Randy Orton: Your NEW World Heavyweight Champion

[The Doctor]

Well, it happened.

Keep all your rage in here, folks.

Personally I'm not happy with the move but I really think that this is building up to Christian getting the title back at a later date, on his own merits instead of because of Edge. The ending definitely built Christian up as sympathetic, and it would be a bad move to not capitalize on that after all the video packages, promos, and even a segment with The Rock. To top it off, it was a very competitive match and Christian definitely looked like he belonged in the main event. I really hope that he stays there since he's earned it and is talented enough to be there.

 

[DethMetal]

I'm a huge Christian fan. You can only imagine the anger and disappointment I felt when he hits the RKO out of nowhere, again. So as of now, Christian is no longer World Heavyweight Champion; BatOrton is.

I've been a fan of Orton since since 2006. I loved his heel work. However, as a face, he's just become angering to look at. Christian has busted his ass for 17 years to finally hold that title. I felt the emotion during that speech he gave in the beginning of the show. Now, all of the magic, gone. Why? So Randy freakin' Orton can be champion again. I think Morrison said it best: it's a good show. But, it's the same old show, and we're sick of seeing it. I'm not trying to dick-ride Christian as I sit here listening to A Perfect Circle, but as a peep, this pisses me of. Watching Orton steal the World Heavyweight Championship from Christian was Disgustipating.

Is anyone here just as pissed at Christian's reign being cut short, and more importantly, the over-ness of Randy Orton?

 

[Spidey Revivey]

I know I'm a great minority in this, but I'm glad Smackdown did Christian vs. Orton for +15 minutes tops. I may not agree with the title changing hands so quickly, but if it had to be someone that could catapult ratings, it was Randy Orton. I hated the "fan's choice" when you had Mark Henry and Great Khali as your other choices, but I think WWE played to Christian very well.

The match was long, Christian had the upper hand many times, and they gave him a segment while leaving the ring, with fans still cheering him on. It was respectable.

 

[Long Island Iced WXYZ]

Pissed off.

But what're you going to do?

Let Christian get built back up and get the crowd behind him like MVP and Hardy did and then we'll see in six months.

He could get even more over and Orton could turn heel again.

Next week will be interesting for sure.

 

[Joshua]

Seeing the end of SD! there are obviously something in the works for Christian here.

I really can't see why people got so upset about this. Randy Orton is now the biggest star on SD! and he can be that as a heel or a face so why not put the title on him? He was sent to SD! to carry the show and that is showing right off the bat.

 

[The_Reptile_]

Like I expected, it was a great match. In fact, it was a great Smackdown all around. But this brings me back to my original question I had at the beginning of the week:

Why couldn't this wait until Over The Limit?

 

[GI Cake]

Vince made it clear that he doesn't like Christian, he doesn't think he is a main eventer or draws fans. He sees him like Zack Ryder... A talented wrestler with a huge fan base with no direction.

Why Orton needs to win the title from Christian is beyond me. Smackdown! is the B-Show, a show to build up young superstars and give them a chance to shine on a non-live show. And Smackdown needs a top Face, a face to help get Heels over, and face to draw the fans. Christian proved at Extreme Rules that he can run with the big boys. Orton has proved he can main-event. Mark Henry is becoming a great heel. Why not have a Triple threat to at least get Henry over with the fans?

 

[D-Man]

It was a great match and now Christian is a main event player. Sure, he no longer has the title belt but just like with Chris Jericho being robbed of the title on Raw against Triple H back in the day, Christian is instantly out of midcard limbo. He's now seen as legit main event material.

I know you guys are all upset over this but at least he went out strong and is in a much better position in the company than he was before. Look at the bright side.

 

[Nate DaMac]

Well I've known this for a few days and I only watched to see Christian with the belt while I could and you know, it was still a nice thing to see. Christian is one of my favorite guys and I wanted him to have a respectable reign as champion. But alas, it was not to be and now I have to suffer through another ridiculously boring Orton reign. I know he's the bigger name and he has the fan support so the move makes complete sense, but that doesn't mean I have to be happy with it. I can't stand Orton at all and having him go over one of my favorites less than a fucking week isn't really helping his cause in my eyes. This is something I do not want to see. Period.

As for Orton's reign, I don't know. Maybe he'll feud with Rhodes or Mark Henry or something else that I won't give a shit about. Maybe Christian will get another shot or 2 and job out to Orton to further his dominance over everyone, as if his total crushing of Punk wasn't enough.

Ugh.

 

[wagnermaniaco]

I think they are setting up a heel turn for Christain. They are trying to make Randy Orton the face of Smackdown. He is going to need a rival. I say Christian is going to ask for his rematch at Over the Limit. Leading up to the ppv, Christain will show a more aggresive side in his matches. He can blame Orton for ending his dream. After the match at the ppv when Christain loses (sadly, which is more likely) he can finish his heel turn and attack Orton. He was suppose to turn on Edge at WM.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I think what we saw tonight was the first chapter in a potentially more intriguing story. All throughout the night, the guys on commentary did the job of constantly comparing Christian to Randy Orton. A guy that's been to the top of the mountain multiple times vs. a first timer. They kept up with this kind of talk and comparing of the two while hyping the both of them simultaneously.

Mark Henry told Christian before he was interrupted that Christian didn't have Edge to watch his back, or at least something along those lines, and I think that MIGHT get overlooked because of all the excitement and interruptions of the opening segment. That line coupled with a lot of stuff I saw tonight with Christian's mannerisms, his facial expressions and the stuff being told by the commentators makes me think that the real story is Christian coming back and ultimately taking the title off of Orton.

The match they had tonight, which was a fantastic match no matter the outcome, gave me the impression that it was a step in a storyline that may have gotten started a week or so ago. On the last SD! before Extreme Rules, Christian gave a little backstage promo talking about how much the title means to him, how he'd never touched it or even felt worthy to touch it. They played a little bit of that in the opening of SD! tonight. Now he manages to win the big one at ER, he captures the title and fulfills a childhood dream and a 17 year quest. Up next, he shows up on SD! and winds up in a match against one of the biggest stars of the decade and a multiple time World Champion in Randy Orton. Christian feels the pressures that he maybe didn't "expect" as far as the storyline goes and ultimately drops the title. Now, the next chapter could be Christian doubting his own worth, wondering whether or not he was really good enough or maybe it was just a fluke that he won the title before he's ultimately built up to challenging Randy Orton at a big ppv event in which he recaptures the WHC.

This is what I think and hope is going to happen. What with the whole hyping & celebration of Christian winning the title at the top of the show and with the way the commentators hyped this whole thing through the night, I just don't think this is the end of the road for Christian and the WHC.

Another possible scenario involves Christian going heel, blaming the fans for his lost of the title as it was their "choice" that put him in a match with Orton, he becomes obssessed with the title, etc.

At any rate, I think Christian has shown himself to be a main event level talent. This match has definitely caused his stock to rise.

 

[Arkham Noir]

I don't like it. I am by no means a big Christian fan, but I can recognize when someone deserves their due and Christian deserved his shot. He carried WWECW for its last year and put on consistently solid matches the entire time. He has then continued to do so (put on consistent matches) ever since. If someone like Jack Swagger can get a few months with the World Title, than I find it disrespectful that Christian can't even make it to the next pay-per-view.

Look, I know Christian isn't a huge draw but I seriously doubt that him holding the title would have had any negative impact on buisness. I also understand that Orton is poised to become the Smackdown equivalant of John Cena, but this wasn't necessary. He should have been given his and his loyal fanbase's due. Sure they got the title win, but it will most likely be a tainted memory in the long run because winning a title means little if it amounts to absolutly zero. Is that selfish as a fan? Sure, but it isn't any less selfish than the boys in charge refusing to give him a shot because of personal preferences?

Ironic that when Edge retired everyone gushed about how he worked hard and was rewarded, yet now his best freind, who has worked just as hard over the years, is being snubbed.

C'est la vie.

 

[Daniel]

I'm I annoyed? No. Christian is pretty boring. Randy Orton isn't.

This is just the start of something for Christian. He may not be a world champion, but he's in a much better position now. In a feud with Orton, he can establish himself as a true main eventer without the burden of a world championship. Without the burden of having to carry the brand. Him losing the title so soon provides intrigue for a potential angle.

Christian may have lost the WHC, but he's gained a better position. This is the beginning for Christian.

 

[lenguy]

Christian went out swinging,that's for sure. They put on a great match that they should both be proud of. Sure a majority of you might not agree with the finish but Christian proved that he has what it takes to hang with the big dogs. I thought it would of made a little more sense to drop the title at a ppv but what's done is done.

I know a lot of you have the right to be upset over this but D-man said it best, this should catapult Christian out of the mid-card limbo for the near future so look at the bright side. Now, whether or not he gets the title back remains to be seen. Since almost zero people backstage has much faith in him being a top contender to hold the big titles does not look good for Christian, but you never know.

 

[hello]

The way they filmed the ending, I feel like Christian is gonna turn heel. There's few other top guys for Orton to feud with... lets look at the roster -

faces-

sin cara
daniel bryan
kane


heels -

wade barrett
sheamus
cody rhodes
mark henry


Orton's already feuded with sheamus and barrett recently, no point in re-visiting those now. The roster's really thin (especially with faces), but why not put Christian in a feud with Orton for a few months?


Also, i believe that was the 74th straight time where Orton stalked his opponent/pounded the mat and his RKO attempt got countered.

 

[#hamler]

That match was amazing. Probably one of the best free tv Orton matches I've seen in a long time. For once, Orton didn't totally dominate. Orton actually matched Christian's style phenomenally and I'm glad the match got the time it did. Wth that said, its sucks. Christian's World Heavyweight Title reign lasted five (two) days which is clearly not a long enough cinderella type reign. But it's ok. There is no doubt in my mind Christian will wear the gold once again, especially after a great match like that. Who knows, the WWE could be setting up an Orton/Rhodes feud and that's something I think we'd all like to see, especially for the World Heavyweight Championship. But Christian's time will come again.

 

[The Newfie Bullet]

Im also a fan of Christain , i dont see why they needed to let Randy Orton win the title already Christain only had it for a couple of days ..couldn't this have waited for over the limit ? christain has been in the wwe for years and he deserved a title reign. All i can say is that this is going to be a boring year for wwe considering SuperCena has the wwe title on raw and SuperOrton has the world heavyweight title on smackdown. I understand that they wanna make Randy Orton the face of smackdown but does he really need to burry everybody else in the process ?, he is a boring champion and i dont want to see a very lengthy reign.I just hope that they are going somewhere else with this and will probably have a couple of rematches , and that they are setting up Christain to get the championship again later this year.

 

[MizfitPeep]

Pissed off. Was there a reason this match couldn't have taken place at Over the Limit in like 3 weeks? It was a good match, and would have given Christian more than a week as champ. It's so irritating that the WWE felt they needed to immediately put the belt on Orton. Christian deserves a nice run as champ & a chance at being a top dog. This had better be the beginning of something big for Christian, and not the same old, same old.

Why oh why couldn't the crowd mess with their plans & pick Mark Henry?

 

[JWGunslinger]

Let me start by saying that I am a lifelong Randy Orton fan. That being said I think that taking the World Heavyweight Championship from Christian less than a week after he finally got it hurt to watch. Yes Randy is a better guy to have representing the brand and Vince doesnt have much faith in Christian but goddamn, atleast let the man hold it for a little while. I expected Randy to win the title from Christian but not so soon, I figured Christian would hold it for about a month to two months and get a feud with Henry under his belt before losing it but no such luck But I do believe this could lead to some really interesting things with Christian and I am looking forward to what happens.

 

[a member of wwe universe]

Christian got robbed Period. Im pissed off and there is no point of expressing my anger regarding wwe's decision to strip his title.

Christian now for the very least is in a better position as he is not regarded as a mid carder but a contender for the world title. Now im hopping Orton and christian will have a long feud for the title and in the process Christian can turn heel.
Christian needs a heel turn in order to maintain his mainevent status. Thats what got him over in the first place back in 2003. I cannot see a face christian to impress vince mchmahon and that in the process, vince mchmahon might have a different perspective of christian.

Now as far as the title changes is concerned, im dont agree to the change. Why? WWE could have waited till over the limit for orton to get title, which i see no reason not to do so.

Orton being a draw and increase rating, so that means he has to get the title immediately. IMO all these little changes surrounding Orton is not gonna help smackdown in the long run. How many maineventers are in smackdown? 1 orton that is it. So at the end of the day, smackdown will still suffer because of the lack of maineventer.

 

[The Calgary Kid]

It's absolute bullshit. If the argument is that they don't think he can draw, why take it from him before he has a chance to put on a single match? There were huge cheers and lots of Christian signs at SD in addition to the massive support he had at the PPV. I understand that Orton is a big name, a moneymaker, and has just been drafted to that show, but does he need to win the WHC in his second appearance on the show, less than a week after Christian won it?

Sure, Christian has held the title and made it apparent that he belongs in the main event. He also has proved that they should have let him hold the belt for more than two days. The pomp and circumstance that has come in the form of WWE.com features, vignettes, and an emotional speech at the top of the show in celebration of his accomplishment... it just doesn't add up. A heel turn, IMO, would be foolish. He's got massive support right now, having been backed by the recently retiring Edge. If he had dropped it to Mark Henry or practically any heel, I would be able to breathe a bit more easily, because I'd assume he'd get it back at the PPV. Orton though, I just don't know.

Miz and Christian both losing the world titles to Cena and Orton in the same week, it's like a fucking nightmare for me. I'm not looking forward to tuning into either show next week, or in the near future. Hopefully this won't last long.

 

[hatehabsforever]

Very disappointed with this development but not remotely surprised unfortunately. We all know that WWE thinks very highly of Randy Orton. When he got drafted to Smackdown, you had to figure that he would quickly become a prominent part of the show, either as champion or certainly in the hunt.

We all also know that Christian has never really been regarded as a true main eventer by McMahon and the WWE brass. While myself and many of us in the IWC disagree, this is the fact of the matter. He never got the push he truly deserved in his first WWE run, he left because of it, and he has not been pushed, not really, in his second run.

Fact of the matter is, as much as us peeps may not want to admit it, this was a token championship out of respect to the retirement of Edge. Edge had to pack it in suddenly and unexpectedly, and this was likely a very short run at Edge's request due to his long term friendship with Christian. Plus it also shows WWE's unwillingness to put major hardware on the obviously not ready Alberto Del Rio.

I don't think this is a part of any bigger picture for Christian. I really hope I am wrong because I was delighted when he won the WHC. But I think Christian's time in the main event is quickly and inexplicably over. He may stay on the fringe of the main event for a little while, but I don't think he re-captures the gold at any point at this stage of his career. Maybe a rematch with Orton (unsuccessfully), maybe some more interaction with ADR, then back to the mid card he goes. Sadly.

 

[Rammsteinerteen]

I'm not happy about this for a lot of reasons. Nobody should give the bull shit that Christian will actually be put up on the card. There is a reason why Christian lost it before the next PPV is because Vince McMahon hates him.

I read the whole reason why Christian lost the title, it's because WWE has no faith in him. I'm expecting a feud to pickup, I'm not expecting Christian to win a world title, EVER, again. I'll stick with RAW, at least the crap doesn't smell that bad when watching it.

 

[Trance Metaphor]

Initially, I was really pissed off about this. However, the quality of the match has only made me a bigger Christian fan.

There was absolutely no build-up to this match though. Orton only won the title because he's the top face equivalent of John Cena. It didn't have to be this way though. They could have waited until the next PPV and Christian could have had at least two successful title defences against other guys such as Mark Henry within that short period. Vince McMahon talks about having no faith in Christian and there are big names in the locker room that don't think of Christian as a draw, but I couldn't disagree more. They didn't even bother to give him a chance. They tease us on WWE.com with a bunch of Christian retrospective video/photo portfolios, all for this. And yeah, because of Edge's retirement, Christian got to sign one brief World Heavyweight Championship reign on his resume. Unfortunately, he's never gonna win it again. It's back to top Mid-Card hell for this man, despite his quality matches and promos. I just hope Randy Orton's title reign doesn't last as long as John Cena's. My god that would be boring.

 

[jr2231]

I am so happy not to have christian as champ any more. As much as I hate Orton I would much rather see him with the belt then Christian,
At least some people in the wwe, feel the same way I do about him that he isn't a main event talent and has no reason to hold the belt long term =)