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The Fiend vs. Randy Orton was teased last week on Monday Night RAW and while a lot of fans want WWE to go there, they don't seem to understand the consequences that come with the feud. The kind of consequences that could end up hurting The Fiend character and everyone involved.
Again, a lot of fans are clamoring to see The Fiend vs. Randy Orton, especially after what happened at WrestleMania 33, but what would it do to the character as a whole? Furthermore, would it be more successful than what WWE did with The Fiend and Braun Strowman a few months ago?
With a feud between the two on the horizon, here are five reasons why The Fiend vs. Randy Orton isn't a good idea right now. As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments below and whether you are looking forward to their eventual encounter.
#5 The Fiend and Randy Orton are both heels at the moment
The Fiend might be a fan-favorite among the WWE Universe, but that doesn't automatically make him a babyface when it comes to his storylines. Furthermore, between brainwashing Alexa Bliss into his cult and randomly attacking other Superstars, there is no way to pass him off as a babyface right now.
Unfortunately for WWE, that means The Fiend and Randy Orton's feud will be heel vs. heel for the time being. Now, that might start to change once the storyline unfolds and what Randy Orton did to the Fiend is brought back up, but does that really make him the babyface just by default?
In the end, one of the hardest parts of The Fiend character is trying to portray him as a babyface, which is why he is much better off as a heel. While that might be true in most cases, WWE seems to have him in a situation where he almost must turn babyface for the storyline to even work.
#4 Too soon for The Fiend vs. Randy Orton
Why does it seem like it is too soon for a feud between The Fiend and Randy Orton? Maybe it has to do with the fact that The Fiend has remained stagnant after losing the Universal Championship or the fact that WWE is seemingly just buying time until Edge's return, but it all feels very rushed.
Another example of this is the fact that The Fiend has just been drafted from SmackDown to RAW and was involved in a main title program for months before leaving. As if that didn't feel rushed enough, The Fiend only built up one win since coming to Monday Night RAW and wasn't even featured at Hell in a Cell.
In all honesty, Randy Orton vs. The Fiend could be something very special, but the elements aren't there yet. If WWE would just bide their time and do some foreshadowing first, it could work down the line. Under these circumstances, however, the company would be much better off just to wait a while.
#3 The Fiend vs. Randy Orton forces WWE to gamble on another cinematic match
It's no secret that WWE captured lightning in a bottle when The Fiend met John Cena in a Firefly Fun House match, but the company seems to want to replicate it. One example was the Swamp Fight at Extreme Rules, which was supposed to be a peek at the Wyatt family lore, but it didn't seem to have the same creativity.
Now, that doesn't mean it wasn't an interesting match or a fun continuation of the movie universe WWE keeps trying to build, but it didn't have the same reaction. Beyond that, instead of a trip down memory lane, the two opponents battled in the swamp without much explanation of Braun Strowman's past.
If nothing else, WWE is taking a gamble every time they do one of these subjective cinematic matches and it could end up hurting them. Furthermore, if the cinematic match doesn't have the intended effect or live up to fan hype, it could be a costly roadblock in The Fiend's career.
#2 Playing up the history of The Fiend character didn't work last time
The lore of The Fiend character is one of the most interesting topics in pro wrestling right now and it's regularly discussed online among die-hard fans. It's almost like fans can't get enough of this particular character and want to know everything about the sinister creature.
While a lot of people might see that as a good thing, especially since it will result in more long-term fan interest, it comes at a price. Unfortunately for WWE, the cost of The Fiend's lore is hurting the character every time it is told in a way that fans don't agree with.
WWE already had this problem with The Fiend vs. Braun Strowman due to several plot points not be explained and could easily happen again with Orton. Then again, it all depends on how WWE chooses to tell this story, but anything short of what fans want will be a disservice to the character.
#1 The Fiend will most likely never win the WWE Championship from Randy Orton
Does anyone really think that The Fiend is going to defeat Randy Orton for the WWE Championship? Although some fans might be hoping that this is the direction the company goes in, it overlooks the rumors that WWE is just biding time for Randy Orton vs. Edge at WrestleMania 37.
This means that The Fiend will likely not capture the WWE Championship during this feud and will just be a stop-gap until Edge finally becomes healthy. Now, if Orton didn't have the title on him right now, the storyline might be a good idea, but The Fiend losing another title opportunity isn't going to look good for anyone.
Just think about The Fiend's controversial title past and you will see that he doesn't exactly have the best record with gold on the line. In fact, between being the victim of start and stop pushes and always getting the short end of the stick in key title matches, it's obvious that The Fiend character is in danger of becoming irrelevant.
