Orton has a history of unprofessional and immature behavior backstage that was so bad at one point that he was suspended for it. Given the money he's getting, the attention WWE has lavished on him, the pushes he's gotten, etc.
Logical, and if you want to talk about the effect TNA's existence has on WWE, it's in areas like this. We read tons of opinions on this forum, some stating that Vince McMahon doesn't spend a second worrying about TNA, while others believe he's monitoring them all the time, but if you want to know the true impact (pun intended) the smaller company has on the bigger one, this is exactly where it shows up.
Vince McMahon doesn't want Randy Orton going to TNA, a small company with oversized dreams. They've shown the willingness to bloat their payroll with people they can't afford in an effort to become a major force in pro wrestling. Yes, they've gotten more realistic the past few years, but the idea of grabbing a major star like Orton would be too much for them to resist.
Of course, we don't really know how much of a pain in the ass Randy is at WWE; although he's supposed to be beyond the days when he tore up hotel rooms, we've also heard he can be an arrogant bastard. Has he really been drug-free all this time.....or has the company been hiding the test results, strictly because he's Randy Orton? Maybe this time he
really stretched the boundaries, forcing the company to suspend him. Who knows?
But as always, there's TNA. Vince never needed to worry about firing folks like Matt Morgan and Mickie James, knowing they would go to Dixieland. He figured they couldn't make enough difference to matter. But Randy Orton? That's another thing.
True, people like Kurt Angle, Christian and Rob Van Dam went to TNA and didn't have enough effect on the ratings to cause WWE any worry. But Randy Orton is something else entirely. This is a true worry for Vince McMahon.
Of course, it's not as if it's all sweetness and roses for Orton. He has a lot at stake, too. I doubt he wants to go to TNA and do what he's been doing all along.....but for a hell of a lot less money. Wouldn't it be more lucrative to clean up his act and stay where he is?
Forget storylines and in-ring activity; this is purely a business problem. But let's face it; if TNA didn't exist, WWE would be holding all the cards in their dealings with Randy Orton. That's the nature of having competition. But even as we read that TNA's existence is good because it keeps McMahon on his toes, this situation adds another dimension to his problems.
