At 7/13/17 09:32 AM, MPPlantOfficial wrote:
At 7/10/17 06:14 PM, PsychoGoldfish wrote:
I've also read that they just decided Owens doesn't draw, so he's getting bumped from SummerSlam, and I've heard that it was just a way to get around the rematch clause thing way ahead of SummerSlam so they can pencil in AJ vs Nakamura after they hype their faceoff got a MOTB
It's sad that the US title currently feels more important than the main title. Orton is and has always been a midcard wrestler getting main card opportunities.
Defiitely sad. But I would disagree that Orton has always been a midcard level talent. He was insanely over when he split from Evolution back in the day, and years later he was always in the conversation of who the top heel in the company was (him and Edge owned the top heel card).
The problem is now that he's older, the cocky young legend killer angle doesn't apply to him, and the PG ratings have killed how far he can take the viper character. He's still one of the best in-ring talents as far as his ability to work, tell a story and adapt to multiple styles, he's just become very uninteresting as a character.
The fact they had to have his dad get harassed to make him remotely relate-able to the audience says a lot. I think his biggest problem is he has been coasting on his past too long and has failed to adapt and find his place with the current generation. But I wouldn't write him off just yet.
He definitely needs to get a chip on his shoulder again, and he really needs to be a heel. It's not all that hard to pull that off.
Maybe if Cena wins another world title, it could set something off. He should act like he's the one that was destined to break that record, being a AAA 3rd generation star and all. In his anger, maybe he aligns with a younger guy who and plays the mentor role. With the heat Cena gets, the fans would want him dethroned, so they wouldn't be as upset about Orton getting another run, as long as it wasn't during a huge show like Mania.
The magic would happen after that though. He would start demanding that the fans respect him because of his lineage and high title count, etc. Then AJ Styles would step up. Maybe he and his goon 'injure' AJ or something, putting him out of the picture (while WWE lets him do a movie or something), and they just run roughshod for a few PPVs, and getting a ton of heat from the fans, until AJ comes back to finish the job at a big event.
At that point, Orton would be a hot heel, and the fans would pay to see AJ take his belt. It would be a huge moment for AJ when he wins, because Orton can really be that good of a heel, and in the fallout, Orton could also help his new protege out by blaming them and turning on them. OR, maybe Orton beats AJ, but his protege wins the Royal Rumble and turns on him. Either way, he would be filling that top heel role well and either making a huge AJ moment, or building the next big babyface.
That's not even really out-of-the box booking either. They've done those types of angles tons of times, so it could happen. They just have to acknowledge using Orton as a babyface doesn't work because he's really not sympathetic, overly motivating, or any kind of underdog. He DOES, however, do a good job selling his arrogance when he wants, and he can back it up in the ring. Creative just needs to go back to that shit with him.
