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The Twitter feud between Randy Orton and Tommaso Ciampa has really blown up. A lot of fans are excited at the possibility of a feud between The Viper and The Blackheart. This got us thinking about the possibility of a run in WWE NXT for Randy Orton.
Could we ever see the 13-time World Champion in NXT? The more we thought about it, the more sense it made - a brief run for Orton in NXT would definitely work.
#5 Randy Orton can bring a different mentality to NXT
Randy Orton is one of the most decorated Superstars on the WWE roster right now. The 13-time World Champion wrestles in a more old school way than most of the NXT roster. While the action in NXT is mostly fast-paced, Orton works in a methodical way, slowly breaking down his opponent.
One thing Orton could bring to NXT would be his experience and old school mentality, helping the NXT stars he works with to add more variety to their arsenal.
Orton recently spoke to Sportskeeda's Riju Dasgupta and discussed how NXT could benefit from slowing things down:
You don’t get to invest into these matches because they are just boom, boom, boom, boom. One thing after another. And although it is highly physically impressive, and it’s something that…I wouldn’t be able to do that style. A lot of the things these guys do, I’m not capable of doing. But they are going to have very short careers. And what I worry about Tommaso Ciampa, in particular, is with all these big injuries he’s had, and we’ve all had injuries, we all work hurt, we all wake up stiff after a good fight. But he needs to tell stories and slow it down and not think that the fans want to see him kill himself.
Orton is a master of in-ring psychology and storytelling. If he can impart his knowledge to the next generation of NXT stars, that could be a massive boost for WWE in the long run.
#4 Randy Orton can help NXT in the ratings war
WWE fans are often split in their opinions about Randy Orton, with some hailing him as one of the greats while others say that despite his achievements, his style can sometimes be boring. Regardless of what you feel about Randy Orton, one thing is for sure - he is one of the most popular Superstars on the WWE roster right now and brings eyeballs to the product. Orton also has a ton of mainstream name recognition, something a lot of NXT Superstars don't have.
Despite having a good show on most weeks, NXT is struggling in the ratings war with AEW on Wednesday nights. If NXT want back the initiative on Wednesday nights, they need someone just like Randy Orton to turn the tide. Orton can really move the needle for the Black and Gold brand with a short run there.
Randy Orton can help bring a lot of casual fans to the NXT product, some of whom may never really have given the Black and Gold brand a shot before. One thing is for sure, fans new to NXT won't leave disappointed.
#3 To capitalize on a possible Orton vs Ciampa feud
The exchange between Randy Orton and Tommaso Ciampa started on Twitter following WWE NXT TakeOver: In Your House earlier this week. Orton's tweet after the show took a shot at "leg slaps", which can definitely be deemed as a criticism of the product.
Tommaso Ciampa didn't take the criticism likely. He hit back saying that whenever his daughter needed to sleep, he put on a Randy Orton match.
Orton quickly replied to this, taking another shot at Ciampa, calling him the "self-appointed lockerroom leader of a wrestling school". Even Randy Orton's wife, Kim Orton, joined in and took a shot at Ciampa.
Needless to say, most WWE fans were salivating at the prospect of a feud between The Viper and The Blackheart. Clearly, fans really want to see this feud and at a time when excitement for the product is sort of on the lower scale, WWE can capitalize on this and temporarily send Randy Orton to NXT. A match between Orton and Ciampa would definitely be marquee.
#2 NXT will provide Randy Orton a chance to share his knowledge with the next generation
Randy Orton has nearly two decades of experience in WWE. He's won it all. At this point in his career, Orton is a veteran and someone who wants to help bring in the next generation of talent.
During a recent interview with Sportskeeda, Orton explained that he worried about members of the NXT roster because of the risks they took during their matches. Orton said that he wanted wrestlers to take care of their bodies so that they could prolong their careers and said that he would love to go down to NXT and share his knowledge with the roster. Here's what Orton said:
You can’t destroy your body and not make any money doing it and work at McDonald’s because you never went to college and destroyed your neck in the ring. There has to be a purpose and the main purpose is getting paid. We love what we do, but you need to get paid for what you do. And to make it up to the main roster, to do these big shows and travel the world, the pay’s better. That’s my biggest concern for those guys in NXT. And I would love to go down there and share my knowledge with them.
#1 A chance to freshen up Randy Orton and give him new opponents
Randy Orton made his televised WWE debut in April 2002. 18 years and 13 World Titles later, Randy Orton still as relevant as ever, currently as a featured star on RAW. Despite everything and all his talent, it's fair to say that WWE need to take Orton in a new direction. Orton joining the Wyatt Family was one of the most exciting feuds in WWE when it happened but the company ended the storyline prematurely, in my opinion. That brief storyline really showed us a different side of Orton.
If Orton moves down to NXT for a brief period, it could serve to freshen up his character in an environment that's new to him and give him a chance to wrestle a whole host of new opponents and maybe even put a couple of them over. Apart from the aforementioned Tommaso Ciampa, Orton has matches with the likes of Keith Lee, Adam Cole, and Velveteen Dream waiting for him on the Black and Gold brand.
