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This year's SmackDown Live Survivor Series Men's Team has been made official and here what it looks like:
Daniel Bryan, The Miz, Shane McMahon, Rey Mysterio, and Samoa Joe.
The biggest surprise was the exclusion of Randy Orton, who, in many people's opinions is the greatest performer in Survivor Series history. Dating all the way back to 2004, Randy Orton has been a staple of the Interbrand warfare PPV.
On multiple occasions, The Apex Predator has been the sole survivor for his team. His most memorable performance in Survivor Series in the last few years was 2016 when he was a part of the stacked Men's match (which many consider the greatest Survivor Series match ever).
He may not have been setting the world on fire with his character the last few years, but when you really think about it, not having Randy Orton in an elimination match is quite odd. The fact that Shane McMahon is in the SmackDown Live Survivor Series team for the third year in a row makes it even more surprising!
So why did WWE decide not to have Orton in the match which he's best at? We give you five possible reasons why.
#5 To cost Rey Mysterio at Survivor Series
It seems unlikely that Rey Mysterio is going to walk out as a survivor on the big PPV day. While he'll undoubtedly put on a valiant effort and mesmerise the audience as he always does, the chances of survival in these matches are less.
Add to the fact that Randy Orton has been attacking him since their World Cup match at Crown Jewel. He's very likely to be the one to come and hit Mysterio with an RKO out of nowhere, allowing a member of Team RAW to pin Mysterio. This will set up their feud where their next match will likely be at TLC.
#4 To injure Rey Mysterio and take his spot at Survivor Series
There's still time for Survivor Series. Even if it's not on the go-home show, it's very possible that on Survivor Series day, the camera will cut to a backstage segment where Orton is viciously assaulting Mysterio.
This will instantly lead to him taking the Lucha legend's spot in the team and he'll once again be a part of Survivor Series. This is a highly likely scenario as WWE has built Orton up as a Survivor Series match specialist.
#3 Transitioning into a part-time role
Randy Orton has been on WWE's main roster for the last 16 years. He's created a legacy for himself and has become one of the most decorated world champions in pro-wrestling history. He's made enough money through the years and there comes a point of time where everybody's career starts to wind down.
If not fully retiring, it usually means transitioning into a part-time role and we've seen this with the likes of The Undertaker and John Cena. It's very likely that this is an indication that The Viper will slowly be moving into a more part-time role. To be fair, he's definitely earned that schedule.
#2 Lack of appeal
As we mentioned, Randy Orton really hasn't been setting the world on fire. His character has suffered the past few years and fan interest has gone down. He's still a respected legend, but he never reached the heights that his counterpart John Cena did.
Whether he's demotivated or not is hard to say, but it's possible that WWE recognises what's happening and have accepted it. This may also mean that he'll be sliding down the card in a matter of time, but there's also a possibility that it's not the case.
#1 Costing AJ Styles his Survivor Series match to enter the WWE title picture
Randy Orton hasn't been in the WWE title picture for over 14 months and there's no doubt that he wants to re-enter the picture. Styles and Orton met in a one-off match before WrestleMania last year, in which Orton won.
They kept them apart for a future feud and with AJ Styles having crossed a year as WWE Champion, what better time for a feud with Randy Orton? Orton doesn't even have to win the title, but he could cost AJ Styles his match against Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series and enter the picture.
So far the WWE title picture after Survivor Series looks unclear, so it's going to be really interesting to see where things go!
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