A Killer Legend: Randy Orton Should Get A Final World Championship Reign

WWE has made no secrets about it; they have entered into a new era. Just because the product feels fresh doesn't mean that WWE needs to abandon the past entirely. To that point, Randy Orton should get a final World Championship reign. The company has been in a sort of rut in their post-WrestleMania period. Still, Orton consistently gets strong reactions when he makes his entrance. He has more than earned a title, being one of WWE's longest-tenured superstars. Also, there are some pretty exciting options for him to feud with once he gets back into the main event. Hopefully, fans have some more time with the apex predator. Before he goes, though, Orton has delivered enough to be the champ one last time. 

Randy Orton should get a final World Championship reign to cap off his career. 

The last year or so has been a stark reminder that all great careers come to an end. Sting has retired, Roman Reigns is taking a long break, and both Jay Briscoe and Bray Wyatt passed on too soon. Randy Orton has just returned from injury, and it was one that nearly looked like it could end his career last year, too. Of course, safety and health are paramount. However, it would be a shame if fans had to bid farewell to the legendary killer without a thought-out finale. 

At one point, Randy Orton was WWE's youngest champion. He is a grand slam champion and is among the top five superstars in world championship reigns at 14. Randy Orton has won the Money in the Bank match and two Royal Rumbles, among other WWE and wrestling industry accolades. There is arguably nobody more accomplished on the roster today than Orton. That resume means he can challenge for the World Title at any time. He hasn't won the world title since 2020, so he is due to win another. Nobody should just be handed a title, though. The story needs to be interesting, and Randy Orton has two exciting prospects for a feud this year.  

There is an undeniably perfect opponent (or two) for Randy Orton to feud with. 

The wrestling feud that the WWE Universe has been clamoring for is Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes for the WWE title. Both are on Smackdown, both are faces, and Randy Orton is currently feuding alongside Kevin Owens with Cody's old rivals in the Bloodline. However, when that ends, Orton will have loads of free time to discuss his legacy with his protegee and fellow generational star. On the other hand, Damian Priest just won his first world title, the World Heavyweight Championship. If The Bloodline sends Orton to Monday nights, the youngest-ever World Heavyweight Champion could have an interesting feud with that title's current holder. 

Most matches can be made interesting when you have built up as much history as Orton has in a career. A title win and a short feud with Damian Priest, who would ultimately win the title back, could be great for both men. Priest needs something serious to do on television after feuding with Awesome Truth going into WrestleMania. Randy Orton can get the title that kicked off his main event run one last time and put over a new-era star when he drops it again. Cody Rhodes, though, is the marquee. They have history, and their stories have been lightly intertwined since Cody returned. If they can hold off until this summer, Orton could get the win, too, and give the ultimate chaser in Rhodes another thrilling chase.  

Randy Orton's return has been absolutely electric so far. 

A lot of the rationale for Orton's win revolves around his past, whether his previous accomplishments or his former friends. Randy Orton should get a final World Championship reign because his return has been incredible. Just mentioning his name a few weeks before his return made the fans on Raw ecstatic, and since the Survivor Series, he has been on top of the world. He has relaxed, working silly angles with Logan Paul and Kevin Owens. Despite the levity in his stories post-War Games, he has managed to get the fans invested. If he can pop the crowd with YouTubers and Prime, the reaction to a title win would be enormous. 

Despite how well his return has been, as pointed out, it has not had anything memorable since his initial return. Even that was overshadowed by the CM Punk appearance that shocked the wrestling industry. To capitalize on how the WWE Universe has responded to Orton, they should put him back into the main event and in a position where he could also win the title. The interest is there from fans, so now is the time to capitalize before that excitement dies down among the fans in the live crowds. 

WWE needs new legends like Randy Orton for its titular new era. 

As the new era begins in earnest after WWE's WrestleMania Backlash in France, Triple H, and the creative team will need to think about the future beyond just who will be the face of WWE. Wrestling will always be a form of entertainment that is at least somewhat reliant on tradition. So, with a new crop of talent coming to the top of the card, WWE needs to select its next crop of legends. Ironic as it may be, the legend killer is on that list, and he should get one more world title run before he makes that switch.