WWE Storyline of the Week: The Beef Between Randy Orton and Sheamus

There isn’t a whole lot going on in the WWE at the moment that’s particularly intriguing, but that’s sort of expected with the post-WrestleMania lull. All the hype surrounding that pay-per-view and Extreme Rules has died down, and now, we’re moving into what is traditionally one of the least exciting and least newsworthy times of the year for the WWE. 

There is one thing that has sparked my interest as of late, however—that is, besides AJ and Eve Torres, of course—and that’s what’s been going on between Randy Orton and Sheamus. 

The WWE started the beef between these two on last week’s Raw, when Sheamus inadvertently hit Orton with a Brogue Kick during their their tag team match. Orton returned the favor with a post-match RKO, both of which led to Orton being added to the World Heavyweight Title match at Over the Limit (along with Chris Jericho) to make it a Fatal 4-Way. 

At that point, I was intrigued about the possibility of where this sudden tension between Orton and Sheamus might lead. My intrigue grew on last Friday’s SmackDown, when the two had a staredown at the end of the show after both nailed Alberto Del Rio with their finishers. 

Orton and Sheamus turned this into a game of one-upmanship of sorts that night, but things got a little more personal when Sheamus interfered in Orton’s match against Jericho on last night’s Raw and caused him to lose by DQ. 

They had to be separated by WWE referees last night, but they are now set to clash one-on-one on this Friday’s SmackDown. 

While we’ve seen Sheamus and Orton feud before (in early 2010, when Orton’s baby face turn was just starting), it will interesting to see where the WWE might be going with this one. 

Orton originally started getting that baby face reaction because he was an Austin-like heel who RKO’d anyone in his way, but he’s slowly transitioned from somewhat of a tweener to a full-fledged baby face.  Now, however, he’s getting back to his roots as an anti-hero of sorts, and his recent tension with Sheamus has mad his character more interesting than it has been in quite some time. 

I don’t think that this is actually going to lead to a heel turn for Orton, but it has shaken things up a bit and added yet another dimension to the Fatal 4-Way match at Over the Limit. 

Baby face and heel alignments don’t matter anymore. All four men involved in the match want to win, no matter what it takes. 

I like this booking philosophy because it’s a far cry from two faces teaming together based purely on the fact that they’re faces.

Orton has never really played by the rules, and he shouldn’t do that now just because he’s considered a good guy. What he should continue to do is take out anyone in his path, even Sheamus.

Drake Oz is the WWE Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter and ask him any wrestling-related questions (to be answered in the B/R Mailbag) on Formspring.