WWE SummerSlam 2018: Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton Could Be Biggest Match

Randy Orton made his big return at WWE Extreme Rules 2018, and made an immediate impact when he attacked Jeff Hardy instead of Shinsuke Nakamura.  In case there was any confusion from Sunday’s actions, Orton viciously attacked Hardy again on WWE SmackDown Live after costing The Thrill Seeker the United States Championship.  In just 48 hours, Orton and Hardy became the hottest rivalry in WWE going into the biggest event of the summer, WWE SummerSlam 2018.

The best detail in both hateful attacks from Randy Orton to Jeff Hardy, has been the clear message that The Viper is setting his sights on the former United States Champion, and not Shinsuke Nakamura.  During both attacks, Orton did not pursue Nakamura, which appears to validate my previous statement that Hardy (and not the United States Championship) is Orton’s clear target.

Plus there is no need to add Nakamura to this feud.  Nakamura granted Hardy his rematch, and Nakamura is still champion, move on.  Hardy and Orton on their own have the two most important components to a classic good guy vs. bad guy feud.

In Orton’s case he is a motivated heel, which means he will go to any length to win.  On the other side of the equation is Hardy, and he plays the role of sympathetic babyface extremely well.

It is difficult for the audience to give max heat to a heel who does not have a true underdog, fan favorite on the other side, just as the fan favorite cannot get the maximum amount of sympathy without a real dirt bag of a heel rivaling him.  Think of feuds like Hardy vs. CM Punk or Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels as perfect examples.

This feud will be great for Hardy, the WWE Universe, but especially for Orton.  Orton has been in need of a character change for quite some time, and the added aggression suites The Viper perfectly.

Orton played the same role as a sadistic, ruthless heel just over ten years ago when him and Hardy had their first marquee feud.  The fact that both superstars have proven to knock the ball out of the park already with their feud, match, and spot on ending at WWE Royal Rumble 2008, leaves very little doubt that they can do it again.

What adds to the confidence level of Hardy and Orton delivering a high quality match again is the combination of skills both superstars bring to the table.  Orton is strong, athletic, and solid in the ring technically, while Hardy is high flying and has always been one of the best sellers of opponents’ moves in the business.

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Add in that Hardy is night and day better on the microphone since their 2008 encounter, and this should give the WWE Universe more to be excited about.  I actually can’t keep up with Hardy’s vocabulary or even know if all the words he is saying are real, but that is a question for another day.

Just compare Hardy and Orton to any other projected feud at WWE SummerSlam 2018, and you will see how well-rounded The Legend Thriller and The Viper’s feud really is.  The Universal Championship match will be a nightmare either way and most of the WWE Universe is just praying for a Braun Strowman cash in.

Two other feuds that I believe would give Orton and Hardy their biggest competition would be Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz and Sasha Banks vs. Bayley.  Both of the latter two feuds have one big weakness, they lost momentum.

Now nobody could help that Bryan couldn’t get cleared following the shoot promo by Miz on Talking Smack, but a lot of time has gone by since then.  Miz and Bryan took their first clear step towards a one on one match on SmackDown, yet the most talked about segment was Orton dismantling Hardy to end the show.

It is funny that Miz and Bryan have real life issues with each other, yet Hardy and Orton came across as the feud that was more personal on Tuesday.  Over on Monday nights, Sasha and Bayley were expected to feel more like Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels, but instead have looked more like a reality show on MTV where one second they are fighting and the next they are apologizing.

WWE has overthought every feud up to this point besides Hardy vs. Orton.  Instead of the WWE Universe arguing about who Lesnar should lose to or how to get Reigns over, they can enjoy an easy to follow feud with all of the elements to be great.

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Hardy vs. Orton feels personal, they are a perfect fit of characters and wrestling styles, and are two main event superstars who have proven they can have a high quality feud with each other already.  If you are looking for the feud of the summer, and the biggest match of SummerSlam, look no further than Hardy vs. Orton.