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The long running hiatus of Randy Orton came to an end when he made his return at the Fast Lane pay-per-view. It was Orton’s first appearance in nearly three months and it sets him up perfectly on the road to WrestleMania 31.A feud with Seth Rollins is what looks staring at the face of the Viper. But since the company has a tendency of mixing up their booking decisions every now and then, we never know if he’ll get a different path in the coming weeks or not.Orton might not be anywhere near popular as he used to be back in the good old days but his experience factor is something without which the company can book WrestleMania. With that fact straightened out, here is a look at how the Road to WrestleMania panned out for the Apex Predator.
#5 Post WrestleMania 30
Randy Orton went into WrestleMania 30 as the WWE Champion and came out of it without the gold around his waist. He was an instrumental part of the triple threat epic main event but the fallout did not favor Orton by any bit.
Instead of getting a one on one rematch against Daniel Bryan, Orton was put into a reunion angle of Evolution. The stable then went on to feud with Shield for nearly two months before the hounds of justice exploded due to Seth Rollins.
After the Shield feud, Batista walked out of Evolution and Orton was relegated into being one of the Authority’s stooges. He got a place in the Money in the Bank match afterwards and had pay-per-view matches with Chris Jericho, Roman Reigns and John Cena (for the 1345th time) in short lived feuds.
As Survivor Series neared by, Orton started showing his displeasure in the Authority. Soon, Orton was breathing down the throat of Seth Rollins and Rollins, without much trouble decided to curb stomp Orton out of action for nearly three months.
#4 Momentum for WrestleMania 31
Orton was taken out of the WWE television so that he could star in the movie that was coming out. He was expected to come back after the commitment but that was not the case. WWE had opportunities to bring him back at TLC and Royal Rumble but they delayed it till Fast Lane.
Now, the problem with a Fast Lane return is the lack of time that WWE has. Rollins has the momentum of a whole year behind him and matching up to that would not be an easy adventure for the Viper.
The immediate Raw that followed didn’t do any help for Orton either. WWE buried all the anger that Orton should have shown and put him back into being one of Authority’s lackeys. Orton going into WrestleMania with a truck full of momentum is a long shot and the best he could have is probably a bagful.
#3 What to Expect
Apart from a RKO out of nowhere, we can expect a solid match from the seasoned veteran. Even if Orton does not have much momentum heading to WrestleMania, he is sure to produce a solid performance.
The viper is known for being a ring general in the roster and the experience factor at a stage like Mania would play a big role in the whole match. And to make the route easier, there would be Rollins in the mix as well. Rollins has the ability to pull off a great match against anyone on the roster and Orton will only surpass that requirement.
It will be a good match from the duo in terms of in ring quality but then again, the storyline aspect is missing on various levels, so it has the potential to turn out into a toilet break for the live audience in attendance.
#2 Immediate Aftermath of WrestleMania 31
Though Randy Orton has a celebrated resume to his name, he is still struggling to draw the crowds in. This might force WWE to restrict the Rollins – Orton feud into a one-time affair. Since Rollins has the money in the bank briefcase in his hands, the chances of this possibility materializing are very high.
As far as Orton is concerned after Mania, WWE will have trouble finding him a proper opponent. If Orton’s babyface run picks up some momentum after Mania, then Bray Wyatt being an immediate opponent for the viper would be good.
Authority will fit in the role perfectly as well but it depends on how much over Orton is as a baby face since the company would want a big draw to stand up against Hunter and his wife.
#1 What the future holds
The future doesn’t look any bright for Orton. His stock in the company is falling at an alarming rate. The proof for this came during the time he stayed away from the WWE. The fans were not at all missing him and the company had no problems booking pay-per-views without him as well.
So expecting Orton to have a WWE Championship run on the Road to WrestleMania 32 would be impractical. What we could expect instead is a solid midcard run from the viper.
He could be used to put over young talents in the roster or could even go on to have a run with the Intercontinental championship. One sure thing about the future road for Orton is: he won’t be in the title picture when the next WrestleMania arrives.
