Randy Orton...

[Luke Flywalker]

...nevermind any hate you have for the guy, since (well, let's say Mania) he's been delivering some VERY good in-ring performances. Considering how well he sold the injury at Mania and the caliber of his match with Punk, I think that completely takes away any worth of someone saying Punk carried him, and that's not to say he carried Punk, either. The followup at Extreme Rules, I personally thought was just as good as his performance at Mania. Then we get his title shot on SmackDown vs. Christian, and that match was the most entertaining match on weekly programming we may have gotten so far this year. And the rematch at OTL, well... it was a brilliant match.

Is it time to say Randy may have come into his own, even if the character is sloppy and he can't promo worth shit? I can't recall the last time I saw someone put out this many solid performances in the ring in a row.

Thoughts?

 

[Axis]

I can. CM Punk and Christian have both had better in-ring years than Orton thus far. Del Rio and Rey Mysterio probably have as well. He's done well against awesome guys like Christian and Punk, but he fell flat against guys that couldn't carry him, like the Miz. His move to Smackdown seems to have lit something under him, but even then his matches with both Sheamus and Mark Henry were not as good as those respective matches with Christian or Mysterio. I'd also point to his Raw match with Ziggler, which was much much inferior to Ziggler's similarly booked match with John Cena. He may be improving, but to say that nobody has put on as many solid matches as him in a row just doesn't hold up.

 

[He who knows more than Nation]

^^That's true. But I have been saying no one is giving credit where it's due, the man has been involved in two of the few good matches this year when he was anything but carried. Everyone is there to shit on him, Cena or Miz when they fall flat in the ring, yet not there to give credit when they are half the reason the match is solid (Miz vs. Dragon and Cena vs. Barrett recently), the IWC is a fickle, hypocritical bunch.

Not saying anyone has, but if anyone thinks Christian or Punk carried him, they don't know what they are talking about. And Christian is having a good year, but seriously, and this isn't anti-Christian bias mind you, but his matches aren't these near five star matches people want to believe they are seeing. His ladder match was solid, it was, but in comparison to other ladder matches, it's middle of the pack, and when you consider it's a gimmick match, it's like a 3 3/4* ladder match. And before Peep or anyone else goes on a tirade, it's not an insult, that is a very good match. I honestly couldn't put it over the Sheamus-Morrison ladder match from TLC. And the Randy Orton affair, again good, but I don't know if it's better than Miz-Bryan, any of the longer Punk-Rey matches from last year, Orton-Punk from Mania or even Batista-Cena from last Mania and I have those matches at around or slightly under 4 stars and I have Orton-Christian grouped with those recent affairs. Again, it's not an insult, it was a very above average match that was entertaining and the crowd was marvelous and helped make this match even better. But seriously, I watched the previous week's SD and the crowd was really mild to him. That PPV crowd was immense, Big Zeke got the body slam over and every match had solid reactions from the crowd.

As far as Rey having a better in ring year...no. And I really hate to say that, but outside the awesomeness he and Edge put on in the SD! EC match, his best affairs have been a sub par match with Cody that Cody continually found ways to slow down and his match with Punk from this past Raw. Rey has only broken 4 star turf once this year in the SD EC, which to me is the only non Taker-Trips match produced in the US that has broken 4 stars. The E quite frankly isn't producing the goods this year as frequently as they did last year. They've lost 3 of the best ever in Jericho, Edge and HBK, Punk seldom gets time to do the deed, Sheamus-Morrison aren't feuding anymore, and they just started to give tv matches some time again on Raw and the past two Raws have been better for it. But back to the topic at hand, Christian probably is having the better in ring year, but Orton is indeed stepping his game up and people should give credit where it's due.

 

[Axis]

On PPV, Orton has had a better year than Mysterio. But I am talking about Smackdowns and Raws, which we obviously can't just ignore. Rey vs Barrett, Rey vs Drew, Rey vs Cody, and Rey vs Mark Henry were all really great TV matches, some of which were better than either Rey or Orton's Wrestlemania matches.

 

[Luke Flywalker]

I can. CM Punk and Christian have both had better in-ring years than Orton thus far. Del Rio and Rey Mysterio probably have as well. He's done well against awesome guys like Christian and Punk, but he fell flat against guys that couldn't carry him, like the Miz. His move to Smackdown seems to have lit something under him, but even then his matches with both Sheamus and Mark Henry were not as good as those respective matches with Christian or Mysterio. I'd also point to his Raw match with Ziggler, which was much much inferior to Ziggler's similarly booked match with John Cena. He may be improving, but to say that nobody has put on as many solid matches as him in a row just doesn't hold up.

IDK, I've been highly impressed with Orton in the ring of late, especially the past two months. Mysterio has become very stale to me in terms of in-ring performance outside of his feud with Cody, I was highly disappointed in his entire feud wit Del Rio, especially their matches. Rey's a tremendous worker, and he gets those bonuses to his matches because he DOES know how to work a match, but I'm just entirely not impressed with him much anymore.

Orton vs. Miz was only a 1-time deal though, wasn't it? As soon as he lost the belt, Punk started in on him to keep him as far away from it as possible. And yeah, some people have fared better against Mark Henry than Orton did, but is anyone seriously looking for anyone to have a decent match against Henry? But even with it not being a good match, it was still a solid performance on Orton's behalf.

I'm not saying Orton and his opponents are putting on **** matches every single outing, all I'm saying is the guy is performing brilliant in the ring recently.

On PPV, Orton has had a better year than Mysterio. But I am talking about Smackdowns and Raws, which we obviously can't just ignore. Rey vs Barrett, Rey vs Drew, Rey vs Cody, and Rey vs Mark Henry were all really great TV matches, some of which were better than either Rey or Orton's Wrestlemania matches.

I already explained above why I'm not sold on much of anything Rey does anymore. Personal opinion though. I wish I could say to you that I'm not judging his matches a little harsher because he's stale to me now... but I can't say that. So I can't objectively rule out that he may be having the better year all around to the rest of the fans, but I can say objectively that at times this year Rey has been off, and been off majorly. Orton hasn't really been off much this year, which is my point. Again, I'm not saying anything about the best matches... let's be real, not even Ric Flair was capable of giving even 3-star matches week-in and week-out, and he's the greatest performer and wrestler without a doubt in the history of the business, worldwide. But I'll be damned if the best wrestler didn't show up each and every week and look like he was trying to deliver a **** match each week even if his sloppy, stiff opponent lowered it to a *1/2 match. Orton is going out there and the guy is performing at a high level every single week... and possibly the highest level of anyone on the roster. All I'm saying is I don't see anyone else going out and performing like that every single broadcast, whether it be weekly television programming or PPV... Orton has been on a roll.

 

[Axis]

I guess I'd just say that I've enjoyed Christian, Bryan, Punk, and maybe Mysterio more so for this year. A year ago though, there's no way I'd check out an Orton match. Now I read Smackdown spoilers, and I'll check out an Orton match though. Only probably 8 - 10 guys I do that for in the E.

 

[Luke Flywalker]

I really don't intend for this to belittle any of the other superstars. CM Punk is another who brings it each and every night, just, personally, I feel like Orton has performed a little better than everyone else recently, and I feel like the guy deserves a little credit. I do wish they'd alter his gimmick a little though. This one doesn't sell for a face at all.

 

[Axis]

It seems like maybe he's making a change. A big test will be what the promos are like between he and Christian now. There will probably be some long back-and-forth between Christian and Orton, so we'll see if he's still doing his black whole or charisma thing, or if it's changed at all.

 

[Airfixx]

Still think he needs to lose the crappy stubble....

 

[KenFan4life]

Man, I think he needs to dial up the playbook and hit the sidewalk slam more often and use more ad-verbs in his promos and wear new kneepads.
Doesn't matter, cause If He Can't Carry Khali to a 5 star match, then he's no Harley Race.
CM Punk totally had to Carry him last week.

(a week later/Orton turns heel)

OMG guys! This guy is the best wrestler period! I like the part where he uses underhanded tactics to beat the good guys! And when he cuts promos that go like "I hate this local town's sports teams!" .... Man! This guy is just on fire! His promos speak to me! I can't think of a better talker (other than the Rock, maybe).
I can't believe how overlooked and underrated he was! you guys don't no talent! He just carried cmpunk (who in unrelated news, turned face) to a five star match!
Randy Orton even showed CM Punk how to land properly when Orton hit that RKO on him....man, The NEW ATTITUDE ERA HAS ARRIVED!

* basically every wrestler's internet popularity poll loop *

 

[Axis]

wut.

 

[Hometown Kid]

Meh, I can't deny he's actually showing something in the ring for the first time in his career, but everyone talking about this great year he's having's just further proof of IWC need to love this guy. I'll give him credit for holding his own against Christian but I defo thought Christian was the man that made that match. The crowd totally turned on Orton by the end, and Christian stole the show imo. Matches against Punk were decent, not impressive though, for various reasons. His TV matches are worse though, can't say i'm ready to crown him WWE's Wrestler of the Year yet, or "brilliant" by any stretch, even if i'm intrigued by his future. No reason to think his promos will improve though tbf.

I'd rank him behind Christian, Sheamus and Bryan hands down. Slightly lower than Del Rio and Rey, about the same level as Punk. For a guy I said was a bottom five wrestler in WWE, that's a pretty great improvement. He deserves credit.

 

[noumenon]

He's one of... if not THE most over face in the company. His in ring performances have been pretty solid as of late, more so than in the past mostly because as a face there's simply much less to screw up in the ring. Instead of dominating most of the match as a heel and doing his slow methodical stomp routine and crawling around the ring he simply has to hit his big move sequence and act intense for X amount of time. Orton has always been an excellent seller, so perhaps it's just that being a face suits his in ring style more so than being a heel. He's got a lot of work to do as far as his promo work goes.

 

[Hometown Kid]

I think it's safe to say the bottom line on all this is either way, He should just go back to his RNN gimmick.