Orton fights the same wrestlers a lot

[Andrew]

Credit: WrestlingForum

Over the past year, I noticed that Orton kept facing the same guys all the time. So I went to profightdb and started keeping score. Here's what I found from Jan 2011 till now (I counted pretty much everything except matches with a lot of participants like the Royal Rumble and Survivor Series):

14 times
Wade Barrett

13
Cody Rhodes

12
Christian

11
Dolph Ziggler

8
Miz

7
CM Punk
Mark Henry

6
Sheamus

4
RTruth

3
Kane

2
Drew McIntyre
Alberto Del Rio
David Otunga

The wrestlers he only fought once: Alex Riley (tag match), John Morrison (elimination chamber), Rey Mysterio, Brodus Clay (tag match), Daniel Bryan (fatal 4 way), John Cena (elimination chamber), Michael McGillicutty, Mason Ryan, Great Khali, Ted Dibiase, Heath Slater

So while he did face many different wrestlers, most of his time gets spent in the same feuds that just keep going on and on. Hopefully, they'll add more variety in his feuds this year but I wouldn't be surprised if he ends of facing Wade Barrett again at Mania.

What are your thoughts on this? Are you surprised?
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[Deuce]

I'm not suprised, the WWE wants Orton to face the people that could have a good match with him and everyone he has faced, happen to be the ones he faces over and over because the WWE thinks that they always have great matches.

 

[Kiffy Lube]

Something tells me you could do a breakdown like this for any top superstar.

 

[Andrew]

What I find surprising is he's never faced Daniel Bryan and he will on Smackdown.

 

[Kiffy Lube]

It says they faced in a Fatal-4 Way...

 

[Deuce]

Andrew, come on, read your posts.

 

[Andrew]

Ah I skipped that didn't see it lol

I really hope Orton goes to RAW and face other guys, to face Barrett 14 times and Rhodes 13 a lot really.

 

[Dale]

Shock horror, *SuperstarA* faces *SuperstarB* lots of times during the couple of months they were feuding. Somebody inform the booking team immediately.

Such a non-issue.

 

[John McHenry]

Yeah not sure what the real shock is here. That he only faced Henry 7 times maybe?

You gotta realize raw and smackdown are to build up for a PPV usuallly 4 weeks of build and the PPV thats 5 matches right their. Then they combined Raw and Smackdown allowing for many more matches for orton. It'd be easy to get to 14 over a 3 month period (the normal length of a feud) Especially considering they've been trying to build the top 4 on your list.

 

[Prodigy]

One thing, did Orton and Ziggler ever have an official feud?

 

[Darth Shizzel]

No they have never officiay feuded

 

[Dale]

Just to put this theory or whatever you want to call it to bed, I did the same as the OP but for John Cena.

Miz - 17 times

R-Truth - 13 times

CM Punk - 11 times

Alberto Del Rio - 8 times

Alex Riley & Jack Swagger - 5 times

Mark Henry - 4 times

Dolph Ziggler & Christian - 3 times

Wade Barrett, John Morrison, Sheamus, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel & Kane - 2 times

Randy Orton, David Otunga, Michael McGillicutty, Rey Mysterio, Ricardo Rodriguez, Michael Cole, Zack Ryder - 1 time

​

 

[PHX]

As said you can use this for just about anybody really. Use it for a diva and Beth probably has faced Kelly 20 times or something. Just the way feuds work and nothing really nothing telling here.

 

[Deezy]

Mainevent players work with people who could keep them elevated. Orton gobbling up jobbers would just reinforce the whole "Orton doesn't let anyone get over" theory.

 

[Troy]

No surprise here at all. When two people feud you expect them to wrestle each other a lot. Plus every week on Smackdown then PPVs and the occasional RAW adds up fast and so it is no surprise he is in double digits with a couple of guys.