Randy Orton's world title reign in 2004....

[seabs]

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Yeah he only won it to erase Brock's youngest world champion in the companies history schtick and it showed with how they threw it back on Hunter after a month but is it just me who thinks they could have established a big babyface star with him here?
He beat Benoit who despite never being the biggest name on the card was pretty over and well respected by the fans and shook his hand which began his face turn. I've always dug the way he turned, standing up to the dominant man on Raw with HHH it had potential for a big feud but it was horrible.

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His face turn was cemented here after being dropped by big Dave Batista the previous week.

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I understand this was after he lost the strap but the crowd seem into him here, the segment was built really well and it shows a glimmer of hope for Orton and HHH going into a long feud which didn't happen until the viper persona some years later.

Now he went on to be possibly the 4th biggest full time star of the Cena era behind John, Batista and Punk (?) so it's not like his career completely tailed off after this but judging from these early moments he seemed to be on the verge of greatness which sadly didn't work out.

So Randy Orton in 04:

Was him winning the title the right choice, without considering how the reign panned out?

Should he have kept the title longer?

Was this a missed chance to cement him as a legit top babyface some years before he was?

 

[Senhor Perfect]

I was there and witnessed it first hand. The Canadian crowd was pretty pumped even though he beat Benoit. The whole Evolution turning on him angle was a good one IMO. The problem was he went from smarmy heel to smiley face literally overnight. If they had kept him with an edge whilst he dismantled Evolution and traded the title back and forth with HHH, things would've went a lot better. I think the following week on RAW he was teaming with Cena against Evolution IIRC. Stupid booking ruined what could have been a great reign. He had a ton of babyface sympy after the thumbs down moment, they could have milked that for a lot longer than they did.

 

[seabs]

Wasn't Cena on Smackdown at this time?

 

[Senhor Perfect]

Wasn't Cena on Smackdown at this time?

If so, then it was whomever was the smiliest face on RAW at the time.

 

[seabs]

I'm trying to think of faces they had around that time, Shawn? Benoit (can't imagine him smiling), Maven?

 

[Senhor Perfect]

I'm trying to think of faces they had around that time, Shawn? Benoit (can't imagine him smiling), Maven?

Maybe Jericho? Damn old brain.

 

[Lockard 23]

I think the original plan was for HHH/Orton to headline Wrestlemania 21. They were supposed to put off the rematch until then, but Orton lost most of his heat as a baby face and plans switched to Batista (who was better in the role anyway as he was a more believable threat because of his size.)

I'd have liked it better if it went this way as far as Orton/HHH goes;

Orton loses to Benoit at Summerslam after putting up a damn good fight. Benoit extends his hand to shake, and Orton accepts. This is the first sign of Orton's baby face turn, and you start to show signs of Orton wanting to become world champion rather than just making sure the title stays around HHH's waist. He doesn't just come right out and say this, of course. But neither did Batista when he started showing the same signs as far back as November. Somehow, a triple threat match is made for Unforgiven, with benoit defending the title against HHH and Orton. Obviously, this is more of a handicap match, but the tension is in wondering if Orton will take his chance to grab the belt, even if it means attacking/pinning HHH. (Same with Batista at New Year's Revolution.) What happens is HHH regains the title in a very screwy fashionm either by pinning Benoit after Orton puts him down and has the match won ("I just saw Benoit down and went for the cover") or by 'accidentally' pinning Orton when Orton was down. This causes tension between Orton and HHH and the crowd starst to side more and more in Orton's favor.

Fast forward to the Rumble. After playing up Orton becoming more and more alienated from Evolution for a few months (and booking the elimination chamber match the same way they booked it with Batista), Orton wins the Rumble and the next night, HHH says that he and Orton will have their respect match at Wrestlemania for the title, same as he said about Batista the night after the 2005 Rumble. But at the end of that night, Orton wins a big match and then you do exactly as they did the night after Summerslam 2004 - you have Batista lift Orton up on his shoulders in celebration, only to drop him and have Evolution give him a beat down. His face turn is official, and his baby face heat might be at an all time high, as it was for Batista.

 

[Leo C]

Didn't watch his reign, but I watched the moment when he beat Benoit and that's gold, seemed like the beginning of a great babyface run as an isolated incident.