Should Randy Orton bow out from the WWE?

[newteenforbb]

Before I get to the meat of this post, I will begrudgingly give Randy Orton kudos for two things.

(1). I think his overall interest in his character and matches has increased in last month and he has had a nice run of good matches (yes, I am talking about the Elimination Chamber gauntlet). And not just because guys like Cesaro and Bryan beat him clean. I legit found all five matches to be engaging and I haven't found any Orton match to be engaging in VERY long time.

(2). Orton joins Cena now in the respect department for how he deals with vocal crowds that do not like him. I always held Cena in high regard for how he was able to shrug off the dislike from the crowd. As a face, that's difficult. It is easier for Randy as a heel because he can taunt the crowd (do his pose, laugh at them, talk to them) and it fits his character. That being said, perhaps the Orton of years ago would have let his anger issues come out instead of just working the crowd the way he has lately. So, for that, props.

OKAY. I'm done with the compliments. To the subject at hand...

Do you guys think it is time for Randy to officially exit the WWE of his own choice? As in, throw in the towel and either retire or decide it is time for a very long leave.

The next generation of WWE is here. Daniel Bryan, The Shield (all 3 members), The Wyatt's (all 3 members), Cesaro, Ziggler, etc... That's the future. John Cena still brings in the crowds, money, and his marketability is one of the things that keeps WWE relevant. He stays, without question. You have your occasional big name that becomes water cooler talk for a while (Brock, Jericho, RVD, Taker). That's pretty much all the WWE needs right now to survive because they already have some solid midcard talent to work off of as well.

There really isn't a place anymore in the company for Randy. He isn't just going to put over talent as his only use because that's just not a good long term idea. You can only lose so much before the guys that beat you don't earn much of a rub by doing so. He is already the weakest champion WWE has seen in years and while Cesaro beating him clean was indeed a big deal, you can only have so many of those big deals before they become small deals. Even now, defeating Randy Orton isn't really seen as a major thing in my eyes. It can happen at any point, via any opponent, and I'll go "okay, makes sense."

He obviously can't continue on as a main event player for much longer. The audience is not going to have it. Regardless of how WM30 plays out, we can pretty much bet our houses that Orton leaves New Orleans without the championship. Yeah, I know. Rematches at ER and/or Payback could happen but he isn't going to win back the title at either of those. Nor should he. So once he drops out of the title picture (and the main event scene), there really isn't a viable way for him to ever return to it. The fans are giving him "we don't want to see you anymore" heat, not "we love to hate you" heat. I don't foresee a face turn anytime soon and even if they did that as a last resort to change things up, the crowd would probably give him the current Batista treatment.

So, a puppet used to elevate talent is out. Main event player is out. What's left? When you think about it, he really has no viable place in the company anymore. I don't care if he is 33 years old and can still put on good matches. He has had his career. He has had the title reigns, the big match wins (Rumble, MITB, Mania), the spotlight both as a face and a heel. If he really wants to endear himself to wrestling fans who could potentially remember him fondly, his best bet would be to let his current story play out and then hang it up.

What do you guys think?

 

[Sheamus' Suntan]

Orton is still young. He's got a major part in the future of the WWE. I've always liked Orton. Even during his stale as hell face moment.

He will stay a major part of the WWE because of his age, ability to work and mic skills. For you to say there's no place for him is narrow sighted. He has a place and its near the top for the next 5 or so years, minimum.

 

[newteenforbb]

Orton is still young. He's got a major part in the future of the WWE. I've always liked Orton. Even during his stale as hell face moment.

He will stay a major part of the WWE because of his age, ability to work and mic skills. For you to say there's no place for him is narrow sighted. He has a place and its near the top for the next 5 or so years, minimum.

Mic skills? What? I'm going to try and remain as unbiased as possible even though I sincerely dislike the man but what mic skills? He had one instance where I saw and heard something of value the night after the Rumble and that was because creative told him to talk very fast and get to the point in order to cool down the crowd from hijacking the segment. But aside from that, mic skills?

And age really has nothing to do with it when it comes to wrestling today. Daniel Bryan is 32. Cesaro is 33. One is a year younger than Orton. The other is his age. Both are miles ahead of him when it comes to in-ring skills.

Yeah, Orton can be a work horse, I'll give you that. He has probably ended up in the top 5 of most worked matches each year for the last 2-3. But that doesn't mean he should be doing it. Think of it like a television show with great ratings but one that has been running forever. Just because it keeps producing episodes because it CAN doesn't mean it should.

 

[Wald]

He has been booked very badly in this run since Summerslam but that doesn't mean the guy should retire. He's still one of the most talented, if not the most talented, wrestlers on the roster. He still has the perfect look of a champion. Still gets reactions, even if they're negative ones now and still has the ability to steal shows. Oh and he's still really young in wrestling terms.

He'll lose the title at Wrestlemania for sure and at that stage I think his character could do with taking some time off to allow the damage that has been done to it by the Authority storyline to fade a bit but he definitely shouldn't retire.

 

[Jaffa]

This seems like a I'm going to shit all over someone who I don't like at the moment for no reason other than the person I want to be champion isn't at the moment. Before winning the title at Summerslam he spent basically 2 years out of the title picture. No matter he loses the title too at Wrestlemania unless they are nowhere near the current title picture he will have lost a title to them before. Basically your argument is Orton should retire because even though he is a good wrestler I don't like his character and they can't book him the way they are right now for the years to come. As for the next generation is here your delusional if you think right now that Ziggler and the Wyatts minus Bray are going places. So no they don't yet have a next generation and even if they did wouldn't that mean that Edge vs Jericho shouldn't have been a Mainevent of Mania 26 seeing as they both debuted over a decade before the event. Orton still has plenty to offer and a contract for the next 5 years so he shouldn't and will not be going anywhere.

 

[newteenforbb]

He has been booked very badly in this run since Summerslam but that doesn't mean the guy should retire. He's still one of the most talented, if not the most talented, wrestlers on the roster. He still has the perfect look of a champion. Still gets reactions, even if they're negative ones now and still has the ability to steal shows. Oh and he's still really young in wrestling terms.

I don't think anyone backstage or heck, even Orton himself could logically look at "boring," "pu**y," "you suck," as reactions you want. A heel reaction is a sign of respect from the audience- the heel is doing their job right. A negative reaction is a sign something is very wrong with what you are doing. People just don't care about you anymore. And I can't remember the last time Orton "stole a show." Has he ever?

He'll lose the title at Wrestlemania for sure and at that stage I think his character could do with taking some time off to allow the damage that has been done to it by the Authority storyline to fade a bit but he definitely shouldn't retire.

I'm fine with that. But we need to be talking Batista-type time off here and not just say the Summer and return in the fall.

 

[newteenforbb]

This seems like a I'm going to shit all over someone who I don't like at the moment for no reason other than the person I want to be champion isn't at the moment. Before winning the title at Summerslam he spent basically 2 years out of the title picture. No matter he loses the title too at Wrestlemania unless they are nowhere near the current title picture he will have lost a title to them before. Basically your argument is Orton should retire because even though he is a good wrestler I don't like his character and they can't book him the way they are right now for the years to come. As for the next generation is here your delusional if you think right now that Ziggler and the Wyatts minus Bray are going places. So no they don't yet have a next generation and even if they did wouldn't that mean that Edge vs Jericho shouldn't have been a Mainevent of Mania 26 seeing as they both debuted over a decade before the event. Orton still has plenty to offer and a contract for the next 5 years so he shouldn't and will not be going anywhere.

Look at the dude in your sig. He gets it. Jericho could still wrestle circles around 90 percent of the roster (Orton included) but he knows full well that WWE can't really do much with him right now. It wouldn't be wise for him to come back and just prop up other guys and lose constantly. And it wouldn't make sense for him to be main eventing again on a consistent basis. That's why I have the utmost respect for Jericho. He will always be considered one of the greats because he shined when he needed to, and he bowed out when he needed to. Orton could conceivably look at Jericho's choices and learn a thing or two.

 

[Eddie Menuek]

I don't really understand.

The booking of Randy Orton's character since late 2013 doesn't scream longevity, but that doesn't mean he's going to be playing this role forever. He can still hang with the best of them in the ring, he's still valuable to the company, I'd say he's fairly over as a heel at the moment and at some point in 2014 you could probably flip a switch and turn him into one of the premier babyfaces in the company, if need be. I think he's ultimately a utility guy. Somebody who has enough credibility that you can only hurt him so much because the fans know him as a main eventer, and at the moment the utility that he's serving is to help a host of less established guys who need the help in order to step up to his level.

From Orton's standpoint, he's making good money, he's always going to have a spot towards the top of the card so long as he's healthy and behaving, he's building a solid legacy. Unless he was genuinely unhappy with what he was doing why would he even begin to consider stepping away?

 

[Wald]

I don't think anyone backstage or heck, even Orton himself could logically look at "boring," "pu**y," "you suck," as reactions you want. A heel reaction is a sign of respect from the audience- the heel is doing their job right. A negative reaction is a sign something is very wrong with what you are doing. People just don't care about you anymore. And I can't remember the last time Orton "stole a show." Has he ever?

When he has been booked as the ultimate chickshit heel champion you could look at chants of 'pussy' and 'you suck' as the exact type of heel heat they want. What else are you meant to chant at a champion who is hiding from a fight?

As for stealing the show, well it's all subjective of course but his program with Christian over the world heavyweight title in 2011 regularly had the best match on the card and was the best feud of that year.

Go back further in time and his match against Taker at Wrestlemania 21, his hardcore matches against Foley and vs Benoit at Summerslam were all the highlights of those PPVs.

I also want to highlight how he also puts over upcoming talent more than any other main event superstar I can genuinely remember. The Rock maybe comes close but Orton is a top line wrestler who doesn't mind taking a clean pinfall to help a guy get over, that's pretty rare to find and is something to be championed instead of overlooked.

 

[newteenforbb]

When he has been booked as the ultimate chickshit heel champion you could look at chants of 'pussy' and 'you suck' as the exact type of heel heat they want. What else are you meant to chant at a champion who is hiding from a fight?

As for stealing the show, well it's all subjective of course but his program with Christian over the world heavyweight title in 2011 regularly had the best match on the card and was the best feud of that year.

Go back further in time and his match against Taker at Wrestlemania 21, his hardcore matches against Foley and vs Benoit at Summerslam were all the highlights of those PPVs.

I also want to highlight how he also puts over upcoming talent more than any other main event superstar I can genuinely remember. The Rock maybe comes close but Orton is a top line wrestler who doesn't mind taking a clean pinfall to help a guy get over, that's pretty rare to find and is something to be championed instead of overlooked.

Yes, Christian. Fine. Those were some damn good matches. But that was in 2011. Taker/Foley/Benoit...we are really digging deep into the past now, aren't we? It is pretty sad when you have to go back THAT far to find 4-5 star matches from someone who is basically wrestling every single week for years on end.

And I always laugh when people want to applaud Orton for clean pinfalls and say that should be something he needs to be commended on. That's a booking decision. Orton shows up to work in his bus, finds out he is losing to so and so, prepares for his match, does the job, and gets back on the bus. If you want to commend someone, I guess creative gets the nod for that. Orton has no say in the result of his matches.

 

[pyrusane]

God, I hate it when dumbasses post threads. As several have already pointed out, this is a stupid topic with a ridiculous premise. "I don't like a guy, so he should retire." Hell, at least the guy who made the "Undertaker sucks" thread a couple weeks ago had the reduced schedule and advanced age things going for him. This is just dumb.

The most obvious reason why this is a pure hate thread and nothing more can be seen from clips from your first post and subsequent reply.

The next generation of WWE is here. Daniel Bryan, The Shield (all 3 members), The Wyatt's (all 3 members), Cesaro, Ziggler, etc... That's the future.

And age really has nothing to do with it when it comes to wrestling today. Daniel Bryan is 32. Cesaro is 33. One is a year younger than Orton. The other is his age.

You say Daniel Bryan is the "next generation" while ignoring the fact that they are the exact same generation. Hell, he has actually been in the business longer than Orton, although obviously not in the WWE. Cesaro became a professional wrestler in Europe in 2000...the same year Orton started in St. Louis. But yeah, Orton is clearly past his prime and should just hang up the boots right now...

Orton is a strong, established competitor, one who isn't afraid to put others over, and who can do so without losing any of his credibility. Think about it - he lost cleanly to four of the five guys in the EC with him, and yet he could have beaten any one of them cleanly without anyone batting an eyelash (maybe not DB, but that has less to do with ability or credibility and more to do with Bryan's insane popularity at the moment).

You seem like the type that, if these forums had been around in 89-90, would have posted things like "The WWF should release Randy Savage. His time is over. He'll never be as popular as Hogan, he's already had a title run. Let the new generation of guys like the Ultimate Warrior and Bad News Brown have their chance to shine." I'm not comparing Orton to Savage, just the relative popularity between Savage/Hogan and Orton/Cena.

You are like so many posters on here; you want to have things your way, and only your way. I don't understand that overblown sense of self-entitlement...perhaps you can explain it?

EDIT: And I just saw this gem:

And I always laugh when people want to applaud Orton for clean pinfalls and say that should be something he needs to be commended on. That's a booking decision. Orton shows up to work in his bus, finds out he is losing to so and so, prepares for his match, does the job, and gets back on the bus. If you want to commend someone, I guess creative gets the nod for that. Orton has no say in the result of his matches.

You really think Orton doesn't have a pretty loud voice? The guy who halted Kofi's push a couple of years ago after one botch in a match? The guy who got Mr. Kennedy fired while he was in the midst of a comeback push? You're not just self-entitled, you're delusional...

 

[newteenforbb]

From Orton's standpoint, he's making good money, he's always going to have a spot towards the top of the card so long as he's healthy and behaving, he's building a solid legacy. Unless he was genuinely unhappy with what he was doing why would he even begin to consider stepping away?

...IDK, maybe because there comes a time when you, if you are a decent person, begin to look at the bigger picture instead of your own personal gain. Maybe because he would like to see the WWE succeed well into the future and that means allowing those up and comers who are at the cusp of main eventing PPV's do just that. Orton has NO control over how he is booked but he sure as heck would have control if he simply wasn't around to BE booked.

 

[newteenforbb]

God, I hate it when dumbasses post threads.
The most obvious reason why this is a pure hate thread and nothing more can be seen from clips from your first post and subsequent reply.

I don't see a reason for name calling, quite honestly. And this isn't a pure hate thread because I started the darn thing giving the guy props for two things. If I hated him that much, I wouldn't have even gone there.

Orton is a strong, established competitor, one who isn't afraid to put others over, and who can do so without losing any of his credibility. Think about it - he lost cleanly to four of the five guys in the EC with him, and yet he could have beaten any one of them cleanly without anyone batting an eyelash (maybe not DB, but that has less to do with ability or credibility and more to do with Bryan's insane popularity at the moment).

Again, Orton doesn't put others over, creative does. Orton does what he is told to do. And how can anyone say that Orton hasn't lost credibility from September to today? Can you name a weaker WHC/WWE Champion in recent memory? WWE isn't in the business of protecting Orton anymore. He loses matches with no caveats. You think Orton's legacy is so strong that he could go on losing matches and his credibility would still be high? If he didn't have those two belts draped on his shoulders, you might as well call him Del Rio.

You are like so many posters on here; you want to have things your way, and only your way. I don't understand that overblown sense of self-entitlement...perhaps you can explain it?

What entitlement? I don't need or want things only my way. To be quite honest, I'm not even a part of this whole Bryan needs the strap immediately or else we riot crowd. I just see the writing on the wall. I see the matches that are being delivered to us by the next generation of wrestlers and I see a guy who doesn't need to interfere with that natural progression of the "new" in the WWE.

 

[Wald]

Yes, Christian. Fine. Those were some damn good matches. But that was in 2011. Taker/Foley/Benoit...we are really digging deep into the past now, aren't we? It is pretty sad when you have to go back THAT far to find 4-5 star matches from someone who is basically wrestling every single week for years on end.

You asked me to name when he has ever stolen the show and I named quite a few times. If you're talking about four or five star matches the guy has put on multiple ones every year of his career and to suggest otherwise is nonsense.

And I always laugh when people want to applaud Orton for clean pinfalls and say that should be something he needs to be commended on. That's a booking decision. Orton shows up to work in his bus, finds out he is losing to so and so, prepares for his match, does the job, and gets back on the bus. If you want to commend someone, I guess creative gets the nod for that. Orton has no say in the result of his matches.

You think main event guys don't get some say in the outcome of their matches? Sure Vince can override their wishes but there's a reason why Bret Hart, Triple H, HBK, Taker, Batista, Austin, Hogan, Cena etc. only lose/lost clean on rare occasions. They especially rarely lose clean, if ever, on weekly shows to midcard acts. Orton has done so lots of times in the past.

 

[dhines1671]

...IDK, maybe because there comes a time when you, if you are a decent person to look at the bigger picture instead of your own personal gain. Maybe because he would like to see the WWE succeed well into the future and that means allowing those up and comers who are at the cusp of main eventing PPV's do just that. Orton has NO control over how he is booked but he sure as heck would have control if he simply wasn't around to BE booked.

Retire at 33 and in good health? Sure thing.... get over it. You might have better luck hoping for a 3rd wellness violation.

Does Orton own a ton of WWE stock? Why should he stop worrying about his personal gain when his life expectancy is another 50 years? I don't care for Daniel Bryan. I think he makes Orton's mic skills look like The Rock by comparison. I know he's a great wrestler, but WWE isn't ROH. They have him doing the same 5-10 moves in reparation now just like everyone else. But I wouldn't suggest he retire tomorrow. If guys like Orton go away who are the guys you consider the "new generation" supposed to fued with after the 1st 6 months fueding each other?

Orton is WWE for life. He doesn't have any other career opportunities like MMA, or acting. He isn't going away anytime soon. I'm sorry if that bugs you. Try changing the channel during his segments. That's what I do when Cena starts to drag on with a voice cracking promo. Or when Daniel Bryan gives the same blah promo for the 17th Raw in a row.

 

[Eddie Menuek]

...IDK, maybe because there comes a time when you, if you are a decent person, begin to look at the bigger picture instead of your own personal gain. Maybe because he would like to see the WWE succeed well into the future and that means allowing those up and comers who are at the cusp of main eventing PPV's do just that. Orton has NO control over how he is booked but he sure as heck would have control if he simply wasn't around to BE booked.

There's no room for 'looking at the bigger picture instead of your own personal gain' when the personal gain involved is your livelihood. You're certainly in no position to say whether or not Orton is in the same financial situation as, say, CM Punk who supposedly can afford to step away from it and not miss the income. For starters, Orton has a daughter and an ex-wife. That's not cheap.

 

[Animeboy010]

Mic skills? What? I'm going to try and remain as unbiased as possible even though I sincerely dislike the man but what mic skills? He had one instance where I saw and heard something of value the night after the Rumble and that was because creative told him to talk very fast and get to the point in order to cool down the crowd from hijacking the segment. But aside from that, mic skills?


Me Let Discredit You Right here, This Post will be Short and Sweet

1. Daniel Bryan Has no MIC SKILLS! He Only got over by a Stupid ''Yes Chant''


2. DOCTOR WHO, Says Hi, you dumb Idiot, been going on for 50 years now,get in touch with society, the Show popularity has grown world-wide nobody wants to see it go off the air. Only a Selfish loser thinks about themselves and Trust me you are a Loser.

3. No,Randy Orton is a huge Fan Favorite. I've seen Fans line up 6-Deep at his Publlic Appearances. Women practically faint when he looks at them. He gets cheered at every single WWE Show that I've been to. Randy Orton is one of the top Merchandise Sellers for WWE. You can tell that by the way his merchandise sells from The Concession Stands and by how many fans are wearing his merchandise, and bring RKO/Viper signs


4. He has Million of Supporters from Around the World

5. How would you like if I said WWE should go off the air? Wrestling is declining??

 

[thebowtiekiller]

Fans keep chanting boring at him because that is the general feeling towards him its not just to annoy him he is has had some good fueds over the years so he is quite capable of entertaining us.he is known as the viper and he trys to reflect that in the ring with his movements and the way he stalks his opponent waiting to strike problem is it just comes off as robotic as do his promos there is absolutley no real emotion in what he says when hes supposed to sound angry he just says his line a bit louder.he might aswell have the script in his hand when he talks.i dont think orton should actually leave but he could really do with a long break while they decide a decent new direction for his character. I would say a regular boring chant is one of the worst things a wrestler can get or any entertainer for that matter and hes main eventing mania 30 with someone who the crowd also dont want to see batista sometimes i do wonder are the people in charge of wwe just stubborn or are they actually a bit dumb.

 

[tak161]

Okay, so obviously this whole topic is based off of one person's opinion. This is a case of "I don't like Randy Orton, so he's useless and needs to quit". Randy Orton still has lots to offer, and has many, many years left. Just because you do not like him doesn't mean he needs to leave. By your logic, Cena should leave too since there's nothing left for him to accomplish, and the crowds aren't completely on his side. Orton isn't going anywhere for a long time, barring a serious injury that takes him out. For you to insinuate that he is useless or that he needs to leave is ridiculous.

 

[Sabutage]

A lot of posters have echoed my feelings but for what its worth I just want to add I think Orton is one of the best talents in WWE. He's great in the ring, I think he has a good look. Sure his mic skills arent amazing, but in full heel viper mode he can do whats needed and his facial expressions can make up for it. Its true right now I find him more annoying, but that's more to do with him being made to look so weak, and doesnt disregard all his other plus points.

Also, considering the start he had in the company, the bad news stories, people saying he got everything too soon or too easy, I think hes done a good job improving over time, working with other talents and putting the man hours in. He has a child and hes made enough money to retire or chill out more but he still shows up and works a hell of a lot, that deserves to be respected.

 

[Rollins_The_Future]

I think this is a troll thread. Why should orton leave? Because you don't like him? Makes sense... not. Orton is an all time great and accomplished a lot at a young age. He will stay at least 10 years in wwe.

 

[Stelena91]

First of all, let me start off by stating that you are often seen posting comments bashing about Randy in every aspect possible. While everyone has a right to their own opinions, it is natural for other people to feel that you are extremely biased(probably one of those people that bash other wrestlers just because DB isnt getting anywhere near the gold yet). If you are unable to/purposely do not want to try appreciating the effort Randy puts in in his work, then nothing people say will convince you otherwise.

Randy is an excellent and credible in-ring performer backed up by many. You can rant all you want and say that his in-ring performance is subpar to your favourite wrestlers but that is not going to be accurate and fair. Not everyone likes high-flying and fast-paced action like you. The more important part is to portray your character well. Isnt that why WWE has a variation of wrestlers to cater to every demographic? Then again, you may say his character is stale and boring...let me remind you that Randy has been in this business for a decade now. He has proven that if given the chance, he can truly shine as seen in 2004-2005 and 2009-2010. He should be garnering more respect from people like you for his willingness to put over young upcoming talent and not giving you the impression that his career is declining.

Your post simply sounds like a biased piece of crap that came from hating on the results from the Elimination Chamber when your favourite DB didnt prevail. This brings me to another point on ******ed disrespectful people who destroys other matches selfishly by imposing their intentions through inappropriate channels. It is becoming so annoying to see and hear to the point where fans who do not support DB just get so irritated by his fans and develop negativity towards the wrestler himself. If you do not like what WWE is producing, simply dont show your support and keep quiet. Doing otherwise just shows immaturity and utter disrespect towards other wrestlers who also put in a lot of effort in their work. They deserve to get recognised as well.

Ultimately, the main point is that please do not be so narrow-sighted and view wrestlers' future in terms of their booking and storyline progression. Every wrestler has their ups and downs. You may dislike the fact that DB still hasnt won the gold yet but who knows what WWE has in store for him? He may or may not be buried in the future but do not blame other wrestlers for it and discredit them in any way.

 

[Ichimaru_Gin]

This has got to be one of the more idiotic threads I've come across. Just cause you don't like the guy, you think he should retire?
Seriously, the guy is 33 years old for crying out loud. He is one of the best workers the company has at the moment and that's testament to all his peers crediting his work from the likes of Bret Hart, Bryan, Ziggler, Punk, Ambrose, Lance Storm, Shane Helms, and Kurt Angle just to name a few. These are all guys that see the little things in Orton's in-ring work that us casual fans don't. They know the guy is money. You also claim that Orton doesn't put over people... but yet he lost to 4 of his 5 counter-parts inside the Chamber in a months time... most of which were clean victories. He also put over Rhodes, Henry, Kofi, Barrett, and is consistent with stellar matches against anyone. Do I think he needs some tweaking to his character? Yes, but a lot of people do. It's not his fault that he's being booked as a snobby, pompous coward, who feels entitled to everything. His promos have gotten better but there is always room for improvement. Orton will stick around for another 10 years whether you like it or not, but you'll learn to love it.

 

[OYDK]

What... Just because there is a young crop of superstars doesn't mean you get rid of your current main event roster (just because they are a LITTLE stale). And really how many young guys are going to be LEGITIMATE main event guys... Bryan. PROBABLY Reigns and Wyatt, MAYBE Ambrose, Cesaro, Ziggler... Not much to go off of.

Orton definitely shouldn't retire after one of the best title runs of his career..

 

[THTRobtaylor]

He won't have to walk... he is bound to screw up again. His history proves it. He'll have a good patch, then he'll screw up or get drug failed... he has longer on his deal to go than 5 years, he will screw up in that 5 years and get his 3rd Wellness...

In some ways he's almost better to do so, take the enforced year off and give the fans a chance to miss him...