Am I the only one who likes Randy Orton?

[MaxSteel]

Since the very time it was clear that his twiner turn is actually a face turn, the IWC has started hating on him more and more, which climaxed recently after he won his WHC.

The main arguments I've been hearing are:
1) He's boring on the mic.
2) He only has a few moves / doesn't have in-ring ability.
3) He's like John Cena (that's the kind of insults that aren't even PG to say...)
4) He "took" the championship Christian deserved.

I myself just can't understand how anyone (that's isn't really really buthurt over Christian's loss) can say those. I just can't help it but to adress those main points:

1) His Viper character has really been aweful on the mic as a face. He sounded more like a guy with an autism syndrom, not only that but his actions hardly matched his style of talking (when he was a heel, he talked vicious and acted vicious. During his time as the Viperface, it just sounded.. clumsy). However, like he said on one interview, it took his a few years to really evolve and shine as a heel, and it'll probably take him a few years to do the same as a face.
As for right now, I think that the moment he lost all this stupid Viperface gimmick, and started looking/talking like an actually human being rather than a caveman on a period, he's actually very entertaining again.

2) First off, it's stupid to say he doesn't have in-ring ability. Just look at his matches during the previous 1-3 years and you'll see exactly why "He's Greatness".
The reason people used to say he can't wrestle well, is because his matches on Raw for the last year have really been sub-par. I can't explain why, probably because the idiotic bunch that are the RAW creative team couldn't write a proper match for him, and kept him doing the same old crap. Than again, they're the guys who write the matches for John Cena.
Luckily, it seems it has finally changed again now that he is on SD!. His last match against Christian was amazingly good compared to all the crap he had on Raw - I've finally seen Orton wrestle, first time in over a year, and it has really been one hell of a sight. If SD! writers keep using him properly from now on, I doubt any of his matches will be stale.
And even if some will - Having a boring match doesn't equal lack of wrestling ability, it can as well (and in Orton's case, mostly does) mean bad writers. Because when someone has had great wrestling talent once, it's extremely unlikely he'll just forget half of his arsenal and get worse in the ring - this happens either if he gets injured (which Orton didn't), or when the writers are too busy kissing VCM's ass instead of writing a good script.

3) Orton is NOT like John Cena. They have many similarities, but at the same time Ortons has some very important things which set him apart from Cena -

• Randy doesn't have a stale as hell, stupid and pathetic character. In Cena's case, you see a manly man talking about all kind of stuff like hussle, loyalty and respect, yet acting (and dressing) like an overgrown 10 year old. Orton is by no means like this.
• Orton is a way better wrestler than Cena. Orton is athletic, has quite a few moves, and has had some of the most perfect dropkicks in WWE history (they were so good I even remember that about him right now). At the same time, he's a very big and strong-looking man, much like Cena (even if their body structures are different).
• Orton hasn't been showed up our throats. Actually, the only reason he was turned face is because most crowd cheered for him when he was a heel - so he was just turned face.
• Due to the reasons above, he, unlike Cena, doesn't get boo'ed in and out of the building by every male above the age of 12.

4) I know this is such an irrational reason to hate him that some of you are even wondering why I mentioned this. It seems some of the newly formed "Christian Emo Fan Club" members just can't get over the fact he only held his world title for 5 days - and guess what, I too think this is a travesty. But, the thing is, it wasn't Randy who made this decision - I'm sure winning the championship that early didn't even make him look stronger than if he won it 3 weeks later. This was Vince who made this atrocious decision, and if there is anyone I despise for it, it's him (Hell I've said it). But on the topic, it has nothing to do with Orton himself, and I'm sure even with all his political ties he didn't need to pull any strings to get the championship - Vince was planning for it to happen all along, since the second they decided Christian wins. There is absolutely no reason to hate Orton for this.


So, after saying everything I had to say about him, is there anyone else here who actually likes Randy?
(And I don't mean the "He's a good <something small>, but <blah blah blah lots of whining and moaning>" type of liking, I mean really likes the guy.")

 

[legacymember]

Oh yeah, you're damn right. I couldn't say even better. Orton is now one of a kind. After he seemed to drop that boring Viper gimmick, his now more charismatic, more intense, he has an awesome look and very important, recently he had two great matches: against CM Punk and against Christian. I think Randy Orton did not make a good match since 2007. It's pretty impressive. It's more than obvious that now, the current World Heavyweight Champion will be a well deserved dominant force on SmackDown. I enjoy your opinion, and I am telling you right now that I liked Randy, I like him now and I will continue to like him. He is just BORN BETTER.

 

[WrestlingIsReal]

i agree, orton is arguably the best the wwe has to offer. i think his inring ability is excellent. sure his mic skills arent the best but his gimmick prevents him from having great promos. ortons talent isnt just his own benefit, kofi kingston was regarded as a main eventer after his fued with orton, now hes a midcarder again which means that he wasnt meant to be in the main event yet. but ortons fued with him made us think he should have. christian winning the title was just to keep the belt on SD.

 

[mudvayne1221]

You are 100% right. His mic skills are improving, as a face. When he was a heel, they were good. Making the transition from a major heel to a major face, your work on the mic is going to change and for it to be good you cannot expect it to change over night. His in ring ability is one of the best in the company, and it has been for years. People sit there and say he has no move set, comparing him to John Cena. No he actually does have a move set, and he is constantly adding new moves to it! He now does the angle slam, and with the exception of the angle slam, all his moves are original!

 

[FSWWE]

The main arguments I've been hearing are:
1) He's boring on the mic.
2) He only has a few moves / doesn't have in-ring ability.
3) He's like John Cena (that's the kind of insults that aren't even PG to say...)
4) He "took" the championship Christian deserved.

1) He isn't near boring, in fact I think he is great on the Mic. People cant remember the time he was a cocky heel and his Mic skills were gold? Well if he could do that, of course he can do it now... He just don't do it, because his gimmick don't allow him to... He is supposed to be a "badass" guy that dont give a fuck about anyone and that he is intense.

2) Everybody who say this, is at least ******ed... He is probably one of the best ring workers in the WWE, the only one that sells perfectly any kind of move.
He is gold in the ring!

3) He is like John Cena because he is face of the company alongside him! He isn't a rapper or a guy who gives a fuck about Loyalty, Hustle and Respect, he is very much the opposite.

4) In fact, he did... But I sincerely doubt it was his idea! But I don't think it was a bad move, it his a needed move! They need to shake the things up in SmackDown, and with that move they did. At least Christian can say that he was World Heavyweight Champion, and I don't think he will stay as a one-time champion. He will have is world tittle reign, they just need to make him a believable face, maybe by feuding with Mark Henry he can be looked like a legitimate tittle holder. Right now, he wasn't ready, neither WWE, because he was supposed to turn on Edge, since Edge retired he had his moment but I think he will stay in the Main Event scene for SmackDown.

I want to see Randy Orton vs Christian vs Sheamus for the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam!

 

[blueskyy]

I disagree with how you laid out your arguments. You said that people say that Orton "doesn't have the in-ring ability". I haven't read anything here which points in that direction, neither did any of my friends feel that way. What some of us might have felt is that he has been sticking to the same routine for his matches (each one is like the last one). When he comes to the ring (whether it be for a match, or promo), it always ends with an RKO. Ever since he took on the viper persona, he has been doing more "slithering" and banging his fist in the ring that actual wrestling. He did that so excessively that he dislocated his shoulder doing it!

Secondly, you mentioned that people complained that Orton's "like John Cena". Again, you've taken it out of context. Orton's like Cena because they are both superman - SuperOrton and SuperCena. Orton's like Cena because his matches is all the same, each one is like the last one.

Lastly, it's only natural that Christian fans hates him for taking the gold. What's the point of even bringing that up?

In all fairness, I just want to say that his match with Christian was a great one. I think even Christian's fans would've agreed to that. That is the kind of match I want to see from Orton, that is how good Orton can be in the ring!

 

[rko91]

I've been a Randy Orton fan since I started watching WWE 4 or 5 years back, and I don't think anyone can say this guy is repetitive or boring in any way. From his Evolution days all the way to early 2007, he was the cocky heel and he played that role perfectly. His mic skills were fantastic, and he was one of the best at really telling a story in the ring with whoever he was working with. Finally he is "awarded" the WWE championship by Vince McMahon at No Mercy 2007 after Cena is legitimately injured during his match with Mr. Kennedy on RAW, and for us Orton fans that was a great moment, because this guy really had worked his way up the ladder since his debut in 2002. Fast forward into late 2008, early 2009 and we really start to see this Viper character emerge. Psychotic, impulsive and full of anger, Orton was a monster in the ring and his character spoke for itself without even the need for him to cut promos. Then the fans start cheering him, and after weeks of this WWE decides to turn him face. As much as I am a crazy Orton fan, I was a little skeptical when he first became a face because his whole career Randy had been a heel, and an excellent heel at that, and he had even stated in interviews that he never wanted to be a face. But the fans spoke, and Vince really had no choice but to turn Orton's character to the good side. Granted, even now he still retains a lot of heel characteristics, but they are much more subtle than they used to be.
Now here we are after the WWE draft, and people can't believe it. Randy Orton is back on SmackDown for the first time since 2006. FINALLY he can be the number one guy on a brand, stepping out of Cena's shadow and stepping into his own spotlight. Orton's first one-on-one match back on SmackDown is to challenge the newly crowned World Champ Christian for his title, just days after his win at Extreme Rules. Orton hits an awesome RKO out of nowhere, the 1-2-3 is counted, and the crowd goes nuts.
Look, I understand that Christian fans are extremely pissed that Vince made the call for Christian to have a 5 day title run. But, as a lot of other people have said, it makes sense. Randy Orton is now the focal point of SmackDown, and for the WWE to really build on that into the summer, it only makes sense that he is World Champion, at least for now. Everyone needs to remember: Orton didn't make the call on this one; creative and Vince did. I won't be surprised if a Christian-Orton feud develops out of this, hell maybe even a Christian heel turn will happen in the coming weeks. Either way people are losing their minds over this when they're forgetting to look at the big picture: as much as WWE is "sports-entertainment" and is about the fans, it is also a business. But don't get me wrong with what I'm writing. Orton deserves to be champ. He had to sit backseat to John Cena since mid 2006, and it's about time he became the #1 guy on another brand. And I'm also not taking anything away from Christian. He's a great wrestler and he definetely deserves to be champion, but this was bad timing for him. If Edge hadn't retired no one would even be talking about this because we'd probably have an Edge-Christian feud and Orton might still be on RAW. But, I think everything happens for a reason so trust me, something really good is going to come of this, and for those who are still gonna whine about Orton getting the belt this week. get over it. He's awesome.

 

[Trance Metaphor]

No, you're not the only one that likes Randy Orton. There are plenty of Orton fans on these boards.

So...

1) He's boring on the mic.

He's alright on the mic, but nothing spectacular as of right now. I haven't heard him on the mic since before his heel turn where he went all silent, so my memory is fuzzy.

2) He only has a few moves / doesn't have in-ring ability.

He did only have a few moves until he added the Olympic slam into his repertoire, but he does have in-ring ability. He puts a lot of tension into his moves and makes them look strong. He's able to sell just as good as he's able to execute.

3) He's like John Cena (that's the kind of insults that aren't even PG to say...)

Randy Orton is like John Cena in that he's an unstoppable machine in his current face run. Randy Orton isn't like John Cena in that the opponents that have been able to get a win over John Cena haven't been able to over Randy Orton (ex. Sheamus, CM Punk).

4) He "took" the championship Christian deserved.

Christian deserved his World title, and Randy Orton took the title because it was the decision made by Vince McMahon. At this point, does anyone still care about that?

 

[Joshua]

The Orton marks come out of the wood work here... Haha

And no, your not the only person who like Randy Orton. Vince likes Randy Orton if I'm not mistaken, he did just put the belt on him.

Orton is a complete worker. He can draw heat, and can make the crowd pop (see SD! after he beat Christian for the belt) and he can carry a show.

People seem surprised he was pushed right to the title but thats why Vince moved him to SD!. There's no way he was gonna' leave him on Raw when Cena is uber super face over there.

 

[Iversen]

The problem with Orton is his ring moves aren't particularly flashy outside of the RKO which has been used to pull off some awesome spots the SSP being the obvious ones. However the moves Orton does deliver he delivers perfectly with an amazing amount of intensity. When he stamps on folk it genuinely looks like he is going out of his way to hurt every part of them.

I'm a big Orton fan and I think this move to SD is exactly what he needed. His match with Christian on Friday was one of the best he's had in recent times his feud with Punk excluded which I really enjoyed.

Ortons going to sit at the top of the WWE for as long as he wants to I reckon he's got it all and he's young. Folk are right he's not the best mic worker but he's improved and he doesn't need to be. His face and body language tend to say more than any amount of talking can.

 

[TheNewStyle]

The opening post pretty much expresses my feelings on all the Orton hate that seems to come out of nowhere. But since his CM Punk feud, he's really started to get better in all aspects. All Punk matches were amazing and his match with Christian last week was one of the best main events I've seen in Raw and Smackdown all year long. I'm one of the few who didn't mind the slow talking, I guess, though.

 

[The Wrestler`s Wrestler]

I'll throw my 2 cents in the "Defending Randy Orton topic" Not everyone has to cut a "LEMME TELL YOU SOMETHING MEAN GEAN, BRUTHA!!" promo. When Orton use to look down or to the side when he was saying what he was going to do to his opponent in a very slow low voice sick kinda way al la Jake the snake Roberts I for one liked it.

As it goes for "He only has a few moves / doesn't have in-ring ability." BULLSHIT!
Everything Orton does is precise, done at the right time unlike Cena. His spot moves ARE completely ORIGINAL from his backbreaker to his gutwrench neckbreaker which he hasn't done for sometime. Speaking as someone who uses the RKO as a finisher when your finisher is the RKO with the pop that it gets you cant go around doing all these "flashy moves" that people want him to do, Because if you do that then what happens to the RKO? The END of a wrestling match is where you build to get your BIGGEST pop, Randy KNOWING this because he IS a great wrestler keeps his moves BEFORE the RKO pretty much tame BUT still delivered with impact like the Randy Orton stomp or the 2nd rope ddt or even his knee drop.

As it goes for the "he looks like John Cena" YEAH I have to agree with the superorton thing it was a bit too much. Also on raw he fell into the "same ol shit" box as in what Cena & HBK & even the all mighty HHH himself fell into "do the SAME moves every week because they are over" and therefore you end up with the same boring match, But to be fair to Orton he did switch it up on ppv's and with his move to smackdown where you have ACTUAL wrestling matches as opposed to raw's signature move fest I think we are going to see more wrestling from him like in his match with Christian this week for the world heavyweight title.

Did Christian deserve the world title? FUCK YES! Did he deserve to have a 2 or 5 day reign? (depending on how you look at it) FUCK NO! But lets face it, Business is business. Smackdown is on one of the lowest channels in the states therefore its ratings has dropped to near impact numbers, Which if you think about is really bad! So Vince put the big gold shinny belt on the shows top star that happens to be Randy Orton. Its not his fault but at the end of the day that is situation we are in. Hopefully with all the outcry on twitter about Christiangate Vince might listen and put the world title back on Christian.

 

[AnvilForever]

OK, I really want to weigh in on this especially after Bob Bamber's article on the website. Bamber said that the IWC does not see the big picture, and he's right. It's a criticism that I brought up when people whined about Cena winning the title again, because the smarks couldn't see that Cena as champ opens up the chance for the wide array of Raw heels to work with him.

THAT...SAID...

I don't hate Orton. I really don't. But there's a fundamental disagreement between me and Bamber concerning Orton, and it is that I don't think Orton deserves to be the top guy in Smackdown. No, let me rephrase. I don't think Orton deserves to be the TOP FACE on Smackdown. Orton's Legend Killer persona could easily be turned into a face persona because it could easily shift into a cocky face type of character and would do really well against HHH and Evolution, which it did.

The Viper persona on the other hand, is not built to be a face. For me, unless the character is a superhuman monster like the Undertaker, a face needs to have solid mic work, but the Viper's main gimmick is the head punt, which is about as vicious as it gets. The Face version of the Viper has only worked so far because it was first put up against the Nexus, and even then the storyline wasn't really about Orton. It was about the conflict between Barrett and Cena. Then Orton faced the New Nexus, and the face persona was once again supported by the heel work of CM Punk. Orton wrestled great in both of those feuds, but I could never really take him seriously as a top face by his own merits. He just took the viciousness of his heel persona and used it against the Nexus, and the Nexus had done such a good job of getting the crowd to hate them that the crowd was just waiting for SOMEONE to give them their comeuppance. Orton was that someone, and he effectively buried the Nexus one by one.

Orton never had to do anything himself to build himself up as a face. He just needed to ride in and beat up the hated Nexus. When he was a heel, Orton could really carry a feud, but I don't see him carrying much as a face.

So here he is on SD, coming in fresh off the draft, and out of NOWHERE he just walks in and takes the World Title from Christian. Not only did this feel like a slap in the face to people who wanted Christian to take charge, but the news now that Vince is planning to make Orton the top hero of Smackdown is even worse. Giving Christian the title was just an excuse to squeeze a bit more work out of Edge. Oh, sure, Christian might turn heel and have a good program with Orton, but ultimately his purpose will most likely be not as a heel champion, but as an obstacle to be smashed by Orton. A stepping stone for Orton's path to domination of the blue brand.

If Orton says that he's trying to build his face status and that it will take time, then WHY IS HE BEING SHOEHORNED INTO THE TOP SD SPOT? Give him a non-title feud on SD to build it up, THEN give him the title. So many fans wanted a new face aside from Cena and Orton to root for, and Christian could have been that guy. If Christian turns heel, then that request has been effectively denied, and it really hurts. If you wanted Orton to be a top guy, fine, but his character isn't ready to take that up yet, so why is the WWE forcing it?

 

[dylandude316]

I love Orton except 2 things.
1. the beard, goatee thing he has on. shave bro you look like a freakin bear.
2. Lately it seems he only ever hits and RKO when his opponent jumps of the ropes or a turnbuckle so theirs a huge pop when he hits it. what happened to the old days where Randy would hit an RKO on a standing opponent not a flying monkey?!

 

[rko91]

OK, I really want to weigh in on this especially after Bob Bamber's article on the website. Bamber said that the IWC does not see the big picture, and he's right. It's a criticism that I brought up when people whined about Cena winning the title again, because the smarks couldn't see that Cena as champ opens up the chance for the wide array of Raw heels to work with him.

THAT...SAID...

I don't hate Orton. I really don't. But there's a fundamental disagreement between me and Bamber concerning Orton, and it is that I don't think Orton deserves to be the top guy in Smackdown. No, let me rephrase. I don't think Orton deserves to be the TOP FACE on Smackdown. Orton's Legend Killer persona could easily be turned into a face persona because it could easily shift into a cocky face type of character and would do really well against HHH and Evolution, which it did.

The Viper persona on the other hand, is not built to be a face. For me, unless the character is a superhuman monster like the Undertaker, a face needs to have solid mic work, but the Viper's main gimmick is the head punt, which is about as vicious as it gets. The Face version of the Viper has only worked so far because it was first put up against the Nexus, and even then the storyline wasn't really about Orton. It was about the conflict between Barrett and Cena. Then Orton faced the New Nexus, and the face persona was once again supported by the heel work of CM Punk. Orton wrestled great in both of those feuds, but I could never really take him seriously as a top face by his own merits. He just took the viciousness of his heel persona and used it against the Nexus, and the Nexus had done such a good job of getting the crowd to hate them that the crowd was just waiting for SOMEONE to give them their comeuppance. Orton was that someone, and he effectively buried the Nexus one by one.

Orton never had to do anything himself to build himself up as a face. He just needed to ride in and beat up the hated Nexus. When he was a heel, Orton could really carry a feud, but I don't see him carrying much as a face.

So here he is on SD, coming in fresh off the draft, and out of NOWHERE he just walks in and takes the World Title from Christian. Not only did this feel like a slap in the face to people who wanted Christian to take charge, but the news now that Vince is planning to make Orton the top hero of Smackdown is even worse. Giving Christian the title was just an excuse to squeeze a bit more work out of Edge. Oh, sure, Christian might turn heel and have a good program with Orton, but ultimately his purpose will most likely be not as a heel champion, but as an obstacle to be smashed by Orton. A stepping stone for Orton's path to domination of the blue brand.

If Orton says that he's trying to build his face status and that it will take time, then WHY IS HE BEING SHOEHORNED INTO THE TOP SD SPOT? Give him a non-title feud on SD to build it up, THEN give him the title. So many fans wanted a new face aside from Cena and Orton to root for, and Christian could have been that guy. If Christian turns heel, then that request has been effectively denied, and it really hurts. If you wanted Orton to be a top guy, fine, but his character isn't ready to take that up yet, so why is the WWE forcing it?

As much as it pains me to say this, and as much as it'll make me look like a complete hypocrite when compared to my earlier post in this thread, I have to agree with you on the majority of your points. And if I may say: as huge a Randy Orton fan as I am, I really don't find his face character particularly enjoyable to watch. I much preferred when he was the cocky heel back in his Evolution days and up until early-mid 2007. This new face Orton is being whisked to the top of SmackDown's food chain without a second thought, and now that you have really opened my eyes to the fact his face character really hasn't been developed much at all, I must say I am not particularly pleased with this decision by WWE creative. BUT, there is nothing any of us can do. We can only hope Randy's title reign gives us some surprises and some new storylines we haven't seen before.

 

[Towers1988]

I completely agree with you.

In the past 3 years he has slowly developed his character as a heel and then transitioned into face. Perhaps the best aspect of the face turn was that it wasn't forced, it was the audience that decided rather than the WWE. It was a gradual but natural process which is far better for any character.

I'm enjoying that he's made an effort to add more signature moves to his repertoire (the Olympic Slam, the snap powerslam and the more lariat like clotheslines). The best babyface performers (not necessarily the best wrestlers) to me consistently perform these moves at certain times of the match and eventually the audience begins to pick up on them and can sense the closure of a grapple. By signature moves, I mean those similar to Cena's two shoulder blocks, spin-out powerbomb followed by the Five Knuckle-Shuffle or HBK's flying forearm, nip-up, atomic drop, punches followed by a scoop slam and an elbow drop off the top.

Finally, the move to SmackDown for me has been the best period of his career since his feud with Kofi Kingston. I thought 2010 wasn't exactly his most exciting year due to things like Edge's unnecessary 4 month heel turn, which he was thrown in to or getting lost in the Cena-Barret fiasco.

Hopefully, the standard he set on SmackDown this past week will be what he aspires to measure up to in the future. I'm really keen for Jericho to return to SmackDown this year and for the both of them to tear the blue brand up.

 

[Singin' in the Reyn]

Every heel doesn't have to be cocky. Orton does the whole "I'm mentally ill and remorseless and my arm ink proves this"-bit extremely well. I loved the head punts!

I also like the Viper sequence before he hits the RKO. It's something different at least.

I think he's great, but a PG-friendly face? No, because he just screams Cold-blooded Killer. I know the IWC fanboys want the rosters of both brands to be made up entirely of heels (and FUCK THEM for saying so), but maybe Orton is the case where face is too difficult.

On the other hand, Stone Cold himself was that type of face, so it can be done.

I think Orton is a future legend.

 

[RatedRKO2011]

Randy Orton is the best the wwe has to offer because Cena is crap im sorry if people disagree but there is nothing new with him WoW he has a match with Rock at mania big deal. The only other good superstars that are still good are Christian, Morrison and Rey. I like Kane but watching another Kane and Big Show tittle run is not interesting

 

[X]

To be fair, the IWC was shitting on Randy Orton long before his face turn. Orton's been steadily losing fans on the internet for several years now, and I'm one of them. The guy is so painfully bland, that's his problem. He might literally be the most bland and uninteresting main eventer in WWE history. His promos and matches are generally slow, boring, and lack any kind of personality whatsoever. When I watch someone like CM Punk or John Cena wrestle, their personality comes out with every move they make in the ring. When I watch Randy Orton wrestle, I feel like I'm watching a video game character perform moves mechanically on Smackdown vs. RAW. He can have good matches, sure, but he absolutely NEEDS someone to help him have a good match. It's not hard to have great matches with guys like CM Punk or Christian, but when you match Orton up with someone who isn't a great worker in the ring, the results are usually always awful. His matches with Sheamus last year in particular were unbelievably bad. I've never seen Randy Orton make someone else in the ring look better just by wrestling them, nor have I ever seen him carry someone to a great match like some of the best workers in the biz can. And his promos? God it's like listening to that automated computer voice you can type text into on your computer, he's totally devoid of any emotion or passion whatsoever.

Utterly and totally boring every time he opens his mouth or steps in the ring. That's pretty much the main reason many of us have grown to dislike Orton. I have no clue what the fans love about him so much, he doesn't make a very good babyface to begin with. It saddens me that young fans these days are growing up looking at Randy Orton as some kind of great worker or all-time legend when he couldn't even lace the boots of the stars I grew up on. I could sit here and probably name two dozen people just on the current WWE roster who are better workers than him.

 

[Nev]

I agree with the poster whom stated it took a couple of years into Randy's career before he truly become a great heel. The WWE has been shoving Randy Orton down our throats for years and years. Classic example of bloodline wrestler who gets put into the limelight early in their career. WWE kept continually building him stronger and stronger as the legend killer with him punting people in the skull at a rapid rate and kicking them off TV (kayfabe-wise) in the process. But you still never got the "feel" he was a big-time championship-potential player other than the build/look factor he possesses. Then came the age of orton and that monster 2007 championship run. Still, he sucked to me -- was just too unentertaining and bland. Sure, he has the H-W-S and marketable look going for him in the first few years of his career, but everything else about him at the time was practically average. He can flash a good match time to time but is generally not overly great.

Viper changed everything. The crowd currently eats up that superman transformation shit he does and he has arguably the most exciting spot finisher in the game. That's it. Everything else about him is still pretty average. Prior to "the Viper" his entire career has been defined as the WWE heavily pushing him for years and shoving him down the throat of fans. In my opinion he didn't really come into his own until 4 years of the WWE heavily pushing him and giving him credibility. 4 years. As a face it's way worse as it is right now. He even admitted it himself. Randy doesn't seem like he actually knows how to work the audience as a face. The superman stuff at the end of his matches is nice but he can do a whole lot more.

I just don't know, I have very low expectations for Orton. In this current era he'll always be way over with the fans as long as continues to do that Cena/Hogan transformation stuff but with the IWC I don't see it ever happening. IWC generally loves their own personal anti-heels: entertaining heels that are extremely good at what they do. Guys like Triple H, Edge, Batista, Jericho, Angle, etc. as heels are great recent examples. Randy Orton never came close to these guys as heels with his reputation in the IWC. And like I said, as a face he's even worse right now. Only the Superman thing is keeping him over right now (which isn't bad for the fans, but not enough for the IWC). Can't ever see him being popular amongst the internet world anytime soon

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

To be fair, the IWC was shitting on Randy Orton long before his face turn. Orton's been steadily losing fans on the internet for several years now, and I'm one of them. The guy is so painfully bland, that's his problem. He might literally be the most bland and uninteresting main eventer in WWE history. His promos and matches are generally slow, boring, and lack any kind of personality whatsoever. When I watch someone like CM Punk or John Cena wrestle, their personality comes out with every move they make in the ring. When I watch Randy Orton wrestle, I feel like I'm watching a video game character perform moves mechanically on Smackdown vs. RAW. He can have good matches, sure, but he absolutely NEEDS someone to help him have a good match. It's not hard to have great matches with guys like CM Punk or Christian, but when you match Orton up with someone who isn't a great worker in the ring, the results are usually always awful. His matches with Sheamus last year in particular were unbelievably bad. I've never seen Randy Orton make someone else in the ring look better just by wrestling them, nor have I ever seen him carry someone to a great match like some of the best workers in the biz can. And his promos? God it's like listening to that automated computer voice you can type text into on your computer, he's totally devoid of any emotion or passion whatsoever.

Utterly and totally boring every time he opens his mouth or steps in the ring. That's pretty much the main reason many of us have grown to dislike Orton. I have no clue what the fans love about him so much, he doesn't make a very good babyface to begin with. It saddens me that young fans these days are growing up looking at Randy Orton as some kind of great worker or all-time legend when he couldn't even lace the boots of the stars I grew up on. I could sit here and probably name two dozen people just on the current WWE roster who are better workers than him.

Here's the flip side to this coin, or, why I like Randy Orton.

I love the game of in-ring psychology, always have. I couldn't possibly care less about how fast a guy is moving in there, how many flips he does, or how long it takes him to execute his signature moves. Orton is methodical, cunning, and deliberate. He may be very systematic, but I don't find that boring. I think he's a quality entertainer.

On the flip side, you have a guy like John Cena. Unlike Xfear (no disrespect, still one of my favorites), I won't blanket Cena with my opinion. I don't care for Cena because I think he's the exact opposite of what I usually like. He's a wild man out there, exhibiting almost no psychology. He gets through his moveset with wreckless abandonment, runs all over the place, and wins. I can see how people find that entertaining, but I don't. I would rather watch a Randy Orton match any day of the week, and twice on Sunday.

This leads me to execution. Maybe I pay closer attention to detail than most, but execution is big selling point for me, always has been. Orton is never sloppy. Each move the guy pulls off looks clean, and crisp. He doesn't carelessly fly through his moveset, and I like that. Each move has a purpose, a motivation behind it. About Orton, I have heard both Booker T and Bret Hart say "never a wasted moment," or, "never a wasted move." I agree with both of them. He always goes in with a game plan, and executes that plan to perfection.

In terms of promo skills, the talent is there, he has proven that time and time again. If you didn't enjoy his mic work during his feud with HHH and the McMahon family in early 2009, it's over, he's never going to please you. I thought it was great stuff, with a ton of subtle emotion. He's a cold, emotionless guy. That's his character, and he plays it to perfection. In fact, it worked so well, the fans turned the guy into a babyface.

Since turning face, I admit, his talking segments haven't been the best. He really doesn't have a lot to say, but I blame that on the creative department. They book him like a monster, rolling over anyone in his path. But his storylines have been garbage. The Orton/Punk feud was good, but not great. Why? Wasn't given the time it needed. That's a big-time feud, and wasn't given the time it needed to shine. Great matches, mediocre feud. It wasn't as terrible as Orton/Sheamus, or Orton/Barrett, but with Punk, Orton wasn't sharing the spotlight with John Cena. Blaming Orton for the past year just doesn't hold water -- he wasn't given anything to work with.

Other reasons; facial expressions, physical mannerisms, great at selling an opponents offense, has a great look, awesome theme song(s), etc. The total package, in my opinion.

That's my problem with the Orton haters; he's boring, that's a fact. Actually, it's not a fact, not even close. In fact, if you find him boring, YOU are in the minority.

When someone says John Cena sucks, 30 people jump on that person, immediately, and tell him how stupid he is. He's the top guy! He's the most over guy in the business! Funny how these things apply to John Cena, but not Randy Orton. Orton and Cena aren't on the same level overall, but he's the #2 guy in the company, and if using the same logic applied to Cena everytime someone trashes him, Randy Orton cannot possibly suck... right?

Each person is entitled to his/her opinion, and I'm not attempting to stifle criticism of Randy Orton. If you don't care for what he does, I get that, I feel the same way about John Cena, and several other wrestlers who do not fit what I look for in a personal favorite. But telling us, like it's a fact, that's he's boring -- it's old, and ridiculous. It's just as old as the 5 Moves of Doom garbage applied to John Cena.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

No, he's very over so I doubt you're the only one who likes him. The IWC can bitch about his rear chinlock that he works (not a resthold, he works it, this isn't the spotfest indies). They can bitch about anything else he does that they wouldn't bitch about if he wasn't a top guy. Fact is, he's very good, he's very over, so they can suck it because they don't know shit about wrestling.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Randy Orton is one of the most over wrestlers in the world. Whether he's a heel or a face, the reactions he gets from fans are second to none. So, of course, a good sized portion of the IWC hates his guts.

One reason why Orton isn't that popular with a lot of net fans is because we have a lot of net fans that prefer the indy style of wrestling: a fast paced style in which wrestlers tend to move into one big spot after another at the expense of storytelling, in-ring psychology, basic selling of moves, etc. That's not Orton's style, nor is it the style of probably most of the usual targets of the IWC. And, because of that, a lot of net fans don't see Orton as a good wrestler.

To say that Orton doesn't have the promo ability is about as ridiculous as saying that he man can't wrestle. Orton's character, "The Viper", is a methodical, cold hearted, calculating borderline sociopath that's out for himself at the expense of anyone else. That type of character is reflected perfectly in Orton's promo style.

 

[Robbierko]

I am so tired of reading people's comments about randy orton not having mic skills, or lack of charisma. There are different types of mic skills, you can be flashy energetic like the rock OR like Randy orton slow and calculating.

When he talks as a heel or a face he sounds intense and delivers the emotion that he will destroy that other person. Look at his eyes and body language when he cuts a promo that is another type of mic skill.
He is always adding new moves, he can tell a story in the ring like no one else and hes using his drop kick again which is awesome.