Can anyone explain to me Randy Orton's popularity?

[Pegusus Fill_T]

WWE has the potential for greatness in it's current roster, Orton isn't the only one who is suffering from misuse on creatives part, but he is the one I feel is being hit the hardest.

Couldnt agree with you more. I remember midcard Test-Steiner feud having a better storyline than the current WWE title storyline. What WWE need are good storylines and solid feuds. You just cant pit 2 guys together and expect them to have a feud of the year

He could easily of been the face of the company over Cena had he been used right, it's this wasted potential that is one of the reasons I am so annoyed by his currently character and standing in the company.

Randy is my fave but I gotta admit that he himself is somewhat responsible for dropping the ball. Going into the summer of 2004, Cena was the upcomer of SD and Orton was on Raw. Randy was gonna be the next face of the WWE and was build as the future of the company He won the world title the night Cena won the US title in a midcard match. Hence by Summer 2004, Randy was miles ahead of Cena

What went wrong for Randy was his attitude. You watch Evolution of a Predator and Randy Orton himself along with some others say he was not ready to become the flag bearer. Not in terms of talent but he wasnt mature enough. He himself has admitted he was a dick backstage and people often complained about him. The only guy he was respectful towards was his mentor Triple H (and maybe other legends like UT, Flair) The only reason he was not fired during the 2004-2008 period was because his talent, unprecedented potential and most importantly because Triple H kept pulling strings and he had Triple H's support since he was Trip's first pet project and handpicked apprentice. That along with an ill timed face turn ruined Orton's potential.

But Cena has always had the right attitude. He may suck in the ring, but Vince knows that no one in the roster is as hardworking and loyal as Cena. The guy signs 1000 autographs on his off days and is a company man. I havent heard any news report where Cena has brought neg. press to the WWE

So when Orton joined first, he was the star. He had the look, talent, pedigree. But his own arrogance and immaturity cost him. When Cena first joined Vince and Trips disliked him. A fact Cena himself and even Y2J has admitted. Only Steph, Y2J & Kurt had faith in him. Orton got the better start but dropped the ball. Cena made most of a joke gimmick and made it successful, and when the time came he took the ball home and has never looked back. The guy didnt moan (ala CM Punk) nor did he have the connections (ala Kliq)

All in all, if I may make a star wars referance, Randy Orton is Anakin Skywalker. Amazingly talented, Limitless potential and has the ability to be the greatest wrestler of all time But he screws it up and has not hit the heights he should and could because of his arrogance, immaturity and usually defy authority

John Cena is Obi-wan Not the most talented but is the Jedi Council's (Vince's) dream. Loyal, Respectful, Hardworking and if you take Vince, muscular and head full of hair. What Vince had always wanted.

Anakin is more powerful than Obi-Wan since he's the chosen one, but in the end Obi-wan will always be the better Jedi and will always be one of the best jedi ever. Similarly, Orton has the potential but Cena will go down as one of the biggest superstars (note not wrestlers) ever along with Hogan, Rock & SCSA

Yes creative could be blamed but Randy himself too is responsible (he himself admitted that) fortunately for Orton, he has apparently changed and has become a better person after Alanna's birth and is only 32 years old (which is baby years in terms of wrestling) Let's hope he and creative both dont drop the ball again

 

[Mongoose McQueen]

Look, OP, this is the WWE, anyone who is a sports entertainer in the WWE has to be good enough. To have been able to stay around for as long as he has. To also have 2 strikes but still be pushed as one of the main guys on the best entertainment show in the world is something.

He does have passion, he can cut good promo and will put on a great match, he is not boring and can usually make an uninteresting feud interesting. He performs day in, day out year round and you say he has no passion? What kind of idiot are you?

Also I am sick and tired of this, "only little kids and woman cheer them" because they know no better. This is absolute bullcrap because those are real fans paying for tickets and merchandise and pay per views. Year round, what exactly defines a real wrestling fan to you then? Not every one has the same opinion as you.

The guy hasn't reached his full potential, but he is only 32 and still has years to do that. The wrestling world doesn't revolve around you and what you in visage, if you don't like something, then simp,y don't watch it. You obviously cared enough to bring it up. Wrestling isn't just about what the MEN want to see, it's about what Everyone wants.

 

[vikesfan]

To those who say Orton's style is "boring." Sure,its methodical. But so was Harley Race's. Bob Backlund's. Dory Funk Jr.'s. Greg Valentine's.Were they crappy wrestlers? No. Were they in their prime ever not over or considered "boring?" No.

And just like them,Orton can wrestle with the best of them. Hes very athletic. He can brawl with the best of them. And just to add to the post that had various quotes from other wrestling talents about Randy,heres another one from HBK : "Randy is as talented as the days are long."

 

[newteenforbb]

To put this into perspective... A list of current WWE wrestlers who are better in the ring than Orton and who can give a better promo and be all-around entertaining:

CM Punk
Sheamus
The Miz
Kofi Kingston
R-Truth
Alberto Del Rio
Antonio Cesaro
Chris Jericho
Christian
Cody Rhodes
Daniel Bryan
Dolph Ziggler
Wade Barrett
John Cena
Rey Mysterio

 

[Jack-Hammer]

As when it comes to most attempted hate threads, the OP has taken his own opinion and attempted to insist that his opinion reflects that of the majority of "real wrestling fans". I can understand the OP not being into Orton just as I understand some fans not being into Cena or Punk or Bryan or Rock or Austin or Hogan or any other wrestler. You can't please everybody.

As has been pointed out, however, the OP's opinion doesn't seem to represent a majority of fans. As much as the OP might hate it, Orton is insanely popular. Trying to use the piped in cheers that WWE does use for some wrestlers on SmackDown! to explain Orton's reaction doesn't work because he gets the same reaction on Raw and it's live. Whenever Orton's music hits, the arena erupts and it doesn't matter where he is.

As for Orton's promo work, it speaks for itself. His promos aren't filled with tons of energy, he's not bouncing around all over the place or screaming his head off. He doesn't need to. All he has to do is turn his head, glare into the camera or adopt a menacing facial expression and he has 10,000 fans hanging on everything he does and says. Sorry, but that's star quality. That's something you can't buy or teach. The men like his badass, coldly calculating personality and the women wanna screw his brains out. The women & kids argument doesn't work anymore on Orton than it does on John Cena. It's the last desperate argument that haters cling to but it doesn't have the punch as it's been disproven time and time again. In every crowd, you'll see men wearing Randy Orton gear or cheering him or booing him just they do with John Cena. On SD! last night, when Orton came out, the camera panned to show a couple of female fans and they were swooning like a couple of 12 year olds at a Justin Bieber concert. Orton is someone who barely has to say a word in order to keep people interested in his promos. Sure it doesn't work for some, but it seems to work for most because Orton is still one of the top guys. If he couldn't deliver the goods, he wouldn't be where he's at for as long as he's been there.

As for his in-ring work, I think the guy's just flat out good. He sells extremely well, he knows how to tell a story inside the ring, has great natural athletic ability and has good chemistry with almost everyone he wrestles against.

If you're not a fan of Orton, nothing wrong with that. Not gonna bust anybody's balls for that. But c'mon, you're just asking to be mocked when you try to use these tired, stale and consistently disproven arguments to justify why nobody else should like him either.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Is it basically little kids who do not know better and women who find him attractive?

I'm forever amazed by people who take their own preferences and assign them to everyone else. Your likes and dislikes don't apply to the world at large. Personally, I don't find Randy Orton attractive; imo, he's not a good-looking man at all......but he's an excellent pro wrestler and that's what I like about him.

Most real wrestling fans and especially those on the net know do know better and couldn't care less when he is on television and would probably change the channel for the duration that he is on.

Again, you're telling us what most real wrestling fans find appealing (and not)? What an insufferable attitude.

I consider myself a "real" wrestling fan....and I like him. His moveset in the ring is crisp, quick, powerful and effective. He's got the musculature and facial expressions to sell what he's doing.....and the personality to bring his entire repertoire together in one package.

For all this, he isn't my favorite WWE performer; there are others I prefer to watch. But my objection is the OP's presumption that "real" wrestling fans are ones who change the channel when Randy appears.....which is, not coincidentally, exactly the way he feels. It must be comforting knowing the whole world is in agreement with you.

OP, your opinions are your own, and you have a perfect right to them.

Just don't assume everyone else shares them.

 

[UltimateHitman]

I'm not going to bother quoting everything, but to Pegasus, to quote the Miz, "really"?. I've been watching since the 80's, probably before you were a drop in your daddy's sack, so trying to attack my exposure or experience level won't work.

By the way, using "sir" at the beginning and "kid" at the end of your response is pretty contradictory.

Back on point, I've liked SacredMesa's take on things. He makes his points very well, and I have to agree with his take. Maybe if Randy's gimmick was tweaked somewhat, losing the temper tantrum crap and making him put more emotion into other things, then it could get better.

Going back to Pegasus, you can't blame the storyline if it's a person's presentation that is the issue. Randy's performance and presentation in his promos is monotone/flat, emotionless, and boring. It's not "cold" or "calculating", or anything like that, it's just flat boring, and that's not creative's, or Vince's, or HHH's, or anybody else's fault, it's Randy's.

Perfect example of what I'm trying to get at would have to be Jake The Snake Roberts. THAT is cold and calculating with emotion/personality involved. He was believable. Orton is more like a robot reading from a teleprompter.

His offense has also gotten a lot simpler. Yes, I realize the offense part has to do more with WWE's "cookie cutter" approach to their matches/product, but it just adds to the "boring-ness" of the whole.

Lastly, I believe the suspension helped with his pops since he was absent from television. Before that, it seemed like he'd get an initial reaction when you heard the first couple notes of his music and then it disappeared.

Personally, I was hoping the absence would have caused them to disappear altogether, but oh well.

 

[Pegusus Fill_T]

I'm not going to bother quoting everything, but to Pegasus, to quote the Miz, "really"?. I've been watching since the 80's, probably before you were a drop in your daddy's sack, so trying to attack my exposure or experience level won't work.

Whoopie Doopie Doo. ''Look at me everybody I've being watching WWE since the 80's hence I know everything and I speak the truth'' Okay when do you think I started watching? When Brodus Clay debuted?

Going back to Pegasus, you can't blame the storyline if it's a person's presentation that is the issue. Randy's performance and presentation in his promos is monotone/flat, emotionless, and boring. It's not "cold" or "calculating", or anything like that, it's just flat boring, and that's not creative's, or Vince's, or HHH's, or anybody else's fault, it's Randy's.
Perfect example of what I'm trying to get at would have to be Jake The Snake Roberts. THAT is cold and calculating with emotion/personality involved. He was believable. Orton is more like a robot reading from a teleprompter.

Assuming you're middle aged, you do not have the level of comprehension of even a 12 year old kid. My point was that they lack good storylines nowadays and hence wrestlers in general inlcuding Orton cannot bring the best out of themselves. Jake the Snake had awesome storylines in his career. That is a fact. Assuming you dont suffer from dementia, remember Orton as the legendkiller during the ruthless aggression era. How entertaining he was and how people was riding his dick. Now he's 32, more mature more experienced and suddenly people act as if he's bloody Flair's age. As for reading off the teleprompter, unless you are John Cena, Jericho or to a certain extent Punk, every else reads off the teleprompter. Surely someone with your expertise would've known that your honor.

His offense has also gotten a lot simpler. Yes, I realize the offense part has to do more with WWE's "cookie cutter" approach to their matches/product, but it just adds to the "boring-ness" of the whole.

What you term boring, people in the industry call great. So I guess you know more about wrestling than them since you've being watching since 80's (although you dont know what a gimmick is)

Lastly, I believe the suspension helped with his pops since he was absent from television. Before that, it seemed like he'd get an initial reaction when you heard the first couple notes of his music and then it disappeared.

Watch SD a lot more okay. Orton did get the loudest reaction on SD on weekly basis. Sure his absence has helped him but if you'd watched wrestling and read live house reports, you'd know that Orton is one of the most over superstars. The only time his popularity decreased was during the Christian feud where he got mixed reactions at MITB but the crowd soon started eating out of his hand when he started destroying Christian post match

Hence, maybe you watched wrestling since 80's but you should watch WWE a lot more and develop your comprehension okay. Btw Check out the awesome quotes in my previous posts. Legends in the industry disagree with you

To put this into perspective... A list of current WWE wrestlers who are better in the ring than Orton and who can give a better promo and be all-around entertaining:

CM Punk
Sheamus
The Miz
Kofi Kingston
R-Truth
Alberto Del Rio
Antonio Cesaro
Chris Jericho
Christian
Cody Rhodes
Daniel Bryan
Dolph Ziggler
Wade Barrett
John Cena
Rey Mysterio

Now I know that newteen is either trolling or knows shit about wrestling. If you said that these guys were more entertaining than Orton, okay since not everyone like the same thing. But for you to say the above guys are better in the ring than Orton (which includes Miz, R Truth, Cena Del Rio etc) even when people in the industry calls Orton the best (yes, the best. Not your idol Punk) and you say this, it's quite laughable

All in all, people can argue Luke is the Chosen One - but when Lucas says Anakin is the chosen one you gotta admit it. Similarly, IWC and WWE experts like Mr. UltimateHitman can say Orton being boring in the ring and Newteen can say all those stuff about Orton being a sucky wrestler, but when triple H, HBK, Brett Hart, Cena, helms, Hogan, Heyman, Arn Anderson mark out to Orton and says he's the best, that beats your opinion and mine.

 

[Airehk]

I don't hate Orton, I just think he's boring. He used to be exciting back when he was beginning to disband from Evolution and when he was known as The Legend Killer. Now he apparently hears voices in his head, but he seems pretty normal. He reminds me of a regional police officer who sees little action these days. His personality doesn't shine at all.

I'm not saying he doesn't have potential, in fact he has lots of potential. Its just that he doesn't do anything about it or someone isn't letting him. I almost feel like he's just there for the paycheque.

As said, WWE does use canned heat and canned pops for certain superstars. Sometimes through archive footage or audio.

 

[vikesfan]

To the one that posted a list of people 'better than Orton," please,next time you post crap like that list,warn us so we can get out hip boots out. But since you did go out of your way and make that list,how about naming reasons why those guys are better than him in your(delusional)opinion instead of just trolling?

 

[Richard Blonoff]

Personally I don't like Orton. I can't get over the fact that he has had numerous negative things said about him as a person in the past. I hate what the RKO has become, and his character is fairly stale. Plus a typical Randy Orton promo is "My.....name....is.....Randy.....Orton.....I....am.....the...VipRKO OUT OF FUCKING NOWHERE!!!" If they had decided to fire him straight up after that 2nd strike I would not have missed him.

That out of the way, he typically puts on solid matches. He isn't a great in ring worker, but much like Cena, what he does he does well and he makes it look good. He also sells fairly well. He is no Ziggler or Heath Slater, but he has good facial expressions, and can sell pain, kind of like he did against Bryan on SD!. He usually works with a smooth flow, doesn't rely on a lot of rest holds, and he has a decent go home sequence that gets the fans into the finish.

 

[Pegusus Fill_T]

Personally I don't like Orton. I can't get over the fact that he has had numerous negative things said about him as a person in the past. I hate what the RKO has become, and his character is fairly stale. Plus a typical Randy Orton promo is "My.....name....is.....Randy.....Orton.....I....am .....the...VipRKO OUT OF FUCKING NOWHERE!!!" If they had decided to fire him straight up after that 2nd strike I would not have missed him.

That out of the way, he typically puts on solid matches. He isn't a great in ring worker, but much like Cena, what he does he does well and he makes it look good. He also sells fairly well. He is no Ziggler or Heath Slater, but he has good facial expressions, and can sell pain, kind of like he did against Bryan on SD!. He usually works with a smooth flow, doesn't rely on a lot of rest holds, and he has a decent go home sequence that gets the fans into the finish.

You not liking him is okay buddy. Not everyone should or would like Orton. That said, saying he's not a good in ring worker is quite laughable especially when he's considered the best inring worker by people in the industry (check out the previous post where I have quoted people from Cena to Triple H to Bret Hart)

 

[Milkyway!]

Personally I don't like Orton. I can't get over the fact that he has had numerous negative things said about him as a person in the past.

Randy Orton has made a lot of mistakes in his life; however, I feel it's important to realize that, that is what makes Orton so interesting to watch. It adds an interesting overcoming the odds dynamic to Orton, and if you know the back story behind Mr Orton then it's very compelling to me.

Take this for example. Josh Hamilton. There was speculation he has fallen back onto drugs last year after the horrendous accident that occurred with a fan. Merely speculation, mind you. Everyone loves the Josh Hamilton story because he's overcome something in his life.

Just because Orton has made some mistakes, doesn't mean you should "dislike" his on screen character; nor his overall character at all. These men are constantly under microscopes, and that's simply unfair in my opinion.

I hate what the RKO has become, and his character is fairly stale. Plus a typical Randy Orton promo is "My.....name....is.....Randy.....Orton.....I....am.....the...VipRKO OUT OF FUCKING NOWHERE!!!"

Right. Right. Because that's exactly how it happens. Every single promo.

I need not spam YouTube video after YouTube video proving you otherwise. It would be redundant, boring, and simply pointless.

That out of the way, he typically puts on solid matches.

I'm a firm believer that you're never going to see less than a 3 star match from Randy Orton. 4 star matches on a consistent basis. Albeit a 5 star match is rare from Randy Orton, I feel he's capable of putting on one if given the right mix up and chemistry with his opponent.

He isn't a great in ring worker,

You've simply contradicted yourself here. He either puts on solid matches typically, or he isn't a great in-ring worker. Which is it?

but much like Cena, what he does he does well and he makes it look good.

You've insinuated two things here that I'm not comfortable with simply idly reading and scrolling over.

1) You have implied that John Cena is only good at what he does. You're dead wrong here. John Cena consistently has put on damn good matches, especially for the past year - year 1/2. Just 2 weeks ago we saw a 3 1/2 -4 star match from Cena/D. Bryan on a typical Monday Night RAW.

2) You have also implied that Randy Orton is only good at what he does, nothing more. Once again. You're wrong.

Signature moves
Bodyscissors
Corner clothesline
Diving crossbody
Dropkick
European uppercut
Falling clothesline
Full nelson slam
Gutwrench elevated neckbreaker
Inverted headlock backbreaker
Knee drop
Lou thesz press followed by mounted punches
Olympic slam
Powerbomb (sometimes make it into a pin)
Randy Orton Stomps (Multiple stomps while circling a fallen opponent)
Rope-hung DDT (sometimes from the turnbuckle)
Running punt kick to an opponent's head – Used mainly to cause a storyline concussion but is now banned
Side belly-to-belly suplex
Snap scoop powerslam
Superplex - adopted off his father, "Cowboy" Bob Orton
Wrenching chinlock

It's important to realize those are merely Randy Orton's signature moves. This isn't including moves Randy Orton also does in order to mix things up from night in to night out. A typical Orton match always has some sort of gem in it. Whether it be a simple difference in his typical dropkick, or a completely different move out of no where. Orton never fails.

He also sells fairly well. He is no Ziggler or Heath Slater, but he has good facial expressions, and can sell pain, kind of like he did against Bryan on SD!.

I dare say Orton is one of the best in the business when it comes to selling. He doesn't oversell like Ziggler and Slater do. Sometimes it's a little over-the-top and takes away from the overall match whenever it comes to Ziggler/Slater.

This is overselling:

It's simply not believable. It takes away from a match. I don't need to blatantly know you're deliberately selling a staged move. If you make it too hard to suspend disbelief then it becomes fake, not staged.

Randy Orton does not oversell. He sells just enough, long enough, and well enough. Once again, likely the best at selling moves in the WWE today.

He usually works with a smooth flow, doesn't rely on a lot of rest holds, and he has a decent go home sequence that gets the fans into the finish.

Then once again. I'm not sure what your complaints are for Orton. You're contradicting yourself.

 

[Richard Blonoff]

Randy Orton has made a lot of mistakes in his life; however, I feel it's important to realize that, that is what makes Orton so interesting to watch. It adds an interesting overcoming the odds dynamic to Orton, and if you know the back story behind Mr Orton then it's very compelling to me.

Take this for example. Josh Hamilton. There was speculation he has fallen back onto drugs last year after the horrendous accident that occurred with a fan. Merely speculation, mind you. Everyone loves the Josh Hamilton story because he's overcome something in his life.

Just because Orton has made some mistakes, doesn't mean you should "dislike" his on screen character; nor his overall character at all. These men are constantly under microscopes, and that's simply unfair in my opinion.

I can accept and respect this. This as a very common view, when someone overcomes their demons it is a good story. It doesn't mean I have to root for them though. Michael Vick seems like a better person since he was dog fighting but I don't like him.

Take Jeff Hardy for example. A lot of people give him credit and call him strong for overcoming his drug problems. I admit it was strong of him to overcome them, but a stronger person wouldn't have fallen into hard drug use in the first place.

I don't like being told who my heroes are.

Right. Right. Because that's exactly how it happens. Every single promo.

I need not spam YouTube video after YouTube video proving you otherwise. It would be redundant, boring, and simply pointless.

I should have said that this is what his promos have become. Cut me some slack, it was like 3am. I stand by the fact that his face promos are bland and boring.

I'm a firm believer that you're never going to see less than a 3 star match from Randy Orton. 4 star matches on a consistent basis. Albeit a 5 star match is rare from Randy Orton, I feel he's capable of putting on one if given the right mix up and chemistry with his opponent.

The agree with the bold part. I ask you to find his last 4 star match though.

You've simply contradicted yourself here. He either puts on solid matches typically, or he isn't a great in-ring worker. Which is it?

Juan Pierre has a .297 career batting average and is a solid hitter, but I would call him a great baseball player.

You've insinuated two things here that I'm not comfortable with simply idly reading and scrolling over.

1) You have implied that John Cena is only good at what he does. You're dead wrong here. John Cena consistently has put on damn good matches, especially for the past year - year 1/2. Just 2 weeks ago we saw a 3 1/2 -4 star match from Cena/D. Bryan on a typical Monday Night RAW.

2) You have also implied that Randy Orton is only good at what he does, nothing more. Once again. You're wrong.

I never said Cena doesn't put on good matches. Last year his match with Punk at MITB was match of the year for me. The Cena/DBry match on Raw was good. All I said is that Orton, like Cena, is good at what he does. They typically have a basic wrestling match, get beat down, have a super-human comeback, then hit their go home sequence, miss their finisher once, then hit it on the 2nd try. They are both very good at that, but you will never see Orton or Cena go out and put on a clinic like Punk/Jericho or Punk/Bryan

I don't expect those two guys to go out and try to put on those clinics either, just like I don't expect Big Show to go out and try a moonsault or Rey Mysterio to try a powerbomb. They stick with what they do and it works.

It's important to realize those are merely Randy Orton's signature moves. This isn't including moves Randy Orton also does in order to mix things up from night in to night out. A typical Orton match always has some sort of gem in it. Whether it be a simple difference in his typical dropkick, or a completely different move out of no where. Orton never fails.

Yay, you can copy paste from Wikipedia. I ask however, when was the last time Randy used a bodyscissors? What about a full nelson slam? How about that gutwrench elevated neckbreaker? However is dropkick is smooth, can't deny that.

I dare say Orton is one of the best in the business when it comes to selling. He doesn't oversell like Ziggler and Slater do. Sometimes it's a little over-the-top and takes away from the overall match whenever it comes to Ziggler/Slater.

We can agree on the bolded part. I said he sells fairly well. I didn't call him the best because he isn't the best.

This is overselling:

It's simply not believable. It takes away from a match. I don't need to blatantly know you're deliberately selling a staged move. If you make it too hard to suspend disbelief then it becomes fake, not staged.

Yes that is overselling. It was kind of dickish on Michael's part, but that match and the reasoning behind his overselling is another story all together.

Randy Orton does not oversell. He sells just enough, long enough, and well enough. Once again, likely the best at selling moves in the WWE today.

Never said he oversold. I said he sold fairly well. He sells well, but I still think others sell better.

Then once again. I'm not sure what your complaints are for Orton. You're contradicting yourself.

To sum it up I think he is an above average talent, who is overrated. I respect his talents, but I don't like him. Had his last name not been Orton he probably would not have received the push he had.

 

[keehlnate]

LOL Orton is one if not, the best in-ring performers of today. He always brings solid performance and he portrays his character absolutely well. And to top it all up he finishes it with a highlight RKO.

So as far as "real wrestling fans" goes, smarks should be the last on the list right?

 

[Pegusus Fill_T]

I can accept and respect this. This as a very common view, when someone overcomes their demons it is a good story. It doesn't mean I have to root for them though. Michael Vick seems like a better person since he was dog fighting but I don't like him.

Take Jeff Hardy for example. A lot of people give him credit and call him strong for overcoming his drug problems. I admit it was strong of him to overcome them, but a stronger person wouldn't have fallen into hard drug use in the first place.

I don't like being told who my heroes are.

Let's see. Orton had drug problems before his wife saved him. He trashed a hotel room, used to be a dick backstage, maybe shat in a diva's bag (some including loads of people in the roster had said that he merely put lotion, but whatever) and went AWOL at the age of 19. Almost everything the guy did he did it before 2008 i.e before he was even 28 years old. Putting also that aside, if you've read interviews and even watched his DVD, you could see how he self-admittedly was a dick backstage and how he has changed and become a better person. (Quote Cena - ''There is new Randy and Old Randy. old Randy was an asshole. New Randy is really cool'')

I assume you like Stone Cold Steve Austin. Austin was a steroid user who walked out whenever he was asked to do something he didnt like and most importantly he was a wifebeater and was arrested (Orton loves his wife and has repeatedly said that he's lucky to have her and she saved his life)

It is well known that Shawn used to be a dick backstage and maybe a bigger headache than Orton ever was. Michaels matured, found god and became a better person. Eddie Guerrero, one of the most loved superstars of all time, was a past drug addict. Ric Flair still gets into trouble. Numerous others have got arrested for DUI (Mind you, Orton is yet to get arrested)

CM Punk asked fans to die, drink bleach etc.

My point is, people make mistakes in their lives. Not everyone can be a John Cena or a Sheamus or whoever. Some learn and some dont. Orton made mistakes and he admitted he's ashamed of his past and is now a better person. I just see that it's funny the IWC bash Orton for mistakes he committed as a 20-odd year old while idolizing guys like SCSA.

I should have said that this is what his promos have become. Cut me some slack, it was like 3am. I stand by the fact that his face promos are bland and boring.

Mate, that's his gimmick. He's not supposed to pander to the crowd like Cena or drop pipebombs. You watch his promos as LK or listen to his real life interviews and you'll see how charismatic he is. Sure, he is no Rock or Cena on the mic, but he's good. To bash him because he plays his gimmick so well is stupid IMO. (Would Undertaker speak any differently?)

Paul Heyman - Orton's character is so far from the "laughing at his own actions, bragging about his villainous conquests, reveling in his own heeldom" type of character as I've ever seen.
He has done what very few others have been able to do. He's broken new ground. He's given us a different perspective. The Orton character is driven by his demons, but shocked by his own actions.
It's Bruce Banner begging you not to tap into the rage that produces The Incredible Hulk, only deep down you know he wants that adrenal rush. He needs that power to conquer his adversaries. He likes the success and attention brought to him by the explosive nature of his actions.
And yet...and this is where Orton excels in his presentation...he is deeply afraid of the ramifications of his actions, be it suspension, termination, or getting his due when the babyface extracts revenge

See that is his gimmick.

I ask you to find his last 4 star match though.

Randy Orton v Christian (just last year)

He also had really good matches on SD. You watch his matches and you'll see they are usually either the best or one of the best matches of the show.

uan Pierre has a .297 career batting average and is a solid hitter, but I would call him a great baseball player.

For the umpteenth time, when Cena, Triple H, HBK, Brett Hart, Heyman, Arn Anderson, Helms, Hogan etc mark out to Randy Orton and calls him the best and you say he's not good in the ring, you lose credibility

They typically have a basic wrestling match, get beat down, have a super-human comeback, then hit their go home sequence, miss their finisher once, then hit it on the 2nd try. They are both very good at that, but you will never see Orton or Cena go out and put on a clinic like Punk/Jericho or Punk/Bryan

Again, you dont know what you're talking about. It's what you call being larger than life. HBK - probably the greatest inring performer of all time would get beaten down and then at the dying seconds would kip us, do the atomic drop, punch, elbow drop and go for SCM. Undertaker would get beaten down, rise up, irish whip, clothesline, snake eyes, big boot followed by Chokeslam/Tombstone.

As for Punk, Punk is capable of having really good matches with steller wrestlers but cannot put on a good match with an ordinary wrestler. Ex: Watch Punk v Kane and compare it to Orton v Kane. Or watch Punk v Henry and compare it to Orton vs Henry. How about Punk v Miz and Orton v Miz. Plus Punk's fails to execute basic moves properly at times.

Never said he oversold. I said he sold fairly well. He sells well, but I still think others sell better.

Milkyway's point was that you should not oversell. It makes it less believable. Orton sells just about enough to look good and Ziggler sells way too much.

To sum it up I think he is an above average talent, who is overrated. I respect his talents, but I don't like him. Had his last name not been Orton he probably would not have received the push he had.

Like I said, when people in the industry say he's the best and you say he's average, you lose credibility unless ofcourse you know more about wrestling than them. As for receiving the push because his name is Orton, yeah right as if Cowboy Bob was a legend in wrestling who will go down as one of the best. Going by your logic, DiBiase jr, Rhodes, Mcgillicutty, Tamina Snooka etc should be faces of the WWE right now and maineventers. Know you facts - Orton got called up to the main roster because WWE scout Arn Anderson saw something special in Orton at development. Orton was by far very talented. Triple H and Flair watched every match at Raw to scout for talent to make up Evolution. They picked Dave Batista because of his physique and Orton becuase of his talent. Then Orton was initially pushed more than Batista because of his superior ability and personality and charisma and the ability to connect with the crowd.

In a nutshell, whether you like Orton or not - he's the best wrestler of the current generation and sorry to burst your bubble but it's not CM Punk.

 

[mr.wrestling iv]

Now I know WWE likes to "add in" pops/boos when they edit SMACKDOWN! in order to get it the way they want but I noticed that both on RAW and SMACKDOWN! recently, Orton has been getting pretty massive pops.

Can someone explain why? Is it basically little kids who do not know better and women who find him attractive? Most real wrestling fans and especially those on the net know do know better and couldn't care less when he is on television and would probably change the channel for the duration that he is on.

^^ This always makes me laugh. I get it. You're not a fan. No harm no foul... but to project your feelings onto the people who do like him by denouncing them as not real wrestling fans... I'm sorry... what is a real wrestling fan? I must not be one either because I like Randal Keith Orton.

I like him because he plays his character well. He is an action speaks louder then words guy who prefers to kick ass and take names then grab a mic and blabber away for 20 minutes. We know he isn't a promo guy. He knows he isn't a promo guy. He nor the writers don't insult our intelligence.

- He's one of the best sellers in the business.

- His in ring work is effortless. Comes second nature.

- His matches are always quality.

- He can work with just about everybody.

- He doesn't need dramatic spots to get over. Simplicity is the key.

- And unlike some people in the business he has lost in an effort to get other people over. Wade Barrett for starters. He lost to Kane at Wrestlemania.... and the list goes on of people he has lost to to push a storyline, make things more interesting.

Those are some of the many reasons he is appreciated by the WWE Universe and some of us online.

 

[XXJJ]

Orton is one of the best workers in wrestling.

He had success quickly and didn't go through the precious indy circuit. So thats probably why he gets some backlash from some douchey smarks.

 

[IT Factor]

This is the stereotypical net thread. Anti-Cena, Anti-Orton, and even now Anti-Punk. What do these guys have in common? They were once net favorites and got huge and became routine mainstays in the top of the card. People lose interest and therefore complain about some perceived reason to hate these guys. The fact is, Randy Orton is and will always be a huge draw. He's great in ring and his character is believeable enough for fans to accept anything he does. Orton is different from Cena in that he's not specifically aimed at the kiddie audience, which makes him more realistic and that much better of a character. He doesn't resort to lame jokes or popularity contests to get over with the crowd.

Orton is one of those characters that gets a reaction either way, which is the sign of a truly great competitor.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

The OP is an obvious troll. Don't bite so hard, boys and girls.

Anyhow, others seem genuinely curious as to why Orton's so popular. Well, he's good at what he does. For my money, he's the best wrestler on the planet.

If you dislike Randy Orton, my guess is you love guys like Ziggler and Kofi. Guys who move really fast and can't tell a story to save their lives. To appreciate what Orton does, one must have an attention span that lasts more than five seconds at a time. True story.

 

[Miz_Mark]

Like I said, when people in the industry say he's the best and you say he's average, you lose credibility unless ofcourse you know more about wrestling than them. As for receiving the push because his name is Orton, yeah right as if Cowboy Bob was a legend in wrestling who will go down as one of the best. Going by your logic, DiBiase jr, Rhodes, Mcgillicutty, Tamina Snooka etc should be faces of the WWE right now and maineventers. Know you facts - Orton got called up to the main roster because WWE scout Arn Anderson saw something special in Orton at development. Orton was by far very talented. Triple H and Flair watched every match at Raw to scout for talent to make up Evolution. They picked Dave Batista because of his physique and Orton becuase of his talent. Then Orton was initially pushed more than Batista because of his superior ability and personality and charisma and the ability to connect with the crowd.

In a nutshell, whether you like Orton or not - he's the best wrestler of the current generation and sorry to burst your bubble but it's not CM Punk.

Alright, I just have to way in here.

You cannot just flatly state that Orton (or anyone else is) is the best wrestler in the world, Period, because that is not something that can be objectively proven or quantified.

Wrestling is entertainment, and like any form of entertainment, it is entirely subjective. The best in the world to you may not be the best to me or the next guy or the next guy, ask 100 different people, get 100 different answers, and that's fine. One of them isn't "right" while the rest are wrong.

Please stop cherry picking a few comments from greats in the business and arguing that if you don't agree with them, you're opinion is invalid. That's asinine. I don't have to be a great painter to have an opinion about painting. I don't have to be a great actor to know what I like in acting. You do not have to be in the wrestling industry to have your opinion count, and your opinion doesn't become worthless just because you happen to not be one of the most successful ever.

Also, please stop naming these names and acting as if they all uniformly agree Orton is hands down the greatest. That is not proven by your quotes, all your quotes prove is that they think Orton is very good. You can find quotes from the same men praising other wrestlers, that doesn't make those wrestlers the best any more than it does Orton.

Get a grip, people are allowed to dislike Orton and they are not "wrong" to do so. They don't have to agree with you.

On to the OP, this is ridiculous for the same reasons I felt compelled to comment on Pegasus' response. Your opinion is not universal, don't act like it is.

I am a "real" and "grown up" wrestling fan, and I like Orton, although not as much as I once did.

Personally, I feel he is a very good in ring performer and a very good talker who is in a serious slump, partially due to booking and partially due to his own efforts. But the fact that I don't think he's bringing his A game hardly means he's worthless, and definitely doesn't mean he should be universally despised.

 

[Jenna.]

The IWC is annoying sometimes I swear. I mean yeah everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but just because you don't think someone is great doesn't mean their not great to others.

Say what you want but, Orton is a beast, ever since he came into the WWE. He's a bad ass and I honestly believe he could of hang in the Attitude based off his style. Yeah his promos aren't that great, but that cynical attitude is what works and puts him over. His athleticism and the way he works in the ring is fuckin awesome. And yeah just like every other wrestler in the world, he has the same move set, but when he delivers it's explosive. Not too many wrestlers can perform like him.

In a lot of ways he's similar to Cena in a sense when I think about it. Where he bulks up out of nowhere and goes off...I could understand that be annoying, but at the same time they deliver so differently. Cena could have fallen 20 feet from a ladder and still shoot right up, eat his spinach and turn into Popeye. Orton actually sells when he is attack and when he can capitalize, he goes off on his opponent and hit his RKO out of nowhere. That bad ass cynical heel yet face character he portrays is why he's so popular. He's not that average baby face, which sometimes people like to cheer for obviously. And with all that said he's actually one of the few wrestlers that can get away with having great ability, but have weak promo skills. Dope.

 

[Pegusus Fill_T]

Alright, I just have to way in here.

You cannot just flatly state that Orton (or anyone else is) is the best wrestler in the world, Period, because that is not something that can be objectively proven or quantified.

Wrestling is entertainment, and like any form of entertainment, it is entirely subjective. The best in the world to you may not be the best to me or the next guy or the next guy, ask 100 different people, get 100 different answers, and that's fine. One of them isn't "right" while the rest are wrong.

Please stop cherry picking a few comments from greats in the business and arguing that if you don't agree with them, you're opinion is invalid. That's asinine. I don't have to be a great painter to have an opinion about painting. I don't have to be a great actor to know what I like in acting. You do not have to be in the wrestling industry to have your opinion count, and your opinion doesn't become worthless just because you happen to not be one of the most successful ever.

Also, please stop naming these names and acting as if they all uniformly agree Orton is hands down the greatest. That is not proven by your quotes, all your quotes prove is that they think Orton is very good. You can find quotes from the same men praising other wrestlers, that doesn't make those wrestlers the best any more than it does Orton.

Get a grip, people are allowed to dislike Orton and they are not "wrong" to do so. They don't have to agree with you.

On to the OP, this is ridiculous for the same reasons I felt compelled to comment on Pegasus' response. Your opinion is not universal, don't act like it is.

I am a "real" and "grown up" wrestling fan, and I like Orton, although not as much as I once did.

Personally, I feel he is a very good in ring performer and a very good talker who is in a serious slump, partially due to booking and partially due to his own efforts. But the fact that I don't think he's bringing his A game hardly means he's worthless, and definitely doesn't mean he should be universally despised.

LOL okay wise guy. I dare you to quote 'greats' in the business praising anyother current generation wrestler like this?

By the way read the quotes, John clearly called Orton the best. Triple H compared him to HBK and said that is the best complement he can give. Read heyman's article on Orton. Bret Hart called Orton the excellance of execution, not one of. Maybe you should read more and develop your comprehension

I repeatedly said that not everyone should or would like Orton. Just that it's inane to say he sucks in the ring. Thank You

 

[thedreffect]

I think orton was awesome when he was part of evolution and even after that with his legend killer and youngest world champ run.

Now he's very very bland. Robot ish. Still good in the ring, close to flawless. But just seeing him there doesnt do anything for me. Boring

 

[cult_of_icecream_bar]

A few pointers first:the pegasus guy loves orton and hates punk and SCSA.But he's asian so don't mind him.Now on topic:Orton is popular because he has ALL the tools to be so.Great look,great body,good ring worker and if given mic a good promo worker.Yes he has had his problems but everybody does so.The fact that despite of not being on television for a long time,he still manages to be popular is a credit to him.He has a rather unique character.He isn't your typical Cena-sheamus babyface.A cunning good guy.