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Edge made his triumphant return at this year's Royal Rumble and while the WWE Universe was quick to rejoice in the moment, all that came to a crushing end the next night on Raw. Even worse, the person who brought all of that joy and possibly Edge's career to a screeching halt once again was none other than Randy Orton.
Keep in mind that this is someone that was supposedly one of Edge's best friends. Someone that he had traveled the road up and down with as a part of Rated RKO and who kept Orton out of trouble. That's what made what Orton did to Edge that night on Raw so hard to watch.
With that being said and WWE putting on a masterclass in storytelling, here are five reasons why the Orton versus Edge storyline is the best thing on television right now.
As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments below and be sure to tell us who you want to win at WrestleMania 36?
#5 Showcasing Randy Orton's viciousness
They don't call him The Viper for nothing. Randy Orton is the kind of character that could save you from a 3-on-1 ambush one second and they lay you out with a vicious RKO the next. He is the kind of man that will say anything to bring you in closer to his web and then instantly make you regret it when he inevitability pounces on you.
If nothing else, that is what WWE has been showcasing about Orton over the past couple of weeks and it's some of the most jaw-dropping content we have seen in some time. In fact, between wrapping a steel chair around Edge's neck one night after coming out of retirement, to outright sandwiching him between two steel chairs, Orton's character is brutally cruel.
And interestingly enough, that is what the company has seemingly lacked for so long and is now only getting back to. Maybe it started off with The Fiend to some extent, especially after the vicious chair shots he took to the face during a Hell in a Cell match, but the company seems to be capitalizing on that brutality.
Funny thing is. the WWE Universe seems to love it.
#4 Flashes from the past
It's no secret that WWE rehashing the past can be boring at times, but there are sometimes when they are able to pull it off perfectly. Fortunately for the WWE, this is one of those magical times and they literally have the WWE Universe eating out of the palm of their hands.
From their time as Rated RKO, to Edge's sudden and saddening retirement, the company has fans invested at unprecedented levels. This is one of the best storylines the company is offering right now and so much of that has to do with the fact that they are playing up the history so much.
In all honesty, this is the most enchanting ride through history that the company has done in a while and it's just so refreshing to watch.
It's almost like the perfect bridge between the older generation that grew up watching Edge dominate in the mid 2000's and the younger crowd that is just getting used to him. The best part however, is how important WWE is making the history out to be.
#3 Unpredictability factor
What's next? Believe it or not, that is the question that the WWE Universe has to ask themselves as this ongoing storyline unfolds, and it has been a wild ride so far. Of course a lot of that has to do with Edge's epic return at the Royal Rumble and almost winning the whole thing, but also by the dastardly deeds that were done to him the next night on Raw.
And then WWE followed that up by having Orton offer to address his actions the next week on Raw, only to stay silent and walk to the back. Not only did the moment serve as the ultimate screw you to the fans, it also kept the storyline going in a way that offering an explanation wouldn't have.
Finally, WWE went a step further by having Orton attack Matt Hardy after the former tag team champion begged Orton for answers and left him in a crumpled heap. He even went so far as to wrap a steel chair around Hardy's neck and do the same thing that he had just done to Edge a few weeks ago.
#2 More Superstars and legends being invested into the storyline
One of the things WWE is best at is inserting the right people into the right feuds at the right time and they have absolutely done that here. Not only is that evident by the way the company has incorporated the likes of Matt Hardy and others from Edge's past, but also how they are managing to incorporate younger stars as well.
In fact, WWE turning Kevin Owens into a Edge fanboy and having him take his place as the fan favorite for now was a genius move. It also furthers Owens' stock in the company and hopefully sets him up for a decent WrestleMania feud. It could even go a long way in bringing Owens back to the main title picture, which would be amazing to watch.
WWE is even bringing Edge's wife Beth Phoenix, to Raw next week to talk about what happened to The Rated-R Superstar and it's sure to make for great television. Maybe WWE even teases Orton trying to go after Phoenix and injure her in some way, which would be a great chance to bring Edge back into the picture.
#1 How personal it is
Making it personal has become a reoccurring trope in WWE and the company has even started to rely on it in certain cases. Now that doesn't mean every single storyline in the company's weekly product has gotten this magic touch, but the ones that have are quickly becoming some of the best feuds on television.
With that being said, Edge versus Randy Orton easily falls into this category and the company has fans enraptured with how personal this all is. In fact, one only has to look at Randy Orton's heart breaking speech about how he loved Edge like a brother the night after The Royal Rumble to see just how deep this whole thing goes.
In the end, WWE has perfectly blended fiction and reality in a way that is seldom this successful and has fans absolutely hooked on what happens next. The history between these two alone is enough to tell this story and the company is pulling out all the stops to make that happen.
