WWE Money in the Bank Spotlight: Randy Orton

With the Money in the Bank ladder match featuring the returning RVD, crowd favourite Daniel Bryan and CM Punk, fresh in his run as a face, everyone seems to be forgetting the X-factor – the Viper!

Randy Orton, a bonafide main eventer and one of the most popular WWE superstars, has spent the better part of the year in mid-card feuds and has been relegated to a lower status on the card owing to his last suspension after being busted again for a wellness violation last year. If anyone who stands to benefit the most out of this Sunday’s MITB event, it is the Apex Predator of the WWE.

And to be honest, I would be really surprised if the WWE doesn’t do something with his character to make it more interesting as he is one of the best draws aside from Cena right now. The scenarios involving him seem interesting and I believe, with the right push, we can have Orton back in the main event scene he has missed out on since the last three years.

Orton is a natural heel, and with Daniel Bryan heading into the pay-per-view with full steam it would be great if he is in any way able to turn heel by screwing over Bryan. The ideal scenario would be if DB is on the cusp of winning the match and grabbing the suitcase when to the utter surprise and dismay of the crowd, Randy pulls in a heel move like grabbing the shorts or something, hitting an RKO and stealing the suitcase with his trademark smile sealing the heel turn.

To think of it, he is the only guy in the mix who hasn’t won a ladder match of note yet. So, I see him making a major impact in the proceedings, if not outright winning it. Maybe the above scenario is reversed and Randy & DB feud over the briefcase because Orton thinks he is the rightful winner and Bryan stole it away from him at the last minute. Their program can be one that lasts for weeks, due to their strong characters and the possibility of Kane being involved in it.

I also believe that the money match-up is always going to be Cena-Orton down the line; and by turning heel, Randy could very well be the kryptonite to the superhero character that Cena is going to play in the lengthy title run he is supposed to be in after winning the title from The Rock.

The Money in the Bank winners have all gone on to challenge successfully for the title and have also been involved in contentious feuds. If that is the development route to be taken with the character of Randy Orton, let’s also consider the potential of the returning RVD.

After six long years, Mr. Monday night is back on WWE TV and could he have forgotten how he got put on the shelf in the first place? Yes, it was the Viper’s handiwork. The feud has a ready working title – “RVD vs RKO”. Both men being solid upper-card players, the feud could be very interesting and exciting as Randy is one of the few guys who could adapt well to the unorthodox, high-flying antics of RVD.

With the WWE short on star-power and credible stars with mainstream appeal, it’s about time that The Viper is allowed to get in his element and shine like the pure athlete that he is. Very few people have the ability to work a crowd as well as him; and with the first of his starring movies coming out soon, the time is right for Randy Keith Orton to slither his way back into the topmost echelons of the WWE again, and the Money in the Bank pay-per-view, known to be one of the best events of the year, is an ideal platform to get there.