Opinion
What Will WWE Do When Randy Orton Returns From Injury?
I wanted to write a column on what WWE will do with Randy Orton as the company is running at full speed toward Money in the Bank. Unfortunately, Orton’s knee beat me to it. According to multiple sources, Orton underwent knee surgery for a torn meniscus, forcing him out of action since the Backlash pay-per-view.
It was also revealed Orton has needed surgery on his knee since 2017, but there is no word when he will return to action. Injuries have played a role in his career in recent years, as the 13-time world champion has been a fixture in SmackDown Live’s mid-card on Tuesday nights.
While John Cena is the gold standard every superstar is measured, I have wondered why the third-generation superstar doesn’t get the recognition he deserves as a veteran of the ring wars. it also remains to be seen if Orton, whose last world title run was at WrestleMania 33 when he defeated Bray Wyatt for the strap.
Ironically, it was Wyatt who ended Cena’s record-tying 16th world title run.
Despite winning the United States Title by beating Bobby Roode at Fastlane this year and becoming the 18th Grand Slam Champion, it’s fair to say “The Viper” has been in purgatory, with no path to the WWE Title. Unlike John Cena, who could still jump into the main event picture on both Raw and SmackDown Live, the last world title run by Orton might be his last as other superstars like AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, Samoa Joe and now Daniel Bryan, have all surpassed the popular veteran.
Upon his return to action, will Orton have the same kind of impact on this company as he has in the past, putting younger talent over while remaining a favorite to “strike” at any time? As a fan, Randy Orton has been underused as a performer this year.
Known for his ability to sell as both a fan favorite and top heel, Randy Orton is best when he gets heat from the fans. Like Rusev, Bray Wyatt and Brock Lesnar, it does not take away from the support he receives from WWE’s Universe.
There hasn’t been an official press release from WWE about Orton’s return, but he could be back in as little as two months, which could put him back on the road toward SummerSlam. Whether he remains part of the United States Title is also up in the air.
If WWE wants to maximize Orton’s strengths, they could shuffle the deck and move him over to Monday Night Raw, similar to Cena’s role as a free agent. Since the Universal Title picture is up in the air, with Brock Lesnar hiding with the title in tow, would Orton’s return to heel status be what is best for business?
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Opinion
Chris King: Is Brock Lesnar Truly Retired?
Brock Lesnar retired at WWE WrestleMania 42, right? Are we totally sure? Chris King asks…
Brock Lesnar retired at WWE WrestleMania 42, right? Are we totally sure? Chris King asks…
At WrestleMania 42, ‘The Beast Incarnate’ Brock Lesnar took off his boots and gloves following his loss to Oba Femi. Lesnar has done it all inside of his twenty-four-year career in professional wrestling. He’s a ten-time WWE Champion and former UFC Heavyweight Champion, and he’s one who ended The Undertaker’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania.
While Lesnar was in the ring, he was visibly overwhelmed with emotion and crying while he thanked the fans in his own way. The Beast even threw up an x to signal to Paul Heyman, his longtime friend and advocate, that this was not scripted and was real. There had been rumors that Lesnar and Oba were supposed to have a series of matches before everything went down at Mania.
‘The Career Killer’ Gunther was doing Heyman’s bidding as he faced Seth Rollins for a favor. For a while now since Gunther retired Goldberg, John Cena, and AJ Styles, the rumor has been Gunther was set to retire Lesnar in his hometown at this year’s SummerSlam event. There’s been no confirmation if Lesnar is truly retired, but on this week’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown, we saw Heyman talking with General Manager Nick Aldis. Later that night following Rhodes’ match against the debuting Ricky Saints, Gunther choked out the WWE Champion. Could this be the favor from Heyman?
I know in the world of professional wrestling we live by the mantra of “never say never,” but what if Lesnar is actually retired and this was WWE’s way of shutting down those rumors about Gunther and Lesnar? What if Gunther’s next program is chasing after the WWE title, and where is Randy Orton at in all of these plans? There are so many questions that need to be answered, hopefully soon!
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Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!
MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)
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SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast
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Attitude Of Aggression Podcast: The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history) Unidentified History (Ufology) & Game Gone Wrong (Game of Thrones Universe)
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Opinion
Chris King: Defend The Intercontinental Championship At Backlash!
With WWE Backlash upon us, Chris King wants to see Penta defend the Intercontinental Championship in Tampa!
With WWE Backlash upon us, Chris King wants to see Penta defend the Intercontinental Championship in Tampa!
This year’s annual Backlash showcase is only a few days away, and while there are many big matches announced, one that definitely should be isn’t on the card. In my opinion, outside of Roman Reigns/Jacob Fatu and Seth Rollins/Bron Breakker, the Intercontinental Championship scene has been stellar over the last month.
Penta has been an excellent champion, especially after his triumphant title defense in a ladder match against JeVon Evans, Rusev, Dragon Lee, and the Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio at WrestleMania 42. Their ladder match at Mania was one of the best that WWE has produced in a while.
The momentum never stopped, as on the post-Mania episode of Monday Night Raw, ‘All Ego’ Ethan Page made his debut and was quickly inserted into the Intercontinental title scene. Page had a fantastic showing against his longtime NXT rival Evans and picked up a big win in his debut match thanks to an assist from Rusev.
All Ego immediately joined forces with ‘The Bulgarian Brute’ Rusev, who was also vying for the Intercontinental Title in his own right. On this week’s episode of Raw, Page and Rusev defeated Evans and Penta. All Ego pinned the champion, making a huge statement and putting him one step closer to getting a title shot. For the past few weeks I’ve been anxiously waiting to see if WWE was going to add this incredible fatal four-way match for the Intercontinental Championship, but it hasn’t happened yet.
As much as the WWE Universe enjoys witnessing great matches on free television, I truly believe all four superstars deserve the chance to showcase their talents on the PLE. While Penta has done a terrific job as the intercontinental champion, it’s time for a fresh face to hold the prestigious title. Page would make a great braggadocious heel that would help elevate the Intercontinental Championship to new heights!
Chairshot Radio Network
Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!
MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)
TUESDAY - 4 Corners Podcast (sports)
WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)
THURSDAY - Nefarious Means
FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)
SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast
SUNDAY - 30 Mindless Minutes
CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS
Attitude Of Aggression Podcast: The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history) Unidentified History (Ufology) & Game Gone Wrong (Game of Thrones Universe)
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