|
A simple comparison will show the obvious answer to this question:
Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XIX
Jericho needed the win to elevate him to main event heel status. Had Booker T beaten Triple H (another match that should've gone the other way... but that's another topic), a heel Jericho with a fresh win over HBK would've been the perfect opponent for him.
Instead, the over the hill and played out Shawn Michaels picked up the win, Jericho suckered him into a handshake and low blowed him (admittedly a cool spot, but not good enough), and that was that.
Now, while comparing Randy Orton to Chris Jericho should be a mortal sin punishable by execution, the Orton vs. Taker set up is very much akin to the Jericho vs. HBK set up. One man is an established superstar with tons of huge victories in his career, the other is an upper mid-card wrestler who has been in the World Title scene before but never really made an impact thanks to politics.
Jericho's loss at WM XIX led him nowhere, and although he didn't lose any credibility from it, he didn't gain any either. A loss for Orton would be the same thing. What's he got to brag about after WrestleMania if he loses to Taker cleanly? He went toe-to-toe with the Dead man? Big fucking deal. So have lots of other people - it doesn't mean shit.
A loss for Orton would be detrimental to his career at this point. Hopefully the WWE realizes this and books him to win, then turn heel the same night, or at least the following night on RAW.
But again, this IS the WWE we're talking about.
|