#5 Triple H vs Randy Orton WrestleMania XXV
Randy Orton had been pegged by the brass as a future star from the moment that the third-generation talent had stepped into OVW. Triple H himself, along with Evolution, ushered him his first title win, and as a veteran champion opponent when it finally looked like he had hit his stride as a character.
One of, if not the, hottest commodities in the business in 2009, it seemed that destiny had finally arrived and that Randy Orton would get his moment in the main event to overcome an old mentor and show all of his potential.
Even if Orton’s potential is a little romanticised here, it’s still mindboggling how Triple H ended up thoroughly crushing him to close the anniversary show.
Yes, HHH was the face and had the redemption angle behind him with the heated build-up. Yes, it was the closer, which in the WWE, translates to sending the fans home happy. It still did not make sense and capped Orton’s ceiling for the rest of his career.
A number of other factors pile on the shock. The McMahons had all returned and had gotten their hands on Legacy at the go-home show, jumping the gun on the retribution angle. The match itself had no champion’s advantage, playing into Orton’s mind games and providing an easy loophole to get creative.
