Within the weeks main as much as WWE’s Bash in Berlin, the primary occasion match between Randy Orton and Gunther was one among my most anticipated WWE matches in a number of years.
The explanation for that is that I discover Randy Orton to be a captivating wrestler, a one-of-a-kind persona in professional wrestling who seemingly has all the pieces but not often is ready to put all of it collectively for a show-stopping efficiency.
There isn’t any questioning that Orton possesses a few of the sharpest fundamentals of any wrestler of his era. He strikes naturally and elegantly within the ring, his offense all the time seems to be good, he can promote and he has glorious timing with all the pieces he does. He virtually by no means makes a flawed step within the ring and to my information, he has by no means injured any wrestler he has labored with all through his lengthy profession.
These attributes, alongside together with his premium 6’4” body and chiseled physique, have made Orton probably the most highly-regarded wrestlers by expertise evaluators in wrestling historical past. The cliche JBL would all the time say, “should you have been to construct a wrestler from the bottom up it might seem like Randy Orton” is true. In actual fact, WWE has previously basically used Orton as a blueprint for what they wished future expertise to be like, giving followers second-generation wrestlers with good our bodies like Ted DiBiase Jr., Curtis Axel, and most notably, Cody Rhodes.
As a consequence of all of that, Orton has been probably the most pushed wrestler in WWE throughout his profession exterior of John Cena and Roman Reigns. His match in opposition to Gunther was him trying to seize his fifteenth world championship, and he has been trusted numerous instances by WWE administration to ship in large spots. He’s, by just about any consideration, probably the most profitable wrestlers on the earth, and he simply signed a brand new five-year contract with WWE, which undoubtedly retains him as one of many highest-paid wrestlers on the earth, if not of all time.
But, regardless of all the celebrity, the expertise and the push and safety of the WWE machine, Orton has only a few nice matches. He’s wrestled a billion “large” matches, and solely Triple H has headlined extra PPVs/PLEs in WWE historical past, with Bash in Berlin being his 118th PPV major occasion of his profession. He’s wrestled each nice wrestler that has been in WWE over a 20+ yr span, from Shawn Michaels to Chris Benoit to Bryan Danielson.
Ask any WWE fan what their 5 favourite Randy Orton matches are and see if they’ll rapidly rattle them off. What number of of them are even significantly memorable? Certainly his No Holds Barred match from 2004 in opposition to Mick Foley can be talked about, a wonderful match because of Foley’s creativity and storytelling, and a younger Orton’s willingness to take some gnarly bumps. He had a couple of matches with Christian in 2011 followers actually favored, and possibly the WrestleMania 30 major occasion with Bryan Danielson and Batista, which has to largely be credited to Danielson.
It’s a reasonably middling checklist. On Cagematch, Orton has 497 matches throughout his profession with official rankings from followers, and solely 32 of them have achieved a consensus ranking of 8.00 or larger. That’s fewer than his up to date John Cena, who has 41 matches rated 8.00 or larger, regardless of Cena having a manner lesser status for his in-ring capability than Orton. Different contemporaries of Orton who’ve reputations as nice wrestlers, akin to Bryan Danielson (187 matches rated 8.00 or higher), AJ Kinds (103) and Samoa Joe (61) are all properly forward of Orton.
The problem with Orton, particularly later in his profession, is his lack of second gear (not to mention a 3rd, fourth or fifth gear) and his indifference to adapting his formulaic model to any state of affairs. As nice as Orton’s fundamentals are, he lacks a few of the key instincts that may elevate a naturally proficient wrestler into changing into top-of-the-line wrestlers on the earth. If Terry Funk is the gold commonplace by way of having the ability to adapt to any state of affairs, Orton is the precise reverse, a man comfy with doing the identical, minimal effort work that he can autopilot his manner by way of any match, regardless of the circumstances or the potential for one thing higher.
The match in opposition to Gunther in Berlin was so intriguing to me as a result of it appeared like such a straightforward state of affairs for a terrific match to unfold. Gunther has been the most effective wrestler in WWE since he was first signed by the corporate, lapping most of his friends even whereas being compelled to wrestle in a quiet warehouse in England through the peak of the pandemic. Gunther had simply been made world champion, and can be headlining the primary ever WWE PPV/PLE to happen in Germany, the place the German-speaking Gunther first broke out as a significant indie star.
The gang promised to be molten-hot to see their man as world champion, and a a lot lesser wrestler than Randy Orton can be able to going out and having top-of-the-line matches of the yr with Gunther in that form of state of affairs. It could be simply really easy to get it accomplished, but Orton, at age 44, having spent a majority of the final two years recovering from a really severe again harm and carrying a ton of unnatural muscle mass, added some doubt to the combo.
The tip consequence was a forgettable match, as Orton acquired the components all flawed as he was dedicated to doing the identical factor he has been doing for many of his profession. Regardless of Gunther being among the many finest “management” wrestlers of his era, a peerless bully within the ring who punished his opponents with monster offense, the match was as a substitute constructed across the plodding tempo set by Orton, who managed a lot of the motion utilizing the identical offense he has been utilizing for many years.
The gang was purple sizzling for the match as I predicted, with the followers giving the match a standing ovation earlier than any motion came about. Slowly although, the tempo set by Orton and the shortage of offense by Gunther started to lose the gang. The viewers was nonetheless loud throughout the match, however they started to lose focus within the motion, opting as a substitute for soccer chants and doing the wave to entertain themselves whereas Orton went to work stomping on Gunther and locking in rear chin-locks.
Orton additionally appeared extra dedicated to interacting with the gang, joking round and sauntering out and in of the ring, versus specializing in Gunther and punishing the native hero to arrange the eventual large comeback. The match stretched out over an agonizing 36 minutes as Orton huffed and puffed his manner across the ring and Gunther bought his arm.
After a particularly lengthy set-up for a metal step spot which might be thought of routine in most large matches however passes for pleasure in a Orton match, Orton would finally lose in a clumsy end the place he was put in a sleeper maintain and handed out after a multiple-minute battle within the maintain. This was a far cry from the extra MMA-inspired sturdy model mat struggles you’d see in different promotions. As a substitute this was a WWE end, with Orton partaking in comedic promoting and Michael Cole screaming in each fan’s ear about how this may very well be the end.
Followers who simply favored the energetic environment from the German crowd in all probability loved the match, however as somebody that was deeply taken with seeing how Orton would regulate to this distinctive state of affairs, I left feeling upset. Orton didn’t adapt his model in any respect, as a substitute forcing Gunther, probably the most thrilling and attention-grabbing wrestlers on the earth, to wrestle his patterned model of match that has been boring many followers for 22 years. Gunther, regardless of selecting up the win, was not put able to succeed, as he would have been if he had merely battered Orton for quarter-hour together with his signature offense whereas his German-speaking followers cheered him on.
I’m certain should you requested Orton, or individuals backstage in WWE, the match can be thought of a significant success. That’s the way it has all the time been for Orton. The WWE machine has all the time been taken with pushing him, and all the time having the backing of the corporate has taken away any fireplace or motivation that nice wrestlers have to need to be nice. Orton is ok occurring cruise management, doing what he has all the time been doing, as a result of he has all the time been rewarded for going by way of the motions.
It doesn’t matter if he shits in wrestlers’ luggage, is the topic of alleged sexual harassment of WWE writing employees members, or fails a number of drug checks, Randy Orton all the time comes out on high. He doesn’t need to push himself or regulate his model in any manner that will make it extra attention-grabbing, as a result of WWE has all the time had his again, followers will pop for the RKO spot and examine him as a legend as a result of he’s been pushed for therefore lengthy, and he’ll get a pleasant large contract from TKO for his service.
Nonetheless, there’s a motive regardless of all of the reward he will get from his friends and his unbelievable success as a WWE wrestler, Orton nonetheless isn’t held in as excessive of a regard by a portion of followers and media members that comply with the enterprise intently. There’s a motive he’s nonetheless ready for his induction within the Wrestling Observer E-newsletter Corridor of Fame. Orton has by no means actually needed to push himself to be nice, and it’s mirrored in his work. His dedication to being mediocre might be his ultimate legacy with a variety of wrestling followers when he lastly hangs up his boots.