Ever since Orton turned face I can't remember the last time he looked weak. He hasn't won every match obviously, but he seems to be squashing his opponents. Riley and Miz have kept attacking him and he somehow comes out on top every time. The first time he lost to the Miz was the cashing in of MITB after he was beat down by Nexus and he lost at TLC due to Riley. I can't remember anyone looking good against him.
Has anyone else noticed this? If so, is this a good thing?
Ive noticed the exact same thing that youre talking about. And yes, its an excellent thing. Why? Because you dont want one of your top competitors looking weak. As Orton isnt a typical face, any champion or top challenger will know Orton may be coming for you. Orton showed as much when he put Morrison on notice on Raw on Monday if Morrison should win the title. Having a dangerous, motivated competitor like Orton who is seen as unbeatable should push the rest of the locker room to up their game, so to speak. It doesnt mean that his competition has looked bad, its just that Orton has looked superior. Someone has to, right?
A champion is only as good as the competition that he faces. If a champion defeats just lower card wrestlers all of the time, he's not proving much. But as Miz did with MITB, and at TLC, he's defeated Randy Orton twice. Because Orton has been on the push of a lifetime in terms of looking unbeatable, the Miz is ultimately elevated by his wins, no matter how he does it.
Randy Orton's push upon winning the No.1 Contender's Match on Raw in late July was as strong as one John Cena received through his year long championship reign in 06/07. Orton didnt lose a match leading into his eventual title win all the way in September at NOC, including a clean win over the face of Raw and the company in one John Cena in a tables match. He was then utterly dominant in the 6 Pack Challenge, where he won the title, and in all subsequent title defenses. It took a Nexus attack and a MITB cash-in for Miz to win the title off of him 2 months later, and Miz still had difficulty beating Orton. Some may say that makes Miz look weak by the way that he beat him, but the argument could be made that it was the only way he could be beaten. So it gives Miz the rub of being an intelligent competitor.
So yes, Randy Orton's strong push has been a very good thing. Especially in his current status, where he's not mired in a feud. It leaves the rest of the locker room on notice, makes the up their game, and also gives a great rub to a champion, such as Miz, if he does score a victory over him. It's good for Orton in establishing dominance, and its a good thing for Raw in general. It gives the fans someone to distinctly get behind, as they expect big things from him. I don't see the negative in that.
