Is Randy Orton Playing The Role of Kane? (in the SmackDown rankings)

[Ferreira]

Don't get confused by the title, I'm not saying Orton is Kane, or Orton is behind the mask, or whatever, what I am saying is totally different from that.

As you might know "The Big Red Machine" Kane has been used for a long time as the wrestler you have to beat to get the championship match, I remember since 2004 or something like that he has been seen like that. The midcard/main-event jobber that works with rookies or guys that need the win to get over.

Kane was very good at it, because sometimes you felt that he would win, that he had a chance but then the heel won. Randy Orton isn't main-event for the time being, I'm not saying he won't be main-eventing again in a month period, but right now he isn't. And he has worked with three guys recently that needed the push: Cody Rhodes, Wade Barrett and now on RAW: The Miz.

We know that Orton has achieved much more than Kane in his career and for sure will return to his main-event status soon, but don't you think that Orton right now has being used the same way Kane was back in the day? The main-event guy that you tought could win but needs to lose so the new guys look good in the process. Of course, Randy has won more matches recently than Kane in all of his 'feuds' with rookies, but at the same point he is losing much more than he has ever lose before.

Last monday night on RAW, Orton lost to Miz thanks to Wade Barrett that distracted him on the outside, but the old Randy Orton would RKO Barrett and then punt Miz and win the match no matter what. I know that this works in both ways: push Barrett as a threat and put Miz on the main-event of TLC, but it's not usual to use Orton this way until recent weeks.

What do you think? Is Randy Orton, the main face of SmackDown besides Big Show and Sheamus, being used in the role of Kane until he comes back or Big Show returns to the midcard scene? Or am I wrong and Orton hasn't changed a bit in the recent weeks?

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

No, Orton is being used as the role of the centerpiece. He's the Cena of smackdown. He's the top draw there, no argument whatsoever. He's not in the title scene because they're using henry to elevate the other babyfaces and Orton is being used to elevate heels further down on the card.

Christian is more like kane. A heel who isn't the most over guy, but is over enough and credible enough to have card versatility and can do pretty much anything they want him to do.

 

[FearMyBeard]

No, Orton is being used as the role of the centerpiece. He's the Cena of smackdown. He's the top draw there, no argument whatsoever. He's not in the title scene because they're using henry to elevate the other babyfaces and Orton is being used to elevate heels further down on the card.

Christian is more like kane. A heel who isn't the most over guy, but is over enough and credible enough to have card versatility and can do pretty much anything they want him to do.

Pretty much this.

Another difference is Orton is at a point of his career where he's still the top draw so he doesn't(and shouldn't) lose as much as Christian and Kane would on feuds. He still has to be depicted as a cut above the others(Because he is regarded as the no.2 guy in the WWE) so he can't afford to lose cleanly as much as those two guys are. He's putting guys over just by being involved with them not necessarily losing the feuds/matches. Christian and Kane are not as over as Orton is in this period in the WWE so they usually lose feuds/matches outright to elevate guys.

 

[TheHeartbreakPunk]

Well, I would post a huge comment, but twjc pretty much summed it up. Like he said, orton is the guy on smackdown. He can take a lose to elevate a heel when he has to, and can have a rivalry with whoever. You could also argue that randy is kind of the guy you have to beat on smackdown, but thats not the same type of guy as kane used to be.

 

[Captain Morgan Freeman]

I wouldn't call Orton the "kane" of Smackdown, the only similarity is that they both have been used to put over talent but Kane was never as over as Orton was in that role.

Orton is being used to put over talent because one month of Barrett feuding with Orton gets Barrett over more as a heel then he would be from feuding with Daniel Bryan and Sheamus for 4 months. Barrett and Cody have both benefited a lot from being associated with the 2nd most over guy in the company.

Besides it's hard for someone like Orton to consistently put on entertaining matches with someone of Henry's size without the matches getting repetitive hence why Henry went on to feud with the big show after two matches with Orton.

 

[XXJJ]

Orton is more comparable to Taker than Kane. He is the face of Smackdown. You go to SD shows you will see a ton of RKO signs. He is very over. I can probably count only a handful of main events on SmackDown that Orton wasn't involved in, since he got drafted. It doesn't matter if he has the title or not, his role on the show isn't going to change.

Right now he is taking a break from the title picture. He is helping get over some of the midcarders. If you compare Orton with the other past faces of Smackdown.. he is working with a lot less established stars. You help establish some of these guys it will only improve the quality of your brand.