The real modern day rivalry

[klunderbunker]

If you've watched three minutes of WWE programming in the last week or so, you'll have heard Cena vs. Orton referred to as THE RIVALRY. While they've had a rivalry, I don't think it's the biggest one of the past few years. I think that we've seen a greater rivalry right in front of our eyes but just haven't noticed it. I would say that the real rivalry has been that of John Morrison vs. CM Punk.

Now before you say how wrong I am, hear me out. First of all, a rivalry certainly doesn't have to be for the world title. Look at DDP and Randy Savage in WCW. They certainly had a great feud but they didn't fight over the world title. Neither did pairs like Raven and Dreamer, Jericho vs. Angle vs. Benoit, Undertaker vs. Kane (for the most part) or Taker vs. Mankind (again for the most part). Second of all, this isn't what you would call a traditional rivalry. They haven't had a ton of matches with each other, but in baseball for example, the Yankees and the Red Sox are the top rivalry and they play what, 20 times a year or so out of 162? Instead of having a long list of PPV matches in a row with the fans on here begging for a breath of fresh air, with Punk and Morrison you have two men that have taken far different career paths over the years but always keep crossing each other and having great match after great match. Don't believe me? Let's see what we can dig up.

Morrison and Punk first met at Vengeance 2007, with Morrison filling in for what was supposed to be Chris Benoit. Morrison was more or less a midcard guy at the time that had won a few Intercontinental Titles here and there but hadn't made his mark at all. he was still Johnny Nitro at the time, but soon after winning he became the Friday Night Delight that we know today. Punk chased him for awhile, resulting in a title feud between the two with Punk winning when Morrison was suspended for a Wellness violation. Upon returning, Morrison feuded with Punk again but this time adding in Miz. Punk kept the belt and began feuding with Chavo, while the tag team went on to be a team on Smackdown for the most part.

Now this is where what I feel the real part of the rivalry begins. They go their separate ways, but they find themselves in the MITB match. Punk got there as a singles wrestler that was working his way up through the ranks and feuding with various people. He defeated Big Daddy V in what was little more than a glorified squash. Morrison got in by beating his own partner the Miz, showing that apparently WWE thought more of Morrison than Miz. In the match, Morrison had a good amount of high spots, but Punk got the win. Over the summer, Miz and Morrison feud with various tag teams, mainly Cryme Tyme, while Punk gets a shocking world title win before moving on to become tag partners with Kofi Kingston. After they captured the tag titles on Raw, it was Morrison and Miz taking them away. Again, Morrison winds up getting the better of Punk in the end, despite Punk being the undoubtedly bigger star. Keep that in mind.

So let's flash forward to May of this year. Punk has won another MITB while Miz and Morrison have been split up in the Draft. Morrison and Punk are both on Smackdown now as they continue to follow each other from show to show. Morrison slowly begins turning face while Punk is starting to act like an Achilles enthusiast. Eventually they both turn and Punk is yet again world champion while Morrison is just hanging around the midcard and stealing most shows that he's on. During Punk's reign and great feud with Jeff Hardy, Morrison faces him on Smackdown three times with Morrison cleanly pinning Punk twice (June 26, July 17). Finally a few weeks later in the third match of their series (August 8), Punk got his win much like Rock beating Austin at Mania 19 in a match that really didn't mean a ton. Just last night on Superstars they went at it again with Morrison having the win in his grasp but Miz interfering to stop the Starship Pain (which is a great name really).

So let's recap:

Punk beats Morrison for the ECW Title (Punk 1, JoMo 0)

Punk wins MITB but Morrison steals the show (Can't really say that Punk beat Morrison here so we'll call this one a no contest but with an asterisk)

Morrison and Miz beat Punk and Kingston for the tag titles (Tied at 1)

Morrison wins two in a row over then World Heavyweight Champion Punk on Smackdown over the summer (Morrison 3-1)

Punk wins the third match on Smackdown and then last night on Superstars to tie us at 3.

So therefore, even with the asterisk counting, Punk is barely ahead of Morrison. You have two guys that are likely going to lead the company in the future (Morrison turned 30 about two weeks ago and Punk turns 31 in about 10 days so they both have a good long while ahead of them barring injuries etc.) and after this long, they're practically even when they face off in big matches. No one will argue that Punk is the bigger and more successful star, but no one would argue that Austin was far bigger than Rock (that's true, plain and simple.) These two's paths have crossed many times in a short timespan, even though for the most part they're not involved with each other. That to me is far more interesting and better of a rivalry than Cena and Orton having the same match over and over again. While it's good, Morrison vs. Punk have a rivalry that isn't about going head to head every month, but rather going about their own careers while then having the big showdown every once in awhile. It keeps things fresher and makes the rivalry all the most interesting, and therefore, the best rivalry in the company over the last 2-3 years and far better than Orton vs. Cena.

 

[CKDaimen]

Your references need work. Raven/Dreamer was for the title in ECW several if not most times....Dreamer always chased him. And none of the other feuds you mentioned was THE #1 feud/rivalry. The closest out of the ones you listed was the Angle vs. Benoit feud and that was also for the World title several times. Taker/Kane has had the most history, but I'm not sure if it was the #1 rivalry, seeing as how Kane pretty much never beat him....it was the #1 feud for a while, though.

As for the point you made, John Morrison and CM Punk is a rivalry that reminds me more of HHH/Rock. They both will continue to grow together while opposing one another, and eventually, they both will be at the top of the WWE together, main eventing several PPVs against each other. But RIGHT NOW, they are not THE FEUD. They might put on better matches depending on how you look at it, but they are not THE RIVALRY in the WWE if for no other reason because they haven't had an uninterrupted program since CM Punk won his first ECW title. Not only was that a long time ago, but that was on ECW. Meanwhile, John Cena is the #1 face, Orton is the #1 heel, and you never know who will win between the two as they are evenly matched and have had a relatively good feud. They also have been feuding on and off for years leading up to this year where as we all know, they have been facing each other non stop.

So no, John Morrison/CM Punk is not THE RIVALRY. But give it time, because it could be one of those HHH/Rock and HBK/Bret type rivalries where two guys take similar roads to the top at the same time and have a lot of history and chemistry.

 

[WunNightStan619]

As sad as it is, imma have to agree with the the idea that Cena/Orton is THEE rivalry. Lets face its these 2 go wayyy back even before the even met in the ring. back in 2002/03/04 they were both being polished and groomed (at the same time on different shows) as the future primere stars of the company. Randy came up thru Evolution, Cena as "smackdowns fastest rising star" if u rememeber. It was only a matter of time b4 the 2 faced off...the downside to that is that WWE could have hyped them up soooooo much more than what they did. They could have very well been the "rock/austin" of this day and age, but their rivalry was just thrown together. And since then, they have faced off sooooooooo many times that nowun even wants to see them anymore. Now if wwe would hav hyped the feud to be on a "who is the very best" type of thing then it really would matter how many matches they had cuz how many classics have HHH and the Rock had in the year 2000 alone? its all a matter in how it was presented to the fans and that was not done to the extent that it could have been. Even there old gimmicks (randy-legend killer, cena-thuganomics) they could have fed off of each other more and clicked better on the mics and in the ring....its really disapointing how it turned out tho

but at the end of the day Randy Orton and John are the 2 biggest stars in WWE and that alone qualifies them at being THE RIVALRY...it may not be the best wun, but it is THE RIVALRY

 

[xNEWxAMERiKAx]

I was actually just thinking about their rivalry after seeing their match on Superstars. This rivalry for me is by far more entertaining than Cena/Orton. Punk and Morrison ALWAYS put on the best match of the night.

It's true that the E wants Cena/Orton to be the Rock/Austin of this era, but it just isn't. I don't find their matches entertaining at all, with the exception of SummerSlam 2007, I really enjoyed that one. Their matches recently just haven't had anything special about them; they use rehashed spots and a storyline driven entirely by the championship, nothing more. Rock v. Austin was something different everytime with the title being a bit player, in my opinion.

If Punk v. Morrison was given the same time and attention as Cena and Orton, people would be blown away with what they could do. There's still plenty of time too, both are young, Morrison is steadily on his way to the World Title scene, and once Punk gets out of the doghouse, this could possibly be "the" feud on SmackDown. I will say though that Morrison has consistantly been the victor in this feud, Punk only won the ECW Title when Morrison was suspended and Morrison even beat Punk when Punk was champion.

So I definitely agree it is the absolute best feud of the last few years, but as far as WWE is concerned, Cena/Orton is "The" feud, regardless of quality or entertainment.

 

[Lee]

I actually 100% agree and remember having this chat with someone a few weeks back. It has been done quite well, it's a rivalry that's there even though they havehad big gaps between matches. Which to me is how a feud should be, they already have had the ECW feud which was pretty good. I can see this in five/ten years time as being the rivalry as long as WWE don't jump on it being the rivalry.

 

[hawaiianbulldog]

Well I will say this JoMo vs Punk was a great rivalry but it was not a Cena vs Orton kind of rivalry. And second even though I don't thinks it was a good rivalry but up till a month ago Trips vs Orton was THE RIVALRY and all of a sudden that just changes I don't see Orton vs Cena i mean they do have history but Trips and Orton had so much hate for eachother and then BAM and its almost nonexistent WTF?!?!? So from the last year or so i have to go with Trips vs Orton but my personal favorite would be one of these:
Hardy vs Punk (I loved this and it made Punk into a top heel) or Orton vs Trips (like I said this might not have been that fresh by the time it ended but you could feel the hate between these 2 and it was golden at first.

 

[Viola Moonlight]

The real rivalry is not John Cena vs. Randy Orton... however, I disagree to the fullest extent that John Morrison vs. CM Punk is the biggest rivalry either of this decade. Sure, they have had many matches for the past two or three years where both sides have played the sides of Heel, Face and sometimes the tweener spot. It has everything and still has an interest between the two as it has been spread out. But to say with only a couple of months left to say that Punk/Morrison is the best feud is pretty negligant. There real feud is this one which I have already covered before:

Triple H vs. Randy Orton​

This feud has been started ever since the formation of Evolution, and I mean the start. During the promo to introduce the group to the world, Triple H spent most of his time hyping up both Ric Flair and Batista with only sparing an afterthought on Orton using only the 3rd generation argument to pursuade the audience. There was some tension even then, around the 2003 mark. The matches and the hate between these stars have gone from 2004 all the way to 2009 where the after effects of the rivalry are still in place with Legacy and DX feuding against each other.

Both sides have played Heel and Face roles, gone through every match conceivable to mankind where the final match between the two has not taken place yet and that is inside the Hell in a Cell considering both have sufficient experience and knowledge of the structure. During a time when the HHH/Orton was peaking, Morrison/Punk has just started to sow the seeds where they were nothing more than the ECW feud and both characters have remained somwhat the same. HHH has switched from Evolution to The Game to D-Generation X and Orton went from Legend Killer to The Viper. Both characters have transitioned and went much further in developing the feud to a whole new level. Remember the WM25 build-up for the match?

If you need more details, here is a link to a feud review I did a while back about the two:

http://forums.wrestlezone.com/showthread.php?t=61099

 

[klunderbunker]

The problem that I have with HHH and Orton is simple: the feud sucked. Those two had what, one or two good matches out of about seven or eight attempts? It's a great example of Vince trying to convince us that something is great when in reality it's just long. Think about it. Their Unforgiven 04 match sucked. Their last man standing trilogy has been just ok. Their Mania match was one of the worst Mania main events of all time. Just about every single one of us complained about how we'd rather see anything other than HHH vs. Orton again and what happened? We kept seeing HHH vs. Orton. A key to a good rivalry is that it doesn't get boring. HHH and Orton passed that about a year or so ago.

 

[gtajoker01]

I don't think cena and orton has Thee rivalry, I have seen better rivalries enough is enough these 2 have fought over the title too many times its sickening but i guess wwe wants to make more off these too because they know how extremely popular cena and orton are or how good they sell with the merchandise. but i have to say 1 of fave rivalries right now is Morrison and ziggler.

 

[AnthonyMango/NoFate007]

I wouldn't say its "THE" rivalry, but JoMo vs Punk has definitely become the sleeper rivalry in the WWE. Every single time these guys have a match, they deliver. I don't think I've EVER been bored during one of their matches, and they consistently switch things up as well. They're always improving against each other.

You know what it kind of reminds me of? HBK vs Hart...a lot. Hart being Punk, HBK being Morrison. They had their matches together in their rivalries before HBK had reached main event status and Hart was still a rather new champ. Hart/Punk the technician, HBK/John the showman. Shit, Hart and Punk even share the stars on their attire while HBK and Morrison have similar attire hahaha. The only difference being that, as far as we know, Punk and Morrison don't have an actually dislike for one another like Bret and Shawn did.

I could DEFINITELY see Punk/Morrison being a headliner of WM and one of the biggest feuds in the WWE. Right now, though, its not THE feud because it isn't being brought to everyone's attention. HHH/Orton sucked ass. Cena/Orton hasn't been going on long enough to really be anything great. Really, there's no #1 feud right now in my mind.

 

[X]

The problem that I have with HHH and Orton is simple: the feud sucked. Those two had what, one or two good matches out of about seven or eight attempts? It's a great example of Vince trying to convince us that something is great when in reality it's just long. Think about it. Their Unforgiven 04 match sucked. Their last man standing trilogy has been just ok. Their Mania match was one of the worst Mania main events of all time. Just about every single one of us complained about how we'd rather see anything other than HHH vs. Orton again and what happened? We kept seeing HHH vs. Orton. A key to a good rivalry is that it doesn't get boring. HHH and Orton passed that about a year or so ago.

There goes KB saying everything I was going to say in response to Falkon. Same thing with people bringing up Cena and Orton...sorry, but I'm pretty sure for your feud to be considered "the" feud of the era, it has to not suck massively. Both of those feuds did. I'll take any of JoMo and Punk's matches over the total shit feuds that have been the Cena/HHH and Cena/Orton affairs.

I seriously don't understand some of you people, I really don't. When did your standards for a good wrestling match get so fucking low?

 

[JBK2008]

Triple H vs Randy Orton would be THEE RIVALRY of this decade IMO just because I don't think we've seen the end of these 2 yet sadly. Randy has come a long long way from his Evolution days. Triple H put him in his place the first time. The second time he did again, but that was more because of injury and this part time around, Orton really took it to another level. It isn't over just yet. Legacy is keeping Triple H from facing him but that won't last much longer and then they'll go at it yet again.

 

[CH David]

Triple H vs Randy Orton would be THEE RIVALRY of this decade IMO just because I don't think we've seen the end of these 2 yet sadly. Randy has come a long long way from his Evolution days. Triple H put him in his place the first time. The second time he did again, but that was more because of injury and this part time around, Orton really took it to another level. It isn't over just yet. Legacy is keeping Triple H from facing him but that won't last much longer and then they'll go at it yet again.

No, no it isn't THEE RIVALRY, as you so succinctly put it. The WWE had their chance to make it the rivalry, but they in turn fucked it up royally. Their matches have sucked except for what, maybe two? Who cares if we haven't seen the end of it? We haven't seen the end of Punk and JoMo either. Shit I would say that Punk vs. Hardy feud was a damn better rivalry, the heat Punk got, and the pops that Jeff got were fucking awesome, and they actually fucking delivered in their matches. I think if Jeff was still with the company that could have been The Rivalry. Or maybe just one damn good feud. But that is just my opinion.

Punk and Morrison is probably the one rivalry that people don't look at it as such. They are very evenly matched, and always end up meeting at some point, whether it is on Smackdown, or in Money in the Bank and what not. Their time on ECW was very entertaining and they have kept doing it since. They both have a very good chemistry in the ring, and work well together. Like others have said, I could honestly see this headlining Wrestlemania. I think it is only a matter of time before JoMo gets pushed to the Main Event, and then they could do that feud. Right now I think that is the way it has to go, as Punk is the #1 heel on Smackdown, and I don't see there being another good main antagonist ready for the Main Event at the moment.

I would say when you break it down, it is the best of the past few years. But there isn't really a great to speak of. The Orton-Triple H at the start of the year could have been huge, but they didn't deliver in the ring. Cena-Orton? Well I just don't see that as The Rivalry, no matter how many times they have faced. They just aren't the complete package. It just seems like decent-good promos, fairly good build, and barely any delivery in the ring. Again, just my opinion. Punk and Morrison has the package. Their promos were good in ECW together, and they will probably have some good ones in the future. Their matches have been stellar. I see no reason as to why it isn't the best or "Real Modern Day Rivalry".

 

[The Gribbler]

I don't know about Morrison vs. Punk or Cena and Orton BUT I feel that one feud in the past five years or so really sticks out in my mind when it comes to great feuds.

Shawn Micheals VS. Chris Jericho.

I cannot think of a program that had some decent length, two incarnations, drama, great matches, great promos, hell that feud had EVERYTHING that makes professional wrestling great in a time when wrestling was at one of its lower points.

It showed all of the young fans what wrestling should be and it showed us old fans what it could be again. This feud is one that should be watched by any up and comers to see just how to play your role in a feud.

Just My Opinion

 

[MoxViolence]

no way morrison and punk is THE rivalry. cena and orton are THE 2 biggest stars in the company. i see orton and punk much like an austin and rock growing and getting better. they've already fought at wrestlemania. already had a hell in a cell. and its all coming to a head in an iron man match. yea maybe morrison and punk have a LONGER rivalry but come on bigger then cena and orton? dunno bout that one.

correction i see orton and cena much like austin and rock. not orton and punk. new to this lol

 

[Lee]

I think you guys are all missing the point of this thread. A rivalry is more than just a couple of matches in between SummerSlam and Survivor Series. It's something that goes on for years, something that when they wrestle you genuinely believe they hate each other. You are impressed by their matches, that it's not an over kill but it's a slow rivalry that isn't even dubbed a rivalry. As I said earlier I think in five years time these guys will have a massive feud for the belt and you'll all be eating your words.

 

[Gifted Music]

I know this has probably been done to death but when I heard John Cena on Raw talk about THE Rivalry it got me thinking...Everyone tries to compare rivalries to that of The Rock vs Stone Cold Steve Austin...That was truly THE Rivalry of the attitude era...Sure, Stone Cold vs Triple H, The Rock vs Triple H, Stone Cold vs Bret Hart were all good but The attitude era was DEFINED by Austin vs Rock.

Now I hear people talking about John Cena vs Randy Orton...They mention John Cena vs Edge, The Undertaker vs Batista, Undertaker vs Edge, Chris Jericho vs Shawn Michaels, Triple H vs Shawn Michaels, John Cena vs Shawn Michaels, John Cena vs Triple H, and even MVP vs Matt Hardy when talking about great rivalries the last few years... But what I am here to talk about probably won't win me many supporters but I am here to discuss what I think is the best rivalry SINCE Rock vs Austin and that is the 6 year rivalry between Triple H and Randy Orton..

FIVE YEARS... Only matched by The Rock and Steve Austin's five year rivalry... You gotta go back alooooooong time to find a rivalry lasting that long.. Since Evolution turned on Randy Orton in 2004, EVERY year since, Orton and HHH have squared off at a PPV or engaged in a rivalry and, amazingly, each time had a different back story...Lets examine..

2003:Randy Orton joins Evolution...He's named the heir apparant to Triple H...Orton joins Batista, Ric Flair, and Triple H to run RAW... Randy Orton acts quickly by defeating Rob Van Dam at Armageddon to become the Intercontinental Champion.. Orton then engages in his first real feud with The Hardcore Legend Mick Foley... Wrestlemania XX rolls around in 2004 and Evolution's Ric Flair, Batista, and Randy Orton defeat Mick Foley and The Rock in a handicap match..The feud culminates at Backlash when Randy Orton defeated Mick Foley to retain the IC Title.

2004:Vengeance rolls around and at Vengeance, Randy Orton LOSES the Intercontinental Title to Edge after an amazing 7 month reign almost unheard of nowadays... Two weeks later, Randy Orton wins a battle royal to become the #1 Contender to Chris Benoit's World Title at Summerslam...Summerslam rolls around and Benoit and Orton put on a solid match that ends in Randy Orton nailing the RKO to capture the World Heavyweight Championship and surpass Brock Lesnar as the youngest World Heavyweight Champion in HISTORY at just 24 years old...The next night on Raw, Benoit envokes his rematch clause against Orton..Orton and Benoit put on an OK match ending in Orton again defeating Benoit..After the match, Triple H turns on Randy Orton because The Game thinks Orton stabbed him in the back by defeating Chris Benoit for the World Championship instead of softening him up for The Game..This immediately catapults Orton as the top babyface on RAW...

Unforgiven 2004 rolled around and Triple H defeated Randy Orton for the World Heavyweight Championship..Orton's first Title run was forgettable but then again so was his entire face run as I think it was too soon to turn him face but they had to have a Champion younger than Lesnar and I guess Orton was their last shot for awhile..Then the Raw after Taboo Tuesday rolled around and Ric Flair defeated Randy Orton, thus resulting in Orton never gaining another Title shot against Triple H.Then Survivor Series rolls around and the team of Randy Orton, Maven, Chris Benoit, and Chris Jericho defeated the team of World Champion Triple H, Snitsky, Edge, and Batista to win control of RAW for a month...Not the best storyline but it mainly furthered Orton and HHH's rivalry as Orton pinned The Game and the other 6 competitors didnt serve much purpose.

2005:The World Title was later declared vacant after some controversy surrounding Triple H and Edge...Then at New Years Revolution, Triple H won an Elimination Chamber match consisting of Randy Orton, Edge, Batista, Chris Benoit, and Chris Jericho to capture his 10th World Championship...Randy Orton and Triple H would square off again at the Royal Rumble, ending with Triple H defeating Randy Orton to retain the World Title.So Round One soundly goes to Triple H.

2006:That was January 2005...They would not cross paths again until October of 2006... By this time, Randy Orton had turned heel again and Triple H had made the surprise face turn and reformed D-Generation-X with Shawn Michaels...DX had just screwed Edge outta his WWE Title match with John Cena so Edge wanted revenge... But Edge wanted someone to help take down DX..Someone who knew DX inside and out..That someone was Randy Orton... Edge invited Randy Orton to the Cutting Edge and it was there that Rated RKO was formed to get revenge on DX for ruining their careers.

Rated RKO did a pretty humorous parody of DX to get the feud started and then Cyber Sunday rolled around... Fans chose Eric Bischoff as the referee and it was at Cyber Sunday that Rated RKO gave D-Generation-X it's first defeat since they reforned 4 months prior...Rated RKO eventually defeated Ric Flair and Roddy Piper to win the World Tag Team Titles and then came Survivor Series..Orton had dominated previous Survivor Series PPVs but this time it was Team Rated RKO consisting of Randy Orton, Edge, Johnny Nitro, Gregory Helms, and Mike Knox versus Team DX Consisting of Triple H, Shawn Michaels, CM Punk, Jeff Hardy, and Matt Hardy...Team DX shut out Team Rated RKO, ending in Triple H getting the pin on Randy Orton to secure the win for Team DX.

Rated RKO and DX stayed at war, including Rated RKO injuring Ric Flair and leaving DX a bloody mess..Rated RKO got the advantage at every turn leading in to their World Tag Title match at New Years Revolution 2007...Then New Years Revolution came around and DX squared off with Rated RKO one last time..Many speculate this is where DX was supposed to take the World Tag Team Titles but Triple H suffered a tear of his quad muscle, ending in DX just DQing themselves, giving Rated RKO the victory but busting them open in the process..The next night on Raw, Rated RKO came out and boasted about finally killing DX...Advantage Orton..

2007:Triple H was on injured reserve until August of 2007... By then, Orton had engaged himself in a WWE Title feud with John Cena... Orton and Cena would feud until an injury ended Cena's Title run shortly before No Mercy...No Mercy rolled around and Vince McMahon awarded Randy Orton with his 2nd WWE Championship..Orton thought he was home free until TRIPLE H came out an interupted.. He basically goated McMahon in to making Randy Orton vs Triple H right then for the WWE Championship.. Orton refused but eventually wrestled HHH in the first match of the night.. Triple H eventually rolled Randy Orton up for the 3 count and his 11th World Title.. Triple H still had a fight later that night with Umaga...A fight that Triple H won but was severely injured...Just when The Game thought his night was finished, McMahon informed him that Orton had just envoked his rematch clause for later that night against Triple H in a LAST MAN Standing match..Triple H fought hard but in the end it was an RKO by Randy Orton and a win, securing his 3rd World Championship.I don't care HOW he won it, the point is, he did..Randy Orton 2 Triple H 1...Randy Orton later went on to a successful run of feuds against the likes of Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, Jeff Hardy, and John Cena before Him and Triple H's paths would cross again.

2008: Triple H came up just short of winning the rumble won by John Cena.. Cena instead cashed in his Title shot at No Way Out against Randy Orton...Triple H later competed in an Elimination Chamber to determine the #1 Contender to the WWE Title at Wrestlemania 24... Triple H won the Chamber match and Randy Orton retained the WWE Championship...It was supposed to be Triple H vs Randy Orton at Mania but Cena interjected himself, making it a triple threat.. Triple H claimed he never got his rematch and fought hard.. Triple H eventually pedigreed Cena but Orton punted HHH in the head and covered Cena for the 3 count to RETAIN the WWE Title..

Then Backlash came around and Randy Orton was forced to defend his WWE Championship in a Fatal Fourway Elimination match against JBL, John Cena, and Triple H... The match came down to Triple H and Randy Orton but eventually Triple H finally defeated Randy Orton to recapture the WWE Championship...Judgment Day then rolled around with Triple H and Randy Orton meeting in a Cage Match for the WWE Title, a match won by Triple H...So then came One Night Stand and Triple H and Randy Orton decided to end it the way it began, in a Last Man Standing match... This is the match where Orton broke his collarbone, resulting in a win by Triple H to even it at 2-2 before being drafted to Smackdown as the WWE Champion.

2009: Randy Orton started coming in to his own as the Top heel in the WWE..He had just formed Legacy with Ted Dibiase and Cody Rhodes and had just started getting under the skin of The McMahons.. Randy Orton trashed Stephanie which resulted in Vince asking for an apology..That ended with Orton punting Vince McMahon in the head...Orton won the royal rumble the following Sunday but was unsure of his future..This resulted in Stephanie McMahon bringing back Shane McMahon to feud with Randy Orton at No Way Out...A match Randy Orton won handily..Orton and McMahon faced off one more time and this time, Orton punted Shane in the head...Stephanie came out to check on her brother which resulted in Orton RKOing Stephanie McMahon as SMACKDOWNS Triple H ran in to run off Legacy.

Triple H was interviewed that Friday on Smackdown and it was there that Triple H let the cat outta the bag..He finally admitted on live TV what we all knew, that Shane McMahon was his brother in law, Vince McMahon was his father in law, and that Stephanie McMahon was infact, his Wife and mother of their children... This only intensified an eventual Orton/HHH feud as Orton still had to choose which Champion he'd be facing at Wrestlemania...Well, Triple H came out on Raw and baited Randy Orton in to choosing him for Mania but Orton said on one condition, no physical contact until Wrestlemania 25... That lasted all of a few days as that Friday on Smackdown, Legacy invaded Smackdown and ambushed WWE Champion Triple H..

Triple H fended off Legacy until Mania and even invaded Randy Orton's home but at Mania 25, WWE Champion Triple H got his FIRST Mania win since WM 19 against Booker T by defeating Randy Orton in sound fashion...The feud was not over, however, as Triple H was drafted to Raw in the Draft lottery and prolonged his feud with Randy Orton.. By this time, Batista and Shane McMahon had returned to television to set up a huge Six man match at Backlash...Legacy(Orton, Dibiase, Rhodes) vs Triple H, Batista, and Shane McMahon but if Legacy wins, Randy Orton wins the WWE Title...After some miscommunication between Triple H and Batista, Randy Orton would nail Triple H with an RKO AND a Punt to the head to secure his fourth World Title and a move that put Triple H out for Two long months.

Randy Orton then feuded with Batista and lost the WWE Title..The night after Extreme Rules, Orton injured Batista and put him out.. Orton then envoked his rematch clause and said if Batista didn't show, he'd be awarded the Championship...There was no match..Instead, as the referee got the 9, the Ambulance was shown in the parking lot..Only it wasn't Batista inside, it was the returning TRIPLE H with sledgehammer in hand..Triple H returned and cleaned house on Legacy.. Orton then defeated Triple H, Big Show, and John Cena for the Vacant World Title(his 5th) a week later on Raw..

At the Bash, it was Randy Orton defending against Triple H in a Three Stages of Hell match, a match narrowly won by The Viper, Randy Orton..Then, the last PPV match between the two so far was at Night of Champions..It was billed as a Wrestlemania 24 rematch between Randy Orton, Triple H, and John Cena.. A match fought back and forth but eventually Orton came out on top making it Randy Orton 3 Triple H 2.


So you see, people may not agree but without Triple H, Randy Orton would NOT be where he is today...He probably wouldn't have had classic feuds with John Cena and The Undertaker...He probably wouldn't be a 5 time World Champion..And he definately wouldn't be one of WWE's top heels without being aligned with, and feuding with Triple H...Triple H gave him pinfall victories, tag match victories.... Everyone says Triple H never put over Randy Orton cleanly.. I'd say The Bash was pretty clean...As was Backlash and Mania 24..It doesn't matter HOW you beat somebody..The fact that it goes in the books as Randy Orton defeating Triple H is enough to sky rocket Orton's resume...So, while most may not agree, yeah, Cena/Orton, Cena/Edge, HBK/HHH, etc. Were good but as far as intensity, back story, and overall longjevity(I know I spelled that wrong lol), Triple H and Randy Orton gets MY vote as the best post-attitude(2002-present) rivalry.

 

[The Gribbler]

^^ to the above, all that may be true enough, but the feud has been going on forever and really, I have been sick of it since the 2005 version of the feud...

That was the last time I found it remotely interesting...

Just My Opinion

 

[dman1373]

When you think of rivalrys that were THE rivalrys, you think of Hogan/piper, Hogan/Savage, Sting/Flair, Michaels/hart, austin/ hart, Rock/austin, rock/triple H, Angle/lesner, and Michaels/triple h. Now i don't think anything now a days comes close to these. These were fueds filled with either high hype or alot of great matches. You wanted to see them to keep facing each other. While with Orton and Cena, no one is expecting much, the matches are good at best, and everyones tired of seeing them face each other. This would in no way be considered even a great rivalry in my book. Let alone THE rivalry. There is some potential for great rivalrys. Cm Punk/J.Hardy, Cm Punk/morrison, Jeff Hardy/Matt Hardy, and if i had to choose a rivalry that has the most potential then i would say w. Reagal/christian

Edit:
I forgot about some rivalrys that happend in the late 2000's M. Hardy/Edge, HBK/Y2J, and Rey/chavo