Wrestler Rating Series #7 - Randy Orton

[white crow]

I am kinda forced to make this one right now cause the two fine gentlemen are arguing about Orton on Kane's WRS. Advice credit: muh man @Seto-san

I think Orton was and is undisputedly talented in-ring. You may say that his moveset is boring, but he sure knows how to perform all heavyweight moves very well despite the limited ones he does according to the script. Minority or not, I really don't find his moveset boring tho. Knee drops, fine looking clotheslines, grappling moves on point and there is not a single wrestler out there that could make something simple as a cutter that interesting like he does. RKO wouldn't get old even if Orton becomes a vampire and wrestles for 300 more years. Hm hm, Orton matches are always fun to me, and it's not because of character work, he's just intense, aggressive and decently skiled in almost all fields. No denying that he's above average, but I'm not declaring him a Daniel Bryan kinda guy either. Sometimes he repeats himself in an unpleasant way but he's neverboring to watch. Take the 10 best in-wrestlers in WWE from 2015 till today, and Orton is probably better than 5 of them.

His character work, charisma and mic skills, all are better than in-ring abilities. And since he's pretty good in that ring, not only by today standards, that's quite an accomplishment. Both the Legend Killer and the Viper were incredible. Orton can have one persona for a decade and it still wouldn't be boring, unlike some of the other guys. He was a good face during the first WHC reign and after that he grew to be an even better heel. In every case, crowd was and is strongly reacting to him. His mic skills are also pretty much above average, he usually wasn't a funny guy like The Rock or other class A entertainers but he knew how to cut a class A promo and get you hyped for a match. When it comes to the presence, it almost perfectly suited every wrestling persona he got. His presence isn't too complex when it comes to attires or in general, but it was still pretty good, and that's how you know it works.

It kinda feels wrong for me to rate him higher than Punk, but I'mma still give him a 9. It's a thin 9 but still mostly deserved. There is just a perfect chemistry between his wrestlin and non-wrestling skills, I'm counting in the second thing a little bit more than I usually use to because it feels sorta needed. He's quite above average in-ring and other things are basically 2x better so it is what it is. Of course, he can't come close to guys like Punk when it comes to work in the squared circle but he's in other aspects better than those same people.
How would you rate Randal Keith Orton and why? Arguing in posts is also allowed, so bring it on if you will. Insults ad-hominem are not though, so keep it cool.

 

[Grievous 3D]

Well...

I will admit I haven't seen as much of Orton as everyone
else here has...BUT...what I've seen I do like.

Orton appears to have two gears...

Caring...

&

Not giving a fuck...

And honestly both have a certain appeal BUT I can see why
some fans dislike "Autopilot" Orton when we all know that
the guy can do better.

Oh...& of course he does have one of the best finishers
of all time...even if he "borrowed it" from DDP.

:thumbsup:

 

[edge4ever]

First, I’ll start off by saying that in some ways I respect Orton and his talents. His RKO, I love a lot. Easily one of the best finishers in WWE history. He can hit it literally out of nowhere, quick, and on anybody, and make it look devastating. I dig it.

His heel character around 2009 was awesome. I liked it when he seems like a sadistic lunatic and went on another level. That side of him I get into. It’s fun and interesting and makes feuds with faces feel intense.

Secondly, beyond the above, however, I feel that Orton’s lack of consistency, narrow minded move-set (kind of like a Cena if you ask me), and autopilot mentality make him earn a 6 out of 10, and furthermore solidifies that he’s good... but not great.

I don’t like it when fans of Orton say “Well when he cares, he’s like one of the best...” imagine if every wrestler had that mentality. I think a lot of wrestling would suck a lot more, because superstars, if at any point, decided they don’t like a feud their in or direction; well, they can act like whiny babies and somewhat give a shit, hit their moves of doom, and go home. It would be dumb, yet when Orton does this, he gets a pass, because when he’s “on point” he’s one of the best. Hell, even Roman, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, when he’s “on point” he can have some good moments and feuds. But, that doesn’t make him great just because sometimes he’s not so bad and is entertaining. It’s bad form to respect someone like Orton, if you ask me. He simply tries when he feels like it, can be entertaining only then really, and then gets praised? Fuck that, that’s nuts to me. Again, imagine if all wrestlers had that piss poor attitude. We’d have a lot more shitty matches and feuds, that I can assure you.

Lastly, I view Orton as a guy who should’ve been a mega star who settled for being a somewhat big star. Sure, he’s had his moments just as many stars have had. But, in reality, those moments and feuds are very few and far between. He had so many matches and feuds for years where it was powerslam, ddt, weird neck breaker, and rko, let’s go home and pretend to care. I mean for Gods sake you could see it all his face and persona: he didn’t care. It’s as if he’s a kid in a candy store who.... if he doesn’t get his way, well, I’ll cry and bitch until I get that title match or title for no reason, try for 3 months, have 2 good matches, and then go back into autopilot... yet, he’s considered great... I consider him overhyped and, quite frankly, a bitch.

Overall, Orton has my respect for being talented, a veteran, and for some of the moments when he tried.... but I can’t be honest with myself and pretend like he’s some legend or great... he doesn’t deserve that category.

 

[Doxo]

When Randy is bored, he's a 6. When Randy is into what he's doing, he's a freaking 11. That goes to 7.5, but since he always just has this aura, I'll bump it to an 8.5 . Round that shit up, and bang, a 9

 

[bullyballmm]

9/10.

Less inconsistent than Kane, and when he cares he has great matches. Like Punk, he has this"it" factor where, no matter where he is on the card (e.g. mid-card feuding with Hardy last year) I am interested in what he is doing, even if I dislike how the story he is in is being booked. His methodical beat down style that starts of matches works for his heel persona, and his snap suplexes, standing drop-kicks etc. are things of beauty. And then there's the RKO... what a maneuver. He works well in groups too and I think all tag team matches that he has been in have been entertaining.

Plus he's hot

 

[Grievous 3D]

Plus he's hot

Really?

I've always thought he looks like a giant "off brand" G.I. Joe action figure myself.

 

[Redboy123@]

10/10 greatest of all time. People like to hate on the best. So inevitably people are going to have stupid opinions about him.

I want him

 

[bullyballmm]

I want him

For what? And are you okay with him coming as a packaged deal with The Revival?

 

[Redboy123@]

For what? And are you okay with him coming as a packaged deal with The Revival?

More the merrier

 

[edge4ever]

I gotta say this is why he’s the best of all time:

 

[white crow]

I gotta say this is why he’s the best of all time:

That was obviously Jericho’s fault.

EDIT: I’m not joking at all, Jericho should have dropped himself forward, he just sat in one place without moving. It takes 2 to perform an RKO.

 

[edge4ever]

10/10 greatest of all time. People like to hate on the best. So inevitably people are going to have stupid opinions about him.

I want him

You want him, like sexually?

 

[Doxo]

Really?

I've always thought he looks like a giant "off brand" G.I. Joe action figure myself.

Nah mate, he's hot

 

[edge4ever]

That was obviously Jericho’s fault.

EDIT: I’m not joking at all, Jericho should have dropped himself forward, he just sat in one place without moving. It takes 2 to perform an RKO.

Ehhh that’s kind of a contradication, you blame Jericho then say it takes 2 to perform an RKO, which that’s true with any wrestling move.

In any case, I didn’t like how Orton literally just reran the ropes even though Jericho obviously knew he was coming now... Orton should’ve just like punched him once quick or just jumped up and hit it quickly. Lol. Instead he reran after that horrible miss, just funny to me.
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Start one for triple h?

 

[white crow]

Start one for triple h?

Sure. Tommorow at this time.

That'll be #8. If someone else has a suggestion for the WRS after that one, text me and I will keep it in mind.
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Ehhh that’s kind of a contradication, you blame Jericho then say it takes 2 to perform an RKO, which that’s true with any wrestling move.

In any case, I didn’t like how Orton literally just reran the ropes even though Jericho obviously knew he was coming now... Orton should’ve just like punched him once quick or just jumped up and hit it quickly. Lol. Instead he reran after that horrible miss, just funny to me.

That's not a contradiction dude, Randy did his part right but Jericho didn't lean himself forward and lightly jump, which is what you need to do for other person in order for cutter to be performed. It does take 2, but Jericho didn't participate unlike Orton.

Orton isn't obligated to correct Jericho's mess with anything. Script said that RKO should be performed in that time, in that way and he didn't feel a need to improvise after Jericho fucked up. If he improvised it could have been less cringy, but also more cringy. Orton was young at the time and he probably didn't think he could improvise in an adequete way.