various people at WWE have said at one point or another that Orton is the future of the company, so why not do it? Or we can just have HHH shit on him again like the last time.

By major disappointment for everyone, do you mean you? I mean, come on. Vince is ignoring fans anyways anytime he send Cena out there with his stale bullshit. What's another step in that direction. Hell, even put Taker/edge on last, that was you're not left with that 'heel walking out of WM with then title' feeling

[Londoner]

I agree, he should go over hhh/cena, not sure if he should go over completely clean, but i wouldn't mind seeing him keep the title after wm.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Not trying to flame you, but that's the same bullshit that's probably being spewed at WWE HQ right now.

NO ONE is on that level. The sooner everyone at WWE stops trying to recreate Wrestling circa 2001, the better off we're all going to be. Not giving Hardy the belt at the Rumble was a huge missed opportunity. The guy was over as hell. Instead we opt back to the same old HHH/Cena stuff that we've seen ad naueum. Various people at WWE have said at one point or another that Orton is the future of the company, so why not do it? Or we can just have HHH shit on him again like the last time.

By major disappointment for everyone, do you mean you? I mean, come on. Vince is ignoring fans anyways anytime he send Cena out there with his stale bullshit. What's another step in that direction. Hell, even put Taker/edge on last, that was you're not left with that 'heel walking out of WM with then title' feeling

No, the shit being spewed at WWE HQ is that John Cena is the next Hogan/Austin/Rock. Cena has been pushed harder than Austin/Rock, yet somehow he's just not as big as them. Doesn't stop the WWE from trying, though, does it?

Putting Randy Orton over, in its own way, would be the very same thing. It would say "We think Orton is the next Triple H/Austin." What is Orton? He's a heel champ that was given the belt when John Cena was injured, and has held onto it because he is a heel with some heat to his name, that can drop the title at WrestleMania and give the marks a good moment.

Of course, I expect a surprisingly lot of people to be on Orton's side during the match, and I myself will see him as the least of three evils, but the booking for the match really favours John Cena going over.

If the WWE wants Orton to be a guy to walk out of WrestleMania with the belt, and if the WWE wants Orton to go over guys cleanly, then they can turn him face, to optimise profits for this kind of scenario. He doesn't need to go all bland and goody-goody, but there are ways to try and swap Orton over from one side (guy built up to lose side) over to the other (guy who actually wins side).

[Vastardikai]

I saw Orton-WM related, and I was hoping to see Orton dropping the title the Monday before, not even making the show, and getting fired the day after.

Damn. I'm amazed TPWW and WWE still believes that Randy Orton is anything more than a worthless Daddy's Boy. The only win the 'E didn't give him that I wish they had was the one over Hogan. When the steam went out of his sails, it would have ended his career.

Besides, the only heel going over in a Mania Title Match is Edge.

[The Optimist]

I pushed this theory a while ago right after No Way Out. I don't support it for many reasons, but WWE works crazy sometimes and it wouldn't suprise me if it happened at this rate.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Besides, the only heel going over in a Mania Title Match is Edge.

Edge has got next to no chance of beating Taker at Mania. Next to none.