Randy Orton- A true Superstar

[ForzaItalia]

Ever since Orton's recent face turn, Orton has been on fire. He adds new moves to his move set each week. He can RKO or punt anyone he wants and he still gets a huge pop for it. Every time this guy is in a promo, the crowd begs to see the other guy get an RKO just for enjoyment. This guy is like a modern Stone Cold minus the beer. Say what you want say but the Orton character has never been better and Orton is badass!

Now what I want to know is:

Will we see the Age of Orton this year?

How long will this current character last before it gets old?

Can Orton overrun Cena as the top WWE face?

 

[Morpheus101]

Ever since Orton's recent face turn, Orton has been on fire. He adds new moves to his move set each week. He can RKO or punt anyone he wants and he still gets a huge pop for it. Every time this guy is in a promo, the crowd begs to see the other guy get an RKO just for enjoyment. This guy is like a modern Stone Cold minus the beer. Say what you want say but the Orton character has never been better and Orton is badass!

Now what I want to know is:

Will we see the Age of Orton this year?

How long will this current character last before it gets old?

Can Orton overrun Cena as the top WWE face?

Orton can quite possibly eclipse Cena as the top face if WWE were to somehow become less "PG", allowing Orton to pull of a similar role to the one Stone Cold so successfully pulled off. I'm not saying he's the next Stone Cold, but he could be used in that manner, but again, that would depend on WWE becoming more "rated R" (pun intended).

 

[Adam08]

We Will see age of Orton but probably not around until Summerslam time and if wwe books him correctly then his character wont get old or boring. I think he already has got better crowd reactions then cena but the only way i can see cena get good crowd reaction is in less he turns heel and wwe wont do.

 

[Stone_Cold_Randy_Orton]

TBH hes not doing anything he wouldn't do on a daily basis. People cheer because hes face. The WWE however has been on fire with his persona. Last week they gave him mic time, then made him come close to winning the match. This week they hype up the fact that he'll be on the Cutting Edge. Whats the big deal? Hes on every week. They use the Cutting Edge segment to make it seem like its a big deal. Then all he does is stare at Edge and RKOs him at the end. Big deal. He always RKO's people. Then Michael Cole goes "Contrversy Era". Give me a break. It became the controversy era when Cena divided the fans.

 

[tystra09]

Another Age of Orton? I think that it won't be another Age of Orton...BUT I do think that he will win the title again soon. I like how they turned Orton into the quiet face charactor. Granted, he was a good heel, but I believe that he is now better then he was when he was a heel. Which brings us to how long Orton will last as a face. I think they won't keep it because if Orton goes against Cena, they will either A) Make Orton a heel again or B) Make Cena a heel, which one do you think they will do, its really obvious. I think they should make it to where somehow Edge wins the title aqnd then right after he wins it, Orton comes into the picture and wins the belt, that way they keep both faces. Unless they do the whole Orton and Cena respect each other now thing. Orton won't become a bigger face than Cena because Cena is built for a PG show and with WWE going PG (Bogus in my opinion) They will not make Orton the top face. On a different note, I would like to see an unlikely combination of Cena and Orton teaming up and winning the titles. That would be pretty awesome, but thats just my opinion.

 

[Stone_Cold_Randy_Orton]

I forgot about the respect thing. I thought the only options was the heel turn for either cena or randy. But if they go with the respect thing like they did with him and triple h then I'm done with the WWE. I've had enough of the them destroying everything I love.

 

[darbare]

as Randy O's biggest fan I love this new persona....he is badder than ever now and the fans eat it up....but the thing is he is really not a face..he hasnt said anything differently than what he already says....he's just bein honest....this way the WWE can easily turn him back heel one day if he gets stale without there being too much confusion....i also loved the promo between he and Edge....or actually from Edge lol

 

[pessimism101]

This "Age of Orton" won't last very long. A lot of Orton fans only like him because he's a throwback to the Attitude era. That nostalgia will pass, trust me. Then we'll see what else WWE has in store for Orton.

 

[justinept]

I see a lot of comparisons to Steve Austin when it comes to Randy Orton --- the most telling comparison between the two came on Raw tonight when Edge said Orton can RKO anyone and the crowd would still cheer.

That's what made Austin so great. He hit the stunner on JR and people cheered. He hit the stunner on Foley and people cheered. He beat up DX - when the stable was at its most popular - and the crowd went nuts! Austin was the most invincible face character in the history of the WWE. There was nothing the WWE could do with Austin that would make people boo him... There was never before and has never since been a character with that type of invincibility.

Let's not kid ourselves ... Orton has not reached that status yet. But he might be on his way. Let's see what happens when he attacks Cena with an RKO ... or when he hits Triple H with one ... If he's the true second-coming of Austin, then the crowd will still go crazy.

 

[Rhonda Rousey's Sports Bra]

Why does everyone think Randy Orton is the next SCSA? The only things that are comparable are their finishers are about the same, they are both bald, they both wear/wore black trunks, that's really about it, maybe you can compare their persona of not caring who they beat up, but that's really it.

On topic, I don't think we will see the "Age of Orton" 2.0, this will be a whole new type of run, the way I see this year panning out for Orton is he will barely have the title this year leading up to a huge Wrestlemania match were he wins the title. I just think the way he is being built up makes him look like he doesn't even need the title to be one bad mofo, honestly I tend to enjoy storylines that don't involve a title more than storylines that do.

To the second question, I really don't know. I probably won't grow tired of his character because he is my favorite wrestler, so naturally he does no wrong in my eyes.

To the last question, I think it could happen if he is built up right. Like I said earlier in my post. If the WWE keeps the title off him most the year and makes him chase it towards Mania, I think he might get popular enough with everyone to overtake Cena as the topdog. Orton will only overtake Cena if everyone, even the younger kids start liking him.

The more money Orton makes Vince, the more popular he will become. It sounds back asswards but it makes sense if you think about it.

 

[mk_philly74]

On topic, I don't think we will see the "Age of Orton" 2.0, this will be a whole new type of run, the way I see this year panning out for Orton is he will barely have the title this year leading up to a huge Wrestlemania match were he wins the title. I just think the way he is being built up makes him look like he doesn't even need the title to be one bad mofo, honestly I tend to enjoy storylines that don't involve a title more than storylines that do.

I totally agree with that.

But I don't think its about Orton take over the top spot, face wise. Back when it was Austin and Rock running the show we had Taker and Triple H (mainly Taker) off doing their own thing most of the time. Sure they had the spotlight and crossed paths with Rock and Austin but Taker stood on his own.

Maybe that's where they're trying to go with Orton. Sometimes he's face, sometimes he's heel. It just depends. Sure Taker has been a face for years now but back in the Ministry days he was a major heel. The top heel at times. You guys know the history I bet so hopefully you see what I'm saying. But then there's

Triple H as well. He can be face, he can be heel. Triple H could have the fans cheering for him non-stop and in an instant he can make himself the most hated guy in the WWE. But then he can get them on his side in a heart beat. Orton could go down that path.

It's hard to tell right now if Orton will succeed as a top face, if they're building him up to pass Cena or get on Austin's level of invincibility with the fans. But I think this was the plan all along to get Cena and Orton up there in the levels where Rock and Austin were. Cena would never get the Austin spot, Orton has a chance just they have to do everything right with no room for error. But if they're getting Orton to take over as the next Taker where you can basically have the same gimmick and be either a face or heel it gives them move flexibility. Same goes with going the Triple H route.

It all comes down to how Orton is used. You can look at him as the next Stone Cold, Triple H, or Taker in my eyes anyways. It just what they decide and how they execute it. It's too early to tell. Maybe they're not trying to do any of the things I mentioned, they could just be looking at him as Randy Orton and put him in his own category and not make him the next anyone.

 

[tystra09]

as Randy O's biggest fan I love this new persona....he is badder than ever now and the fans eat it up....but the thing is he is really not a face..he hasnt said anything differently than what he already says....he's just bein honest....this way the WWE can easily turn him back heel one day if he gets stale without there being too much confusion....i also loved the promo between he and Edge....or actually from Edge lol

Well I would have to agree with the face thing to an extint. Last weeks RAW, he did confront Batista about being a man and facing Triple H: Face to Face. I think that if he turned more into a face he would be like Stone Cold: Being a badass and the fans love it.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

I am an Orton mark, so I'm a bit biased. For a long time, I didn't think Orton's face turn could work. I have always cheered for him doing bad things, especially during his feud with the HHH/McMahon family. But I have always been more likely to cheer for heelish characters, so I didn't think much of it. The main reason I didn't think Orton could get over as heel was because the audience today seems to be much younger, and more innocent than it was 10-12 years ago, during the rise of the "tweener" type character. I didn't think people (kids and parents) could actually cheer for the terrible things Orton does. But they did.

And what we have gotten since he started getting more cheers than boo's, is a more toned-down Orton. He still does heelish things, but I doubt we'll be seeing him punt Stephanie McMahon any time soon. This younger, more family-oriented crowd, combined with older fans like myself, are starting to get into this guy. I think, like myself, they like the unpredictability of the character. They like the 'edge' he brings to the ring. They like the fire, the intensity, the anger. Maybe some of us are just twisted and nuts, but I like what he does. As a 25 year old man, I'm not into the whole Cena Super Hero gimmick, just doesn't work for me anymore. And obviously, I'm not alone in that.

I think Randy Orton's popularity is a direct result of the John Cena-type character. Some of the audience is looking for a more adult-oriented superstar, and we seem to have found that in Randy Orton. It reminds me a lot of fans turning on Bret Hart, and becoming big Steve Austin fans. Bret was more of the good-guy, superhero type. He did things the right way (most of the time), and Steve Austin brought something new to the table. For a long time now, Cena, without question the top guy in the company (and in the wrestling business), has given us this squeaky-clean face character, and Orton is the alternative.

Do I think he is anything like Steve Austin? No. The only similarity between he and Austin is how the crowd reacts to both men. Austin could do heelish things, and get away with it. Orton does the same thing. Austin could Stun anyone, and get away with it. Orton is the same way with the RKO. But there are many differences. Austin was an every-man kind of guy. A blue-collar guy, who busted his ass for everything he had. He, like Orton, had a nasty temperment. But Austin wasn't as mean as Orton (or at least as mean as Orton used to be). Orton can be downright evil. He is calculating and methodical, two things Steve Austin was not. Austin ran off of instinct, while Orton seems to always have a plan. IMO, there are nowhere near as many similarities between the two as many would like to believe.

Will we see the Age of Orton this year? I guess I'm not clear on what would or would not make the 'Orton Age.' Does this mean he has to surpass Cena as the biggest draw in wrestling? If so, then no. Cena is relatively young, and his fanbase is still pretty strong. Orton is the alternative to Cena, so I don't think Orton needs to outdraw him, outsell him in merchandise, anything like that. I see Cena being on top for another few years. But I have said before, and i still believe it, that Cena's fans, like Hogan's fans, will grow up. They will want something with more of an adult edge, and Orton provides that. So, in a few years, sure, I can see Orton becoming the biggest face in the company, but don't hold your breath for it to happen this year.

The good thing about a character like this...it doesn't get old. The reason it doesn't get old, IMO, is because a crowd from 13-50 years of age can get into this character, and stay there. Cena is great for kids. But those kids grow up, much like Hogan and Bret Hart's fans did. Sure, Cena has his older fanbase as well, many of those guys are right here in this forum. But eventually, kids like to be "cool." A lot of the time, the way to look cool is to grow up. Growing up, a lot of kids look to more controversial things ( in music, movies, etc., as well as wrestling). For my money, the edgier character is always the safer bet to be entertaining for a longer period of time.

So, do I think Orton can overtake Cena as WWE's top face? Maybe. But I don't think he needs to. He is the alternative. Both guys can do well at the same time. Do I think eventually Orton will overtake Cena? I do, actually. But not for quite some time. Cena has a long career ahead of him, and as long as he is drawing and selling merchandise, he's not turning heel. You will know Orton has become THE guy when Cena turns heel, and I don't see that happening for quite some time.

 

[The_Killswitch]

There was never an indication that Orton was becoming or became a face.
At the Rumble he faced Sheamus yes.. This would give good guidance to cheer for Orton and boo Sheamus for winning the championship so quickly and so questionably.

I guess the creative team had no choice for an opponent for Sheamus at the time due to Cenas rant on "Ill never lose again till Im at wrestlemania" and most other top players on Raw with their own set ups at wrestlemania.

But it did occur to me the same level of ovations Orton was receiving compared to Cena. This is how wwe wanted it to play out,they know not only kids want something to cheer for so their answer was to turn Orton into a face with his heel mannerisms.
I love it and personally ever since Orton was injured at Extreme rules 08 and returned that september hes been the best thing on raw.

 

[Morpheus101]

Orton is not Austin, but I do feel that he can be used in a similar role going forward. The RKO is in the same category as the Stunner (a quick, high impact move that can be hit at any time, unlike Cena's Attitude Adjustment (the *bam* effect, I call it). As another poster mentioned, the crowd now goes nuts for the RKO. In fact, it is probably the most popular finishing move in WWE right now. When Orton hit the RKO on Wayne Brady, it was very much like the days of old, when Stone Cold would come out and stun anyone he felt like. Again, I'm not saying that Orton should be molded into the new Stone Cold, but he can be used in a similar role, RKO'ing people left, right and center and clearing the ring when necessary.

WWE needs to take the Orton/Edge feud far. I feel these guys could have a lengthy feud, with perhaps some brawling outside the ring / backstage (kind of like when HHH went to Orton's house -- something you don't see much in the PG era, but it's entertaining).

Orton doesn't have to say that much. He doesn't have to be a joker like Cena, nor does he need to pander to the crowd. In other words, he can still keep the qualities he developed so well as a heel, working as a face.

 

[Dropkicked]

Again, people are missing a few key things in the Orton / SCSA comparison and how Orton is moving to that spot.

1. In regards to the people who doubt the Austin comparison. I know Orton is not and will not be "Austin" but he could be on that level. Take something as simple as the RKO to Wayen Brady. Who else in the history of the E would have done that? Austin. Now I know an RKO doesn't make you stone cold, but all the Austin fans - and there was a lot, are looking for that dark horse. They are looking for the bad ass person to get behind because thats just the way the world is. Nasty and looking for the "wrong" thing to feel right.

2. Did anyone not catch Edge's backstage segmant with Josh "Bloody Nose" Matthews? He referenced the PG era and how he is going to basically change it. Now to me, who has been watching for 25 years, this tells me they are fading PG out. This will make room for R rated Orton and R rated Edge. Now maybe this will be more for RAW but they need something to help get their ratings back.

3. Bottomline, the E made way more money / ratings during the Attitude / Rated R years. The merch for people like Autsin, Rock, DX sold much more than what just Cena is selling now. PPVs were way more watched and the overall WWE product was a lot more over. Because be honest, who else has merch selling besides Cena? Other than Orton, No one. Watch as this changes you will see Orton gear grabbed up, Miz and Jericho gear grabbed up, hell even Shaemus will sell. Cena will always have that PG hold on the kids and will sell. Have you not noticed that Orton has had more new Shirts / Merch that Cena? thats because people are grabbing it up.

Basically the E is catering to our kids at the moment and while that secures their future, they are losing their past which is the majority. Yea we still watch, but we aren't as involved. I will admit, Ive passed on live events that have come around because the product, the TV time outs, the garbage I watch on Tv wasn't worth going to live. But I never missed an event when SCSA was around. I bouth the merch and the hype. Orton is a goldmine in waiting. They saw it when he was heel and how people loved what he was doing.

 

[Morpheus101]

Again, people are missing a few key things in the Orton / SCSA comparison and how Orton is moving to that spot.

1. In regards to the people who doubt the Austin comparison. I know Orton is not and will not be "Austin" but he could be on that level. Take something as simple as the RKO to Wayen Brady. Who else in the history of the E would have done that? Austin. Now I know an RKO doesn't make you stone cold, but all the Austin fans - and there was a lot, are looking for that dark horse. They are looking for the bad ass person to get behind because thats just the way the world is. Nasty and looking for the "wrong" thing to feel right.

2. Did anyone not catch Edge's backstage segmant with Josh "Bloody Nose" Matthews? He referenced the PG era and how he is going to basically change it. Now to me, who has been watching for 25 years, this tells me they are fading PG out. This will make room for R rated Orton and R rated Edge. Now maybe this will be more for RAW but they need something to help get their ratings back.

3. Bottomline, the E made way more money / ratings during the Attitude / Rated R years. The merch for people like Autsin, Rock, DX sold much more than what just Cena is selling now. PPVs were way more watched and the overall WWE product was a lot more over. Because be honest, who else has merch selling besides Cena? Other than Orton, No one. Watch as this changes you will see Orton gear grabbed up, Miz and Jericho gear grabbed up, hell even Shaemus will sell. Cena will always have that PG hold on the kids and will sell. Have you not noticed that Orton has had more new Shirts / Merch that Cena? thats because people are grabbing it up.

Basically the E is catering to our kids at the moment and while that secures their future, they are losing their past which is the majority. Yea we still watch, but we aren't as involved. I will admit, Ive passed on live events that have come around because the product, the TV time outs, the garbage I watch on Tv wasn't worth going to live. But I never missed an event when SCSA was around. I bouth the merch and the hype. Orton is a goldmine in waiting. They saw it when he was heel and how people loved what he was doing.

Great post. In a nutshell, that was what I was also trying to say, but you did a better job of expressing it than I did.

I agree with you -- Orton is a potential goldmine and as he's still relatively young, he can be a potential cash cow for years, if WWE plays this one right and brings the product back to more of an "adult" level, rather than just trying to please the kiddies with constant Cena shoved down our throats.

Let me put it this way, Orton is so much of a goldmine (to use your words) that not even Triple H got the pops that Orton gets now when Triple H turned face. Triple H lost a lot of his heel qualities when he turned face, but Orton does not need to lose any of them.

A good, brutal, entertaining Orton/Edge feud could be just what we need. Both these guys could take brutality to the next level, they could have backstage fights, even fights in friggin' supermarkets (just like SCSA and Booker T did). The good thing is...Orton doesn't need to crack jokes or kiss the crowd's ass.

Let's also hope that there's a chance that Edge's little hints last night actually amount to some truth. WWE have a habit of throwing in hints when they are about to make changes. Let's hope that this is the case and that WWE will become more of an adult product once again, which is what it did best.

 

[Dropkicked]

Like someone said in a nother post I read which I think perfectly sums it up - WWE is no longer a wrestling company, they are an entertainment company. It comes down to the dollar and while the E is making it, they aren't makign what they could, or used to. Look at their stock figures (I have). Granted its a bad economy, but its also not a good product, well not like it used to be.

We (adults) are the catalyst to the E. Not the kiddies. Its us that are buying the kids their cena shirt, but its also us, who aren't buying anything for ourselves in addition to that cena shirt for the kid. It us who are not buying PPVs for the kdis to watch because quite frankly we dont want to see it - why should we when it basically rehashed RAW garbage.

Orton is that key to brining a lot of intrigue back. Im not saying its him and only him, but he is simply the key. Imagine if they let him and Edge go balls out and take this thing back a few years and not give them boundries. You could see a lot of heads turn real fast. The possibilities of an R rated future with the likes of Orton, Edge, Shaemus, Miz, Jericho, hell even an R Rated Santino could be hilarious.

Orton is that key. If the E does it right, Orton could be the rejuvenation of the attitude era for WWE. There is no reason the E should be PG. The way the world is between Porn, Video Games, Movies, Facebook, Twitter, etc - all these things require a certain age, a certain demographic. These are all the biggest entertainment outputs because they hold no boundries.

Orton is a sex symbol to the girls, a bad ass for the guys, a good wrestler for the purists and a goldmine for business. Not just E, but every mechandise seller and sponsor.

 

[Stone_Cold_Randy_Orton]

Orton is being way to much mimicked as a Stone Cold. Hes not SC. He needs to be given his own role. Sure he can do the same over the top stuff but his persona should be unique. At the moment they are making him a replica. And that's not gonna work when people start catching on. As you all have compared, hes basically a Stone Cold. What you don't get it that its forced, not by chance. Hes getting over because they are using him in that role. Obviously its scripted but more so than you might grab on. As long as this doesn't go horribly wrong I'm ok with it. But there's gonna come a time when its blatantly obvious and everyone is gonna turn.

 

[axl626]

Dude, your name is Stone Cold Randy Orton. Just saying.

Otherwise, Orton isn't that much like Austin. Orton was called a Viper because it was a dig at him being a lethal snake, or cheater. I personally hate that nickname, but it's stuck so I'll deal with it. And I sincerely doubt we'll see Randy kowtow to the fans like Austin did. That man really was the king of the cheap pop. From the finger, to "give me a hell yeah", to "that's the bottom line", and the worst was that dumbass "what?" It's ruined promos. The only real similarities are the snake name (which, again, were gotten in entirely different ways) and attacking anyone at anytime with little provocation. That's about it. I really hope Randy becomes bigger than Austin and people start wondering in the future who the next Orton will be. For the record, I've never liked Austin, but he cemented my dislike for him when he ran home and also refused to help build up Brock Lesnar. And the rumored domestic beatings don't help.

 

[Stone_Cold_Randy_Orton]

lol. I know. I couldn't think of a better name It represents the fact that he's being billed that way and I wanna point it out before it gets big. Then I can show them that it was known all along. Its all part of the big picture.

 

[admaildaniel]

Orton is definitly the man and he does remind me of the ol' Stone Cold. The crazy/cool thing about Orton is that he does absolutely NO pandering to the crowd at all. No catchphrases, no bird flipping (or pg facsimile), no WHAT? Orton hasn't changed one bit from when he was a heel but we the fans decided he was going to be a face and we made it happen. I LOVE THAT!

I have a friend that kind of buys in to the wrestling stuff at face value (not the brightest guy I know) but he hated Orton until he started getting cheered regardless of what I said. Now, Orton is his favorite wrestler and the only thing that is different is the on-screen reaction of the audience. Us internet guys and so-called marks have helped make Orton the biggest name in WWE (except for that idiot cena) and that is awesome.

 

[CobraVenom]

Orton is being way to much mimicked as a Stone Cold. Hes not SC. He needs to be given his own role. Sure he can do the same over the top stuff but his persona should be unique. At the moment they are making him a replica. And that's not gonna work when people start catching on. As you all have compared, hes basically a Stone Cold.

Orton's actions may mimic Austin, but his persona sure as hell does not. Austin was the loud mouthed, beer drinking, in your face attitude. Orton isn't like that at all. Orton is more like WCW Raven.

And by the way, if you want to say that Orton's persona needs to be unique, you can. Just remember the name, Ric Flair.

What you don't get it that its forced, not by chance. Hes getting over because they are using him in that role. Obviously its scripted but more so than you might grab on. As long as this doesn't go horribly wrong I'm ok with it.

You got to stop it with this "forced" bullshit. What Orton is doing right now is popular, and the WWE is running with it. If you had a good thing going, would YOU stop it? If you say yes, then you are the worst businessman I've ever seen.

But there's gonna come a time when its blatantly obvious and everyone is gonna turn.

Don't call yourself "everyone." Thanks.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

lol. I know. I couldn't think of a better name It represents the fact that he's being billed that way and I wanna point it out before it gets big. Then I can show them that it was known all along. Its all part of the big picture.

You aren't actually pointing this out, or breaking this idea.

why?

because I, personally, started practically this exact same thread a YEAR ago. They should have, and could have, done it then. In fact, they almost missed this.

Clearly this is our new anti hero. In a different mold than SCSA, but simulair crowd reaction to actions portrayed character.

Also, Razor Ramon was actually one of the first guys to pull this kind of thing off. But anyway. Obviously, this is Orton's angle, and has been since January.

 

[The Doctor]

Will we see the Age of Orton this year?

I believe so. I believe Orton may be more over now than he has ever been. The crowd is lapping him up with a spoon. Orton is an incredible performer, moreso now that he's turned face and has sped up his moveset. I see a long Orton title run in the near future.

How long will this current character last before it gets old?

I don't see his current character getting old for a very, very, very long time. He's massively over, and is a new Anti-Hero. We love him because he breaks the rules and can snap at any time. He is also exciting to watch, especially with the unpredictability of the RKO.

Can Orton overrun Cena as the top WWE face?

I believe he already has. He outpops Cena regularly. Eventually the WWE will cotton on and start marketing him. He may even become a miniature pop culture icon. As far as I'm concerned, the sky is the limit for Randy Orton.