WWE SmackDown: When Should Randy Orton Turn Heel?
Outside of John Cena, nobody has helped define an era of the WWE more than “The Viper” Randy Orton has since debuting in 2002.
Randy Orton has been the Intercontinental Champion, a two-time tag team champion, a Money in the Bank winner, a two-time Royal Rumble winner, and a 13-time world champion. Orton’s career is nothing short of stunning and he has been one of the most recognized WWE superstars of the 2000’s.
But as of late, The Apex Predator has been lacking on-screen with his character receiving very little direction. Orton is 37 years old and has been on the main roster for nearly 16 years, but despite his veteran status among the current landscape of the WWE, there is one sure-fire way to get Orton back to his old self.
When looking back at Orton’s career, there’s no denying what brought him the most success. As a heel, Orton shines and shows why he is one of the greatest WWE superstars of all-time. Whether it was his Legend Killer persona of disrespecting legends of the business, his time as a member of Evolution, his Rated RKO stint, or his run of destroying the McMahon family, Orton is in his comfort zone as a heel.
He has had success as a babyface too, but at this point in his career where many believe he’s become stale, turning Orton heel sometime in the near future would make all the sense in the world. And as the current scene on SmackDown is shaping up, there’s one major possibility for Orton to turn heel.
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With AJ Styles set to defend the WWE Championship against Jinder Mahal at Clash of Champions, Styles should go over and retain his championship and finally rid himself and the WWE universe of Mahal in the WWE Championship picture.
That would present the opportunity for Orton to turn heel on Styles sometime following Clash of Champions and reenter the WWE Championship picture.
A legitimate feud of Styles vs. Orton is something fans have thought about for a long time and the WWE has a golden opportunity to capitalize on it. These are two of the greatest wrestlers of the 21st century, so pitting them against each other in a serious feud for a world title just makes sense and is something fans would be interested in seeing.
As the WWE universe remembered on the Nov. 28 edition of SmackDown, Orton is at his best as an edgy persona. And The Viper could really flourish as a heel again against the best guy in the company and current WWE Champion. The feud wouldn’t have to be months long, but a pay-per-view or two of matches could go a long way.
Orton also needs redemption of sorts after a lackluster feud with Mahal for the WWE Championship earlier in the year. And what better way to get redemption than going back to his comfort zone of being a heel to face off with The Phenomenal One? It’s the perfect scenario for both individuals and both could greatly benefit from a feud against each other, especially leading into WrestleMania 34.
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Babyface Styles vs. heel Orton. The Phenomenal One vs. The Apex Predator. It screams money and the WWE should go this route to help rejuvenate Orton’s legendary WWE career.