DISCUSSION - Is Randy Orton the most important wrestler in the WWE right now?

**Heyman** · 06-04-2004, 07:50 PM

Please note: The following is a response I had in the "Forum Battle" thread. I am posting this on here to see what you guys think.

DISCUSSION - Is Randy Orton the most important wrestler in the WWE right now?

I would argue that guys like Randy Orton, John Cena, Mordecai, and Kenzo Suzuki are the WWE's 'most important guys' right now (and out of those 4 guys, <Randy Orton is the most important). Are any of these guys World Champions yet? No. Could all 4 of these guys potentially help draw big numbers in the future? Yes.

Right now - the WWE are still far away from their peak in terms of ratings. If the WWE want to get back to where they were in 2000, a lot of it will be dependent on how they push their "new" talent (and how much they can make an impact with the fans).

As great as Eddie Guerrero is right now, he is not bringing in the numbers as far as ratings go. Granted - it's not entirely his fault (since other 'marquee' names such as Angle and Lesnar are not wrestling, combined with the fact that Smackdown is being treated like a 'B' show relative to Raw), but he's basically a CHAMPION at a time when wrestling interest isn't all that high.

In the future (when business starts going up again), Eddie should be used to 'put over' a SENSATIONAL up-and-comer. In a sense, this would be the equivalent of Bret Hart (one of the 'main' guys in the WWE at a time when business was down) putting over Stone Cold STeve Austin (a guy who was obviously becoming a mega-star).

Getting back to Randy Orton, I think he could definitely be the next Triple H in terms of success as a heel. The fans are obviously "intrigued" with Orton's character right now. His recent feud with Mick Foley was one of the most hyped feuds on Raw.

With Orton's "legend killer" gimmick, he can easily notch a few more SIGNIFICANT victories to add to his (already impressive) resume. How about an interpromotional match with Undertaker? How over would Orton be if HE (with his 'legend killer' gimmick) was responsible for retiring Undertaker?

What if Randy Orton challenged Steve Austin to a match...........and beat Austin in his 'comeback' match?

There are many other possibilites as well? (i.e. Orton defeating former mentors Ric Flair/Triple H, Orton beating up his own dad Bob Orton, etc.)

As over as Randy Orton is right now, he has potential to be TEN times more over..........due to his 'legend killer' gimmick.......and due to the quality of opponents that the WWE can make him beat with that gimmick.

-A guy like John Cena for instance, may not be as 'over' somewhere down the road. What if his 'rapping' schtick becomes passee?.....and the fans no longer 'pop' as loud for it? (kind of like Rikishi's "dance" routine).

While guys like Eddie Guerrero, Chris Jericho, Edge, and a HOST of others have done impressive things througout their careers, they have also been made to look INFERIOR (in an overall sense) compared to the likes of The Rock, Triple H, and Steve Austin (if this makes sense).

In this day and age, one can argue that the fans want to see a SENSATIONAL character of sorts......one that makes a HUGE impact right away, and is shown to be above the 'common man'. Think about how Lesnar was pushed. Think about Kurt Angle. Think about.......Randy Orton.

In the future - I'd have Orton become the World Champion by Summerslam 2005 (by defeating whoever wins the title at Wrestlemania 21). Whether this man is Triple H or not, I'd have Orton defeat Triple H sometime before (or at?) Summerslam 2005. By this time, I'm also assuming that Orton will have defeated Ric Flair.

Randy Orton then challenges the WWE champion of Smackdown and defeats him (Orton then becomes champ of both shows). Once this happens - Orton can continue defeat other legends such as Undertaker (I'm hoping that Orton becomes responsible for the man who retires him), Steve Austin, etc. Perhaps even guys like Hulk Hogan, Goldberg, and Brock Lesnar can be brought in for one-time appearance deals (to job to Orton).

With Orton as the company's top heel, this allows for the WWE to focus on pushing a top face. At this point, whoever defeats Orton would go over big time.

Like I said earlier - with Orton's 'legend killer' gimmick, he has by far the most potential for the future........the 'future' of which will most likely see the WWE peak again in terms of ratings.

06-04-2004, 07:50 PM	#1
Heyman Father of Hinduship Posts: 21,083	DISCUSSION - Is Randy Orton the most important wrestler in the WWE right now? Please note: The following is a response I had in the "Forum Battle" thread. I am posting this on here to see what you guys think. DISCUSSION - Is Randy Orton the most important wrestler in the WWE right now? I would argue that guys like Randy Orton, John Cena, Mordecai, and Kenzo Suzuki are the WWE's 'most important guys' right now (and out of those 4 guys, <Randy Orton is the most important). Are any of these guys World Champions yet? No. Could all 4 of these guys potentially help draw big numbers in the future? Yes. Right now - the WWE are still far away from their peak in terms of ratings. If the WWE want to get back to where they were in 2000, a lot of it will be dependent on how they push their "new" talent (and how much they can make an impact with the fans). As great as Eddie Guerrero is right now, he is not bringing in the numbers as far as ratings go. Granted - it's not entirely his fault (since other 'marquee' names such as Angle and Lesnar are not wrestling, combined with the fact that Smackdown is being treated like a 'B' show relative to Raw), but he's basically a CHAMPION at a time when wrestling interest isn't all that high. In the future (when business starts going up again), Eddie should be used to 'put over' a SENSATIONAL up-and-comer. In a sense, this would be the equivalent of Bret Hart (one of the 'main' guys in the WWE at a time when business was down) putting over Stone Cold STeve Austin (a guy who was obviously becoming a mega-star). Getting back to Randy Orton, I think he could definitely be the next Triple H in terms of success as a heel. The fans are obviously "intrigued" with Orton's character right now. His recent feud with Mick Foley was one of the most hyped feuds on Raw. With Orton's "legend killer" gimmick, he can easily notch a few more SIGNIFICANT victories to add to his (already impressive) resume. How about an interpromotional match with Undertaker? How over would Orton be if HE (with his 'legend killer' gimmick) was responsible for retiring Undertaker? What if Randy Orton challenged Steve Austin to a match...........and beat Austin in his 'comeback' match? There are many other possibilites as well? (i.e. Orton defeating former mentors Ric Flair/Triple H, Orton beating up his own dad Bob Orton, etc.) As over as Randy Orton is right now, he has potential to be TEN times more over..........due to his 'legend killer' gimmick.......and due to the quality of opponents that the WWE can make him beat with that gimmick. -A guy like John Cena for instance, may not be as 'over' somewhere down the road. What if his 'rapping' schtick becomes passee?.....and the fans no longer 'pop' as loud for it? (kind of like Rikishi's "dance" routine). While guys like Eddie Guerrero, Chris Jericho, Edge, and a HOST of others have done impressive things througout their careers, they have also been made to look INFERIOR (in an overall sense) compared to the likes of The Rock, Triple H, and Steve Austin (if this makes sense). In this day and age, one can argue that the fans want to see a SENSATIONAL character of sorts......one that makes a HUGE impact right away, and is shown to be above the 'common man'. Think about how Lesnar was pushed. Think about Kurt Angle. Think about.......Randy Orton. In the future - I'd have Orton become the World Champion by Summerslam 2005 (by defeating whoever wins the title at Wrestlemania 21). Whether this man is Triple H or not, I'd have Orton defeat Triple H sometime before (or at?) Summerslam 2005. By this time, I'm also assuming that Orton will have defeated Ric Flair. Randy Orton then challenges the WWE champion of Smackdown and defeats him (Orton then becomes champ of both shows). Once this happens - Orton can continue defeat other legends such as Undertaker (I'm hoping that Orton becomes responsible for the man who retires him), Steve Austin, etc. Perhaps even guys like Hulk Hogan, Goldberg, and Brock Lesnar can be brought in for one-time appearance deals (to job to Orton). With Orton as the company's top heel, this allows for the WWE to focus on pushing a top face. At this point, whoever defeats Orton would go over big time. Like I said earlier - with Orton's 'legend killer' gimmick, he has by far the most potential for the future........the 'future' of which will most likely see the WWE peak again in terms of ratings. Last edited by Heyman; 06-06-2004 at 07:28 PM.