Orton's Current Reign with the Title

[Loki]

dmargul said:

I've been thinking an awful lot about the stoic Orton. We've seen him emote before, and even come off as refreshingly psychotic. So why nothing now? Is he really screwing up? Wouldn't someone be fired and/or beaten senseless by Taker for becoming champion and then not caring on live television?

So here's my speculation.

He WOULD still be the psychotic heel if he actually won the title from Cena. But instead he was handed the title. And then he won it from a thoroughly defeated HHH. While I applaud HHH for personally putting over his protege, this still left a nasty taste in the fans' mouths. By not winning it from Cena, he shouldn't be champion, in the strict markish kayfabe sense. So his new persona, which is even working on internet fans (like everything else whether you admit it or not), is "I'm champion, now deal with it." He doesn't have to care, and it makes a lot of people furious.

Interesting theory, but I feel you're giving Orton and the booking team way too much credit.

[MGH]

dmargul said:

skiller said:

Yeah... except people aren't really hating him as champion. They're just kinda forgetting about him.

Just stick around a RAW thread and pay attention to ANYTHING Ace Diamond says.

Dude, I've seen him talk about Orton from way before this reign. He may be Orton's biggest detractor on these forums.

[mrprofessionalx]

He's just REALLY boring. For the life of me I don't get why they push him on us. I can understand why they push Cena (kids love him which = $$$$) but Orton's got nothing.

He don't even have the cheap comedy ability like Santino does that everyone on the internet is going crazy over. Orton's just a dull, bland, and overall very uninteresting character.

[Just "Dan" is Fine, Thank You]

loki said:

dmargul said:

I've been thinking an awful lot about the stoic Orton. We've seen him emote before, and even come off as refreshingly psychotic. So why nothing now? Is he really screwing up? Wouldn't someone be fired and/or beaten senseless by Taker for becoming champion and then not caring on live television?

So here's my speculation.

He WOULD still be the psychotic heel if he actually won the title from Cena. But instead he was handed the title. And then he won it from a thoroughly defeated HHH. While I applaud HHH for personally putting over his protege, this still left a nasty taste in the fans' mouths. By not winning it from Cena, he shouldn't be champion, in the strict markish kayfabe sense. So his new persona, which is even working on internet fans (like everything else whether you admit it or not), is "I'm champion, now deal with it." He doesn't have to care, and it makes a lot of people furious.

Interesting theory, but I feel you're giving Orton and the booking team way too much credit.

However, think of his promo about "this one man dynasty is going to be around for a very, very long time, so you better get used to it?" I think that plays into it very well.

[Jack]

Heel champions should always be ducking challenges, cheating and all that other stuff. Orton's been a bit-part player in the HHH/HBK show.

Even in his pomp Hulk Hogan would have the common decency to have an angle with someone where it would look at one point like they're a huge threat to him. The arrogance now which surrounds the WWE hierarchy is astonishing. They don't so much think "how can we make this angle work?" but more "how can we make X and Y look good?"

[Bob Schlapowitz]

My avatar says more than I can.

[Just "Dan" is Fine, Thank You]

That WWE has made you want a face champion?! OH GOOD GOD!

[Deleted]

i said it from the moment Cena got injured. Before his recovery was over people would be wishing he was back.

Also Orton has been an extremely dull champion. While i also wanted him to win it it was because i wanted to see Cena chase after the title, not because i like Orton or hate Cena.

[Bob Schlapowitz]

dmargul said:

That WWE has made you want a face champion?! OH GOOD GOD!

It's not that. I'm just so underwhelmed by Orton thus far, that I really wish Cena was still around. He was at least interesting. he did more than either A) the blank robotic Orton expression, or B)stupid looking grin that's supposed to be psycho.

I have nothing against heel champions as long as they have a little tiny bit of personality to them. WHich Orton is seriously lacking.

[Just "Dan" is Fine, Thank You]

Maybe WWE is tired of heels getting over? Kennedy got less and less mic time, Orton was robotized, Angle simply went face, etc. You have to realize that modern times are veritable babyface circlejerks in WWE. Every major PPV is usually a good-guy sweep.

[Bob Schlapowitz]

dmargul said:

Maybe WWE is tired of heels getting over? Kennedy got less and less mic time, Orton was robotized, Angle simply went face, etc. You have to realize that modern times are veritable babyface circlejerks in WWE. Every major PPV is usually a good-guy sweep.

I know. I don't want to sound like a jerk, but I've been watching Wrestling longer than you've been alive.

[Just "Dan" is Fine, Thank You]

Doesn't make you a jerk, but it is entirely irrelevant as far as I can see.

[Bob Schlapowitz]

dmargul said:

Doesn't make you a jerk, but it is entirely irrelevant as far as I can see.

It sure Is. I have no idea why I posted it. But I see your point, makes me miss the days where we pretty much chose who was face and who was heel.

[Just "Dan" is Fine, Thank You]

MVP is getting a reaction, no more microphone for him! Also, let's call Kennedy a "brash loudmouth" over and over again and disregard his many impressive victories!

["Magic" Mark Hurr]

I hope Edge comes back to cost HBK the title due to interference.

Ya know. For the HBK being the last to defeat he him from Raw. I want to say that's why Orton has acted to so "whatever" about the whole thing.

But that won't happen.

Maybe Orton is playing possum and he'll squash HBK.

That won't happen.



I wouldn't mind the current booking if they at least made Orton look as he is a threat but HBK keeps one-uping him.

And i'm not wishing that Cena was back as champ either because they won't vary his style at all and that bore me as well.

[Ace Diamond]

mygreatesthour said:

dmargul said:

Just stick around a RAW thread and pay attention to ANYTHING Ace Diamond says.

Dude, I've seen him talk about Orton from way before this reign. He may be Orton's biggest detractor on these forums.

Yes pretty much.

Seriously, I never understood what anyone saw in him, ever, and as such the amount of praise he got all of a sudden when he was doing absolutely nothing new save for one extra move was a great source of disconcertment. Hence I do silly things like point out every moment that Orton is supposed to be showing an emotion that is not the blank one he's using at that particular moment in time, or point out how he couldn't promo his way out of a wet paper bag even if he had pre-taped his comments as a backing track

[The F'N Captain]

aodpilot said:

mygreatesthour said:

Dude, I've seen him talk about Orton from way before this reign. He may be Orton's biggest detractor on these forums.

Yes pretty much.

Seriously, I never understood what anyone saw in him, ever, and as such the amount of praise he got all of a sudden when he was doing absolutely nothing new save for one extra move was a great source of disconcertment. Hence I do silly things like point out every moment that Orton is supposed to be showing an emotion that is not the blank one he's using at that particular moment in time, or point out how he couldn't promo his way out of a wet paper bag even if he had pre-taped his comments as a backing track

Yeah, I was also one of the guys who didn't jump on the bandwagon just because Orton fell into the "Concussionator" angle. I've disliked Randy ever since his face turn coming out of Evolution. He just completely annoys me.

As far as the "I'm the champion deal with it" theory, I don't know if WWE is that deep on thier booking psychology. I mean most of your average marks won't get it, and it makes the belt loose more and more value(which is hard for a spinner belt) if the champ is like "Yeah...I won this thing, and, I mean it's nice, but....yeah.".

[The Summer of Muskrat XVII]

The build with Cena, I thought Orton was doing a passable-to-good job, cuz he was atleast showing SOME intensity. But since he actually got the belt, it seems he's throwin' it in to neutral, and is just waiting to get humiliated in another title loss like his other world title runs

[Ben Wyatt]

bobschlapowitz said:

dmargul said:

That WWE has made you want a face champion?! OH GOOD GOD!

It's not that. I'm just so underwhelmed by Orton thus far, that I really wish Cena was still around. He was at least interesting. he did more than either A) the blank robotic Orton expression, or B)stupid looking grin that's supposed to be psycho.

I have nothing against heel champions as long as they have a little tiny bit of personality to them. WHich Orton is seriously lacking.

For better or worse, people cared about the title when Cena had it. They either wanted him to keep it (the minority of people around here) or wanted to see someone dethrone him for it convincingly (the majority around here). And as I said before, at least Cena came off like the WWE title was his life. Orton doesnt seem to really give a shit.

As for Orton's personality, it's frustrating. He was a white-hot heel while with Evolution (and yes, you can credit the rest of the group and his Mick Foley feud for it) but then the out of the blue half assed face turn KILLED his credibility.

Then he has a pretty solid feud with Taker where he shows some character again. Then the Hogan feud makes him look stupid (I know Im missing something in between but I dont recall)

Then he starts with the psycho-orton phase (starting with the Rated RKO thing) and gains steam via a great feud with Cena before again appearing to come to a screeching halt character wise.

It's like a friggin yo-yo effect with him. I dont know if it's all him, all creative or a bit of both...but it's really stupid.

And this is all coming from someone who doesnt really care for Orton