If Randy Orton Loses at WWE Money in the Bank, What’s Next?
By Tom Thomas
If Randy Orton loses at Money in the Bank 2017, then what’s next for the Viper?
Randy Orton would be facing Jinder Mahal in a rematch for the WWE title at Money in the Bank. Orton has already made the case clear that his only option in this match is to win. The Apex Predator in the WWE is a very dangerous man. Moreover, when he sets his sights on something as precious as the WWE title, he becomes even more vicious.
Throw in the fact that despite being a 13 time champion in the WWE, he lost the title to someone like Mahal. Orton would be infuriated right now. He would do his best to come out on top this time. He would look for ways to win back his title and cleans this rare blemish in his career. It was bitter the first time around. The Viper wouldn’t want any part of it the second time around.
However, what if the Viper loses his rematch as well? What awaits Orton then? Where would he go from there? Would the Apex Predator ever recover from such a loss? Two losses in a row to Mahal? Will Orton find a way to dig deeper and come out stronger in defeat? Or would he succumb to the pressure and end up in a familiar dark place and take a hiatus? Despite constantly reminding the fans that his only option is to win, we try to address the scenario of Orton losing. What awaits the Viper if he loses at Money in the Bank?
One of Orton’s inherent character flaws is that he becomes stale quite easily. Whenever he climbs up the mountain, his character becomes stale. This has haunted his character over the past few years. The only exception would have been during his stint with Evolution and during the whole ‘Legend Killer’ gimmick. Orton, much like Dean Ambrose, is always exciting when he is on the chase.
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He can become a menacing presence around the person who holds a title. However, once these two characters attain their target, they lose their edge and intensity. This is particularly true in the case of Orton. Most of his title reigns have been stale. His stint during the whole authority angle is especially true in this case. Hence, one of the ways creative could make use of Orton after a second loss to Mahal would be to have him in chase mode. Another thing they could pull off would be to have Randy Orton go on a hiatus. A superstar would always return fresh from a break. Suddenly, his presence would have a sense of freshness with the fans.
The same is applicable for Orton as well. A little time away from the ring to re-evaluate his career choices would add some drama to this angle. He could take time off. He could feature in backstage vignettes where he looks for answers about himself. The story of a superstar rediscovering himself has been told numerous times in the WWE. However, it is always a hit with the fans eventually. It would be wise to go down that path once more.
Another thing to note here would be the return of John Cena on the July 4th edition of SmackDown Live! If Mahal is still the foreign heel WWE champion, then the 4th of July seems like a good time and place for Cena to swoop in and announce himself as the Maharaja’s next challenger. That would essentially remove Orton from the title picture for the time being. Moreover, with stars like AJ Styles, Sami Zayn and Shinsuke Nakamura waiting in line, Orton might not come anywhere near the WWE title for a while from now.
Bittersweet day today as I begin another night in Atlanta. Such a funny movie but #SDLive @WWE is so close! 7/4 can't get here fast enough!
— John Cena (@JohnCena) May 30, 2017
Cena vs Orton or Cena vs Styles are less than likely to happen anytime soon now. Hence, it might be time for Orton to move to the midcard and take on a new set of challengers. Styles vs Orton and Owens vs Orton would be excellent pairings. It can also be said that the Apex Predator might set his sights on the United States title as well. There is no reason why Randy wouldn’t want anything to do with it.
Moreover, that would open up the space for a number of superstars to work with the Viper. Anyone from Sami Zayn to Tye Dillinger could be paired with the experienced veteran. Suddenly, SmackDown Live would be able to host a bunch of fresh pairings on television. Whether Orton plays a heel or face going down the road would be entirely up to creative. However, he has always thrived as the vicious predator. It would be good to place that character on the midcard for now.
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Who do you think would win at Money in the Bank? Will it be Randy Orton or Mahal? What do you think the Viper would do if he loses yet again? Would WWE’s Apex Predator be able to shake off a subsequent defeat and move on from there? Share your thoughts in the comments section.