5 Indications that Triple H is done pushing Randy Orton in WWE
Randy Orton lost to Cody Rhodes in the final of the King of the Ring Tournament at Night of Champions this past weekend in Saudi Arabia. This was his second consecutive loss in a KOTR final. These words, one might think, may carry a negative connotation and a skewed perspective, considering that to lose in a final, one has to first get there.
However, we are talking about a 14-time World Champion here. With The Viper failing in every critical world championship opportunity bestowed upon him, the writing on the wall seems to be clear: the Triple H-led creative team does not see him as a potential top guy anymore, despite his unprecedented popularity, or perhaps because of it.
In this article, we will explore five clear signs that Triple H, Orton's mentor, but more importantly, his boss, may be done pushing him anywhere near being The Apex Predator of WWE:
#5. Randy Orton hasn't held a singles title since October 2020
Randy Orton has been a constant fixture in world championship matches since his return to WWE at Survivor Series 2023. Hence, the following statistic is just as surprising to the writer as it may be to the reader here. The St. Louis native last won a singles title in October 2020 when he defeated Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship.
During their extended feud, he took multiple losses from McIntyre and only held the championship briefly, for 22 days. In fact, he hasn't had a meaningful singles title reign in over 11 years. This brings us to the next point.
#4. Randy Orton's title wins have been few and far between
The last time Orton held a title in front of fans was the United States Championship in March 2018. His 28-day reign was ended by Jinder Mahal, much like his 13th World Championship reign, which lasted just 49 days.
Basically, apart from not winning a singles title since October 2020, Randy Orton's combined time holding singles gold over the past 11+ years is less than 100 days. This is an insane stat because at that time, Orton was just 34 years old.
Even though his star power and status have only continued to grow, it is kind of surprising that at 34, when most people's main event pushes don't even begin, Orton stopped being looked at as a man who could carry a WWE World Championship, despite having held it 12 times hitherto.
#3. Randy Orton's popularity and the Cody Rhodes-John Cena story might delay his heel turn
Speculation has been rampant regarding a possible Cody Rhodes-Randy Orton feud starting later this year, probably with the Undisputed WWE Championship on the line. Orton's loss and demeanor, especially after the match, signaled that he may turn on Cody soon. However, given his insane popularity among the WWE Universe, Triple H might hesitate to turn him heel, especially on Cody.
If Cody Rhodes beats John Cena for the Undisputed WWE Championship at SummerSlam, fans may turn on him. Meanwhile, fans want to see Orton win his 15th World Title soon, much like how they wanted to see Cena win number 17. We have already discussed how The Viper hasn't won a world title in years.
The amalgamation of these factors, plus Orton and Cena's connection, might implore fans to perceive Randy as the man who avenges The Last Real Champion's potential loss to The American Nightmare at The Biggest Party of The Summer, thereby losing the heel heat he would need to make his feud with Cody work.
Therefore, WWE may wait until Orton's popularity subsides or they are convinced it won't supersede Cody's popularity. And the older The Legend Killer gets, the less are the chances of him actually being pushed as "the guy," even for a short while.
#2. Randy Orton is seemingly just a glorified enhancement talent at this point
Okay, calm down. No one is comparing Randy Orton to the likes of Jinder Mahal. But, in all seriousness, Randy hasn't won a major singles match in years. His position on the roster is perhaps still higher than someone like AJ Styles or Sami Zayn, but when was the last time he won a big match?
The Viper has lost championship opportunities against Roman Reigns, Gunther, John Cena, and even Logan Paul since 2023. He has made it to the KOTR final in successive editions but has ended up losing to Gunther and Cody Rhodes, respectively.
Granted, the loss to Cody Rhodes might lead somewhere, perhaps into an all-time great feud and a 15th World Championship, but The Apex Predator will probably just be a transitional champion.
His title win will just be a stat: 15. At maximum, it'll be a plot device to justify stretching the eventual feud with Cody, who will probably win back the Undisputed WWE Championship soon thereafter. Once again, he will just be a tool to put over main event talent, which is a shame, because not only has he been that guy for far too long, but he has put in the best in-ring and promo work of his career over the past two years.
#1. Randy Orton's in-ring work, of late, may keep him a babyface, and thus, underpushed
There are a few contrasting considerations to be made here. Randy Orton's in-ring work since 2023 has been the best of his career. This is surprising, given his age and size now, in addition to the fact that smaller guys tend to work better as babyfaces, while he has only grown in size since his injury. In fact, somehow, even his promos are better than ever, despite him being a babyface.
Orton, as a character, has always been at his best as a heel, though. That is where his storytelling capabilities shine. However, his popularity has made his babyface run one of the best phases of his career. This is easily the best and longest run he has had as a good guy. But does that work in his favor vis-à-vis his position on the roster?
With the presence of people like Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Jey Uso, Sami Zayn, LA Knight, and Roman Reigns (partial "presence" in this last case), it is highly unlikely that he will be pushed as an absolute top guy anytime soon. Coming back to his in-ring work, the quality has certainly worked in his favor with regard to popularity, but quite the opposite in terms of being pushed.
This is rather funny because Randy Orton used to attract a lot of criticism, and thus, boos, for his "boring and mechanical" in-ring style. Ironically, in a certain sense, his incredible promo and in-ring work and his connection with fans mean that he won't be pushed as a top guy in WWE any time soon. His popularity has prolonged his babyface run, but it has also preempted the feud with Cody that could perhaps be his last run at the very top of the industry.
