Who will be the foil?

[LSN80]

So Randy Orton has been red-hot. He was dominant leading up to his win at NOC, and he's being portrayed as pretty unbeatable. I can't remember the last time he's lost a match. One of my friends suggested his push has been Goldberg-esque, and while I wont go that far, Id compare it to the Cena push in 2006-07.

But all good things must come to an end, and Orton's title reign will obviously be no exception. The Nexus angle has me intrigued, but I think thats just a set-up for the eventual Barrett-Cena feud.

So it's a simple question. Who will end the championship reign of Randy Orton? If you want to throw in when(as in how in long you see him holding the strap) and how it will play out, even better.

 

[TxKxAx]

Its a tough call at the moment, but seeing as how the WWE doesn't seem to give anyone a world title reign that lasts very long I don't think Orton will be champ by Mania. He'll have most likely lost it then. The person to end Orton's reign, sadly it'll probably be Super Cena, the same guy everyone is sick of seeing in the title picture.

I'm hoping it will be someone other then the usual suspects, and as much as I hate him, The Miz might be the man to take the title from Orton. It seems he is being mega pushed toward it.

I really can't see Orton's title reign going on any longer then TLC really, and thats a stretch in my eyes.

FACT: Since Dec of 09 the WWE championship has changed hands 6 times. The longest reigns being Cena(3/28/10 - 6/20/10) and Sheamus(6/20/10 - 9/19/10). These are also the longest reigns any champion has had since Triple beat Orton in April of 08 and held the belt until November of the same year.

http://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/wwechampionship/

 

[Aaronliveshere]

I will go with the easy answer. The Miz. If anyone will get the belt it almost has to be him. Orton is Red Hot and is unstoppable right now. No one right now is even shown as any kind of challenge for Orton. With that being said, currently, the only way I see Orton without the strap is for him to be in a great match with someone, Orton needs to give everything he has to pull out the victory. Every ounce of his being and along come The Miz and cashes in the MITB contract.

 

[Aaronliveshere]

TxKxAx, I agree with you on title runs, but we are looking at only 5 months until Wrestlemania. That means that he would need to lose the belt (at the latest) about 3 months from now. With under 2 months until WM, I don't see them switching the belts too often. So, 3 months is 12 Monday Night Raws and 3 PPVs. Only 15 total shows to have someone be built up as the one who can beat Orton. The ONLY way I see that happening (and I really hope they don't do this) is that in some fashion, Wade Barrett is taken out of the title contention, has Cena fight Orton. Cena wins and has to give the belt to Barrett.

 

[#hamler]

Sunday October 24, at Bragging Rights. I can totally see his reign ending there and I believe that's where it will end. Just look at the facts; Randy Orton and Wade Barrett isn't really a feud that is happening right now. It's more of a title match later to come. Instead what has the WWE focused more on? If you ask me the whole wade Barrett/Nexus and the Cena feud. They’ll give the title to wade in order to deeper the feud and make it look stronger and more personal. I’m not too happy with Randy Orton's performance as of late and I think that might as well contribute to him losing the title. Wade Barrett will end Orton's reign on top.

 

[Rockafella]

I can see Wade Barrett as the one ending Ortons reign. I honestly don't see Miz cashing in until Wrestlemania. With Cena on Barrett's side, I find it hard to believe that Orton will be able to hold them off by himself. Add the rest of Nexus into the mix and it would be easy.

 

[Dzone]

Just to go for the unexpected...

I go for CM Punk, he said something alongs the lines of "strictly business, nothing personal" to Evan Bourne when he injured him so maybe as this unfolds he takes out Orton setting up a Orton-Punk fued... ??

I'm not suggesting who takes the title off him, because that would most likely be Barret, but I'm saying when Orton will be looked at as if he's a weaker opponent to someone; should be Punk in my opinion.

EDIT I'm hoping Barret takes the title off Orton, seeing Orton chase Nexus would be pretty great to watch eh =] EDIT

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

Sunday October 24, at Bragging Rights. I can totally see his reign ending there and I believe that's where it will end. Just look at the facts; Randy Orton and Wade Barrett isn't really a feud that is happening right now. It's more of a title match later to come. Instead what has the WWE focused more on? If you ask me the whole wade Barrett/Nexus and the Cena feud. They’ll give the title to wade in order to deeper the feud and make it look stronger and more personal. I’m not too happy with Randy Orton's performance as of late and I think that might as well contribute to him losing the title. Wade Barrett will end Orton's reign on top.

This scenario really doesn't make a lot of sense, IMO. Right now, Raw is being absolutely dominated by the Cena/NEXUS thing. Randy Orton has a title match coming up where he isn't even feuding with his opponent. If WWE decides Randy will drop the title at Bragging Rights, they are basically throwing the towel in on his current face push.

Maybe you and a few other smarky fans don't like the guy, but he's getting the biggest crowd reaction each Monday, and every month on PPV. He's the hottest singles star they have right now, and it would be idiotic to just kill what he's doing.

WWE has given the guy shit to do since turning face. A lackluster feud with Edge, a few 4 or 6 man matches on PPV, and totally lame feud with Sheamus. Then, they give him the title. Who does he feud with? A guy who he never interacts with. It's idiotic. He's your champion, and you're basically ignoring him? Every arena he goes to goes crazy for the guy, yet they can't come up with a compelling storyline for him?

I just can't see him dropping the title here. The WWE isn't blind and/or deaf. They see the reaction he is getting. My guess is Cena screws Barrett somehow, some way. That will eventually turn into a Cena/Barrett feud, where the title isn't needed to get it over. Then, I would expect Orton to move onto to feud with either CM Punk or Miz.

Miz and Punk are the only two guys I see taking the title from Orton in the coming months. I'm ok with Punk taking it, seeing I think he's one of the most talented guys on the roster. The Miz can talk..and then what? I have never, and I mean never, watched the guy put on an in-ring performance worthy of a World title reign. But, then again, I'm not running the show.

I'm not saying Orton will not lose to Barrett. He might. I just think, the way things are going, it would be incredibly stupid. Sure, it would further the Barrett/Cena storyline, but would it do for Orton? Where would he go from there? I know some of you Cena-marks would like your guy to have his top spot back, but a lot of people do not feel the same way. Give Randy Orton something to do, and I guarantee he looks much than he does without something to do.

 

[Mr. Artistic guy]

Yep I'm calling this one for the Miz, I think orton will hold his title at least for a couple more PPVs and then Miz will cash in. I'd love to see him cash in at WM because nobody ever has and WWE has 'big plans' for him so that is I think the most likely outcome.

If we take bragging rights as an example of how it may work he comes out of a hard match against barrett on top (barrett losing continues the flame of the whole cena/nexus angle) and after the match orders a beatdown on orton out of frustration. Well we all know that nexus beatdowns are as good as fatal so the timing would be perfect especially since they just took the US title away from him recently

 

[CARLOSWRESTLING]

WELL DUDE, ORTON IS GOING TO HAVE THE BELT FOR A LONG TIME I THINK, AND WHO WILL BEAT HIM? IT HAS TO BE THE MIZ.

WWE WANTS MIZ TO BE THE "NEXT" BIG STAR, IF THEY WANT THAT THEN THEY HAVE TO MAKE HIM A REAL STAR AND HE NEEDS THE WWE TITLE IN MONTHS TO COME TO DO SO. WHAT ABOUT MIZ CASHING IN AT WRESTLEMANIA 27 IN ATLANTA, BUT NOT CASHING IN THE CLASSIC WAY BY WINNING AS A CHEAP OR IN A "HE STOLE THE TITLE" FASHION, I MEAN CASHING IN LIKE RVD DID IN 06 AGAINST CENA, ANNOUNCING THE DAT HE WILL CASH IN AND THUS MAKING THE MAIN EVENT FOR WRESTLEMANIA.

 

[tna38]

i agree with nickb04 miz has not proven anything to me other than talk and his bag handler i mean alex riley is no better the only 2 stars i think are worthy are cm punk (unfortunatly) and hhh honestly if it were me miz would never be a champ period hes a watered down version of mvp cause mvp can talk and wrestle where miz can only talk my idea to open up the repetitive heavyweight division and give other guys with talent a chance rather than have money in the ban how bout a king ring style 16 man both brand ppv winner gets to challenge champ of his choice cause money in bank is weak way to have a number 1 contender bring wrestling back to wwe

 

[Aeon Mathix]

Not too sure if it will be The Miz or not. They would have to REALLY build up Miz if he was to cash in his match for WM. I honestly think it will be Barrett and Cena will cost Orton the match because Barrett will order him to. Just seems like the most logical scenario right now, but who knows what will happen! Though personally I would love to see a Punk/Orton feud.

 

[Morpheus101]

Barrett is going to end Orton's title reign at Bragging Rights. I don't think the WWE planned to have the title around Orton's waist for too long, but they needed to have him win over Sheamus. I feel that their plan for Orton is to have him feud with Cena after Cena costs Orton the WWE Championship against Barrett. This will allow WWE to test the water and see who is the bigger and more popular face, i.e. Cena or Orton. If it turns out to be Orton, watch them do what many of us would love for them to do - turn Cena heel.

 

[LSN80]

Barrett is going to end Orton's title reign at Bragging Rights. I don't think the WWE planned to have the title around Orton's waist for too long, but they needed to have him win over Sheamus. I feel that their plan for Orton is to have him feud with Cena after Cena costs Orton the WWE Championship against Barrett. This will allow WWE to test the water and see who is the bigger and more popular face, i.e. Cena or Orton. If it turns out to be Orton, watch them do what many of us would love for them to do - turn Cena heel.

Ugh. They built up Orton so hot to take the belt off him right away? I think Cena being in Barrett's corner will be the beginnings of the Barrett-Cena feud, and Cena's eventual way out of Nexus. I would be SHOCKED if this happens.

Anyway, Ill weigh in on my own thread, because I never do that. Im going to go with the guy I pushed for in another thread: CM Punk.

Granted, Punk has a long way to go before being taken as a credible threat again. Undertaker squashing him every time he "returned" to Smackdown, his pointless feud with Big Show, and the destruction of the SES had alot to do with that. But there was a glimmer of hope Monday night.

Destroying Evan Bourne after their match was nice to give Punk heat starting over on Raw, but it wasn't what he did, but what he said that made me smile. While applying the Anaconda Vice, Punk yelled, "Remember me from ECW?" Well, if he remembers Bourne from the fact that Bourne once beat him in a match on a defunct show, Im quite sure he "remembers" the man who ended his first championship reign: Randy Orton.

it was backstage at Unforgiven 2007, and Punk was cutting a promo. He was attacked by Legacy, and punted in the head by Orton. He was unable to defend his championship, and pretty much dropped inmto the mid-card on Raw after that.

Sure, Punk needs to gain alot of momentum and credibility before he's taken seriously as a threat to Orton. But have him run through Raw, destroying everyone in his past who has seemingly "wronged" him before. Guys like John Morrison, who cheated to keep the ECW title from Punk, Daniel Bryan(these guys fought in ROH) and even against the Miz, who ridiculed him on the Dirt Sheet. I think with a little bit of repackaging(a revenge fueled Punk), and a long memory, Punk could be the guy who takes the title after Orton following a long RKO title run.

 

[LSN80]

One other guy that just struck me could be Chris Jericho.

So Jericho will liekly be out for awhile with his "injury" at Orton's hands, but could also return with vengeance on his mind. If Jericho's sabbatical from wrestling is a long one, he could even return as a face for a short time, as Im sure he'll be welcomed back with open arms. The last time he returned(despite being fired) all he had to do was cost Orton a match, and he got a title shot. im sure a punt to the head would be much more justification for one. Im honestly torn between Jericho and Punk.

 

[Dean Winchester]

Orton is getting the Goldberg push....destroying everybody in his wake and going nuts in the ring and not taking shit from anybody. But its best reign he has had so far as WWE Champion. His last few reigns sucked because he was not used right at all, but now he is with Goldberg push. Hope he keeps the title up to atleast the Royal Rumble.

 

[Wade's Public Transit Bomb]

This scenario really doesn't make a lot of sense, IMO. Right now, Raw is being absolutely dominated by the Cena/NEXUS thing. Randy Orton has a title match coming up where he isn't even feuding with his opponent. If WWE decides Randy will drop the title at Bragging Rights, they are basically throwing the towel in on his current face push.

I think you summed up why title run will stop soon. Cena being Barrett's bitch is the focal point of the show. Randy has been pushed to the background ever since Wade came back from England in July.

Maybe you and a few other smarky fans don't like the guy, but he's getting the biggest crowd reaction each Monday, and every month on PPV. He's the hottest singles star they have right now, and it would be idiotic to just kill what he's doing.

He gets a big pop when he comes out, does an RKO and poses. He can't keep the fans into his matches at all. Now, CENA does get the big mix reaction, get the crowd totally in his favor, hit the AA and pose and the fans will eat everything up that he does.

WWE has given the guy shit to do since turning face. A lackluster feud with Edge, a few 4 or 6 man matches on PPV, and totally lame feud with Sheamus. Then, they give him the title. Who does he feud with? A guy who he never interacts with. It's idiotic. He's your champion, and you're basically ignoring him? Every arena he goes to goes crazy for the guy, yet they can't come up with a compelling storyline for him?

Would you wanna give him shit to do? The guy is horrible at showcasing/carrying/hiding/etc. the other guy's talent. Look at the matches Cena has had with Sheamus and that one with Gabriel. Sheamus looked like a monster and Gabriel looked someone that just needed a little work and he would be a threat. Now look at Orton's work them: SOMEHOW Orton vs Sheamus killed that Dallas crowd (until Cena/Barrett) at HIAC and Gabriel's spotty offense looked even worst against Orton. I have no problem striking while the iron is hot, but Orton doesn't have the talent to be the top guy.

I just can't see him dropping the title here. The WWE isn't blind and/or deaf. They see the reaction he is getting.

You gotta be blind to see that they don't have any faith in him as the top guy. This week on Raw, he got the top of the second hour spot (something that Punk and Sheamus got when they were champs). The week before that, he was only on Raw for like 2 minutes.




I am thinking it will be Barrett like most people. Pro wrestling storylines need a pair of ruby red slippers (aka a reason). Why would Barrett want Cena on his side? He has a better shot at becoming the first English WWE Champion, something he has been adamant about on TV since.. He debuted, I wanna say. So, when he does get the belt, why would he still want to boss Cena around? Maybe he knows that Cena would be his biggest threat to his belt.. Which I think would be much more satisfying to the fans to see Cena take that belt from Barrett than just have Orton be in limbo with it.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

I think you summed up why title run will stop soon. Cena being Barrett's bitch is the focal point of the show. Randy has been pushed to the background ever since Wade came back from England in July.

No, I summed up how Orton has been used in a shitty way. If you don't believe Orton has been given absolutely shit to do, you're nuts. How can you say whether or not he's doing a good job when he hasn't been given a chance to do something with this character?

He gets a big pop when he comes out, does an RKO and poses. He can't keep the fans into his matches at all.

Total bullshit. You're such a blind Orton-hater, it almost makes me sick. You don't like him? Good deal. I don't like a lot of guys. But you obviously aren't taking your blinders off while watching his matches. The crowd has stayed hot during every match he has had on Raw for months now. Just for the sake of argument, I'll give you the RKO. The fans are sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for that move, and when it hits, they go insane.

I'm a big Wade Barrett fan myself, but let's not paint him to be the most entertaining in-ring guy out there, because he isn't. He and Orton are about equal in that regard.

Would you wanna give him shit to do? The guy is horrible at showcasing/carrying/hiding/etc. the other guy's talent. Look at the matches Cena has had with Sheamus and that one with Gabriel. Sheamus looked like a monster and Gabriel looked someone that just needed a little work and he would be a threat. Now look at Orton's work them: SOMEHOW Orton vs Sheamus killed that Dallas crowd (until Cena/Barrett) at HIAC and Gabriel's spotty offense looked even worst against Orton. I have no problem striking while the iron is hot, but Orton doesn't have the talent to be the top guy.

Cena has never had a special match with Sheamus, nor has anyone else. Orton made Justin Gabriel look like a million bucks this past week, and that's a fact. I don't think I've seen a more blind mark before.

You gotta be blind to see that they don't have any faith in him as the top guy. This week on Raw, he got the top of the second hour spot (something that Punk and Sheamus got when they were champs). The week before that, he was only on Raw for like 2 minutes.

They have been doing that with Orton for months! He has never had the top-tier feud on Raw. NEXUS and Cena have dominated the program. If that were an indication they had no faith in Orton, why would they have given him the title? Your argument makes zero sense. And through all of it (shitty storylines, taking a backseat to Cena/NEXUS), he is still the most over guy at each and every episode of Raw.

WWE has banked on the fans sticking with Orton. The WWE believes Orton coming out, RKO'ing someone, and leaving, is enough to keep him over. Do I agree? No. Sooner or later, it will have an effect on his popularity. So let's stop blaming Orton for the WWE creative team's mistakes.

I am thinking it will be Barrett like most people. Pro wrestling storylines need a pair of ruby red slippers (aka a reason). Why would Barrett want Cena on his side? He has a better shot at becoming the first English WWE Champion, something he has been adamant about on TV since.. He debuted, I wanna say. So, when he does get the belt, why would he still want to boss Cena around? Maybe he knows that Cena would be his biggest threat to his belt.. Which I think would be much more satisfying to the fans to see Cena take that belt from Barrett than just have Orton be in limbo with it.

I'm not saying Wade Barrett isn't capable. I think Wade Barrett, already in his young career, is one of the better guys they have. I just don't think it's time to take the belt off of Orton. He is still getting the biggest reaction in the business, and that has been without any decent storylines. Cena and NEXUS do not need the title to continue that feud.

CM Punk and Randy Orton could have a great feud. Punk is probably the best mic worker they have, and when given an opportunity, so is Orton. Also, Punk is a fresh face on Raw. He hasn't been a heel over there. There is a ton of potential in this feud, whether you agree or not.

 

[The Calgary Kid]

I agree that Punk would put on a great feud with Orton, but it's going to take a decent build for Punk to get into the Raw main event and be viewed as a credible threat. I'd probably enjoy it, but I don't see it happening any time soon, at least not for another month.

For Barrett to take the belt from Orton, the Cena storyline would be deepened and I don't think it's entirely unlikely that they'd go that route; however, it would be a disservice to Orton, unless they find a way to get him involved in that feud. In theory, it could be the beginning of Cena's alienation if he costs Orton the match and Orton leads the locker room into battle against Cena and Nexus, which could be a great opportunity for the long sought after Cena heel turn. He obviously wants to take Barrett and Nexus down, but it could ultimately come about that Cena's actions, while forced, could lead to him having to embrace Nexus as his only "allies". Still, I'm not sure they're ready to go that route.

As for Miz, Orton is the best candidate to get him over. If Miz cashed in on Orton, it would gain him ridiculous heat, and Orton is the only guy I can see giving Miz credibility in matches and a prolonged feud. It's rare for people to go over Orton, but they let Swagger beat him at Extreme Rules in hopes of boosting his credibility as a champion. Miz cashing in on a guy who is as popular as Orton currently is would be the quickest, easiest way for him to gain heat and put him ridiculously over as a heel. It makes the most sense in the short term for them to go this route. I did hear a rumor that Vince only wants one MITB champion at a time though, so I'm not sure they'd let Miz cash in until Kane loses the title.

If they had Miz cash in on a heel, especially Barrett, it would get him a huge pop and support as a face, and I'm sure they don't want that at this point. The only other likely cash-in for him in terms of making him a top tier main event heel would be if he did it immediately after Cena took the belt from Barrett, but I also don't see that as likely, because I'm sure they'd turn Cena winning the title into a continuing feud that would take another month at least and probably lead to the ultimate destruction of Nexus. As such, Orton is, at least currently, the most likely victim for Miz, as things currently stand, but I'm not sure it's going to happen yet. Things are highly ambiguous right now, and for the first time in a while, the only way we're going to figure things out is to watch. I'm sure Vince and Creative are loving that.

 

[Calderownz]

To me, I'm going with either Cena or Barrett. I think Orton holds onto the gold for a while. Not sure exactly, but I think around 4 months. Once this feud boils over, I think the man who eventually comes out on top will take it from Orton. This obviously means that it's more than likely going to be Cena.

Nonetheless, stranger things have happened.