Randy Orton lost a Last Man Standing Match to Edge at WWE WrestleMania 36. The following will address what could be next for the Viper in the WWE as he attempts to redeem himself from two consecutive WrestleMania losses.
Should Randy Orton get a rematch against Edge? Absolutely not. Orton did everything he could with the storyline involving Edge’s return to the ring after eleven years and that storyline rightfully came to a close at WWE WrestleMania. A rematch between Orton and Edge is no longer necessary.
Should Randy Orton win the MITB contract again? Definitely not. That contract should be awarded to a superstar who has sufficient momentum but needs to break into the main event scene of the WWE (i.e. Aleister Black, King Corbin) or reinsert themselves back into the main event scene after dropping down to the mid-card (i.e. AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan). Orton does not fall into either of those categories, so he should not pursue the MITB contract this year.
Should Randy Orton go to war with some young and upcoming talent who could really benefit off of a rivalry with him? Bingo. That is exactly what he should do, and the following will identify and expound on three future opponents for Randy Orton after his WrestleMania 36 loss to Edge.
3.) Kevin Owens
Speaking of Edge, Kevin Owens interrupted Randy Orton’s apology to Edge on the February 24 episode of Raw. This led to a main event match, which resulted in an Orton victory due to a fast count by a referee who was apparently a disciple of Seth Rollins.
As is done with most WWE storylines, this occurrence was never addressed again. Since Owens is probably done feuding with Rollins after defeating him at WrestleMania 36, he should be free to continue his rivalry with Orton.
When Owens interrupted Orton’s apology, he conveyed that Orton’s diabolic actions against Edge were selfish because those actions would have stopped many superstars who looked up to Edge for all these years, such as himself, to step foot in the ring with Edge ever again. Since Orton just finished his rivalry with Edge, it would be a neat transition if he feuds with Owens.
They can keep the main topic of their feud about Edge and slowly make it more about themselves as they lead up to a big PPV match at SummerSlam, where Edge can be the special guest referee. Doing this will help Owens continue his momentum as the top babyface on Raw and Orton would be doing his job as a veteran heel in propelling Owens to main event greatness.
2.) Aleister Black
Randy Orton and Aleister Black have never crossed paths on the televised shows of Raw and SmackDown, and there is a valid reason why that is the case. Their venomous and psychological powers are just too strong to be in the same room or ring at the same time.
They both hear voices in their head because they have sins and secrets that portray their innate insanity. They have sins and secrets that fill society as a whole with abhorrence to the point that rooting for them in professional wrestling matches makes wrestling fans question their own virtues and sense of morality.
The psychotic mind games that could be played between Orton and Black in a high-stake rivalry would really get the WWE fans to think more deeply about storylines in the WWE as a whole. A rivalry between these two superstars could surpass the level Orton and Wyatt were on in 2017.
Instead of joining deranged families and burning down firefly funhouses, Black and Orton can assure that voices call, darkness falls, and justice crawls. Doing this will help Black continue his momentum as an unstoppable force on Raw and Orton would be doing his job as a veteran heel in propelling Black to main event greatness.
1.) Drew McIntyre
Before Drew McIntyre won the Royal Rumble this year, he had a couple of matches with the Viper, Randy Orton. After winning the Royal Rumble, McIntyre completely shifted his focus to WWE Champion Brock Lesnar while Orton shifted his focus to Edge and they did not cross paths again.
Randy Orton and Drew McIntyre’s journeys to stardom were very much alike and they should revisit their rivalry. They were both handpicked by Vince McMahon to be the Chosen One of the WWE and they became too entitled and complacent once they attained a top spot in the company.
However, there is one difference. Randy Orton continued to thrive for eighteen years in the WWE as a 13-time World Champion while Drew McIntyre had to scratch and claw for eight of those years to get back in the WWE just to become WWE Champion for the first time in the main event of WrestleMania 36 after slaying the Beast.
Throughout his career, Randy Orton was spoon-fed with an amazing network of connections, such as Bob Orton, Evolution, Legacy, and Rated RKO. Meanwhile, Drew McIntyre jobbed out with 3MB and was left alone high and dry in the Scottish Highlands with his back against the wall.
Instead of being fed with a spoon, he grabbed a knife and stabbed at every opportunity that came his way. It is clear that McIntyre and Orton are mere mirrors of each other but with a slight inversion. Defeating Orton in a WWE Championship match would solidify McIntyre’s redemptive journey to fighting the evils of complacency and entitlement that haunted him in the past.