4. Can you name one thing that you think people feel about Randy Orton that might be incorrect while also providing us with something that you think about Randy Orton that you don't feel many people are aware of?
I think folks need to know that Orton is a student of the game. He has had some great mentors and I feel he has been receptive to it all.
What I think folks might be incorrect about in thinking of Orton is that he is the next Stone Cold.
Sure, Austin was called The Rattlesnake (Orton is the Viper) and both men squared off against the boss, but they should not be compared. Their paths are not the same, their characters are not the same, their fanbase is not the same.
I see where you’re coming from on this one but I think that I agree with you for different reasons.
Randy Orton and Steve Austin are two very different people. I think that many Attitude-Traditionalists would not feel the comparison is warranted because they feel that Orton is an inferior superstar competing in an inferior era.
Austin is one of the all-time greatest, no question about it.
My issues are more with why he's considered to be so great.
That's not to say that he didn't almost single-handedly revolutionize the business, because he did. But I feel that a great deal of Austin's success was due to the appeal of his relatable character.
Many people could relate to an alcoholic who beats up on his boss but I personally see no appeal in such antics. That is, I don't like his character, even though his character was great.
Orton's character is far too deep for many people to relate to beyond the fact that they like his entrance music and feel that the "RKO" is a cool move.
So they really shouldn't be compared but I do feel that Orton has so much on Austin that he'll never get proper credit for.
5. What kind of impact do you feel that Orton's role or portraying a "cowardly heel" might have on the overall perception of his accomplishments? Does the effect stemming from his character role do him justice or an injustice?
It's not so much him being a "cowardly heel" that does him injustice, rather the writers continually shifting his character.
One week he is cowardly, the next week he's ruthless. It's all rather confusing to most viewers. Heels can be cowardly, there have been some that did it well: Honky Tonk Man, MVP (versus Matt Hardy), even Austin was a cowardly heel at some point.
It doesn't demean Orton's accomplishments; it just pisses the fans off with the constant switching.
On this topic, I feel that we are in total agreement. It is clear that the creative team seems to be left and right at the same time and are struggling to establish a consistent take on Orton's character.
Seeing him go from cowardly to ruthless at the drop of a dime is frustrating, so I feel the fan's displeasure.
On another note, I think that the sheer fact that Orton is a heel makes his accomplishments more impressive in many instances. For example, how often does a heel win the Royal Rumble? How often does a heel retain the Championship at Wrestlemania?
A babyface could do it, but it doesn't hold the same significance as when a heel does it due to the sheer nature of character roles in my opinion.
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