WWE: Randy Orton's Place in the Company Is Rock Solid

Late last month, the WWE made a shocking announcement: Randy Orton had been suspended for 60 days for his second violation of the Talent Wellness Program. 

The news surprised both wrestling fans and those within WWE alike, as many felt that Orton, who had a number of problems early on his WWE career, had matured and turned his life around. 

Yet, here we were six years or so after Orton had established himself as bona fide main eventer, and he found himself getting suspended at a time when the WWE needed him most. 

As a result, there have been numerous reports stating that Orton has major heat backstage. 

One of these reports actually went as far as to question whether or not Orton’s WWE career was over. 

From F4WOnline.com (via WrestlingInc.com):  

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Rumors continue to swirl that Randy Orton's continued employment with WWE is in jeopardy following their announcement May 30 that he was being suspended for 60 days for his second violation of the Talent Wellness Program. 

F4WOnline.com reports Tuesday that Vince McMahon is livid with Orton, particularly since he was so "outspokenly indifferent" to the suspension. Another source says Orton was hastily benched to ensure that he return before SummerSlam on August 19, but "something happened" shortly after the announcement that infuriated the WWE Chairman. This has led to discussions of Orton not being brought back at all after his suspension concludes. 

Former WCW announcer Mark Madden stated last Thursday via Twitter that WWE is looking to terminate their partnership with Orton since he's considered difficult to deal with and due to the belief that his value has plateaued. 

There are people within WWE saying Orton's time away from the squared circle 'isn't going to be that big a problem.' For the first time, officials are openly categorizing CM Punk as the second-ranked babyface rather than the two as equals. Many also feel SmackDown's babyface side will be sufficient with Sheamus, Christian, Sin Cara, Rey Mysterio returning soon from suspension and the option to turn Daniel Bryan at a moment's notice. Orton has made and saved a lot of money during his career and resides in an area where he could live comfortably for several years without financial worry. His wife Samantha also comes from a well-to-do family, so not having a steady income is reportedly not a major concern for him. 

There is a 'small, vocal pocket' within the sports entertainment organization lobbying for Orton's termination. Those opposing his return feel his lucrative ten-year contract—signed in January 2010—can no longer be justified if he is brought back in a mid-level role. His second suspension hinders WWE from continuing to feature Orton in headline role since a third drug-testing policy infraction would result in automatic termination, or, as some have stated, a "one-year suspension." 

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My only reaction to this: Does anyone really believe Orton is actually going to get fired? 

If Orton was an average Joe midcarder, the answer to that question would be, at the very least, “maybe.” But this is Randy Orton we’re talking about here—and he’s certainly no average Joe. 

Although WWE officials reportedly now recognize CM Punk as the company’s No. 2, Orton is still firmly entrenched as the company’s No. 3. 

He’s over like rover, he puts on good-to-great matches consistently and he’s one of the few WWE names who is actually recognized outside of professional wrestling. 

It seems borderline ridiculous to think that Vince McMahon or anyone within the WWE would be calling for his firing after he had his first screw-up in years, especially when—regardless of what he tested positive for—no one really knows what led to that positive test. 

To put it simply, Orton did what numerous wrestlers have done throughout their careers: He made a mistake. 

In fact, he made the same exact mistake that Jeff Hardy made just four years ago. 

In March 2008, Hardy was suspended for 60 days for his second Wellness policy violation, and once he came back from that suspension, it didn’t take very long for him to return to his position as one of the WWE’s top baby faces. 

Only a few months after his return, Hardy competed in multiple WWE Championship matches (on pay-per-view, nonetheless), and at the Armageddon pay-per-view in December of that year, he beat Edge and Triple H in a Triple Threat to capture his first-ever WWE Championship. 

Fast forward to 2012, and Orton is in almost the exact same situation Hardy found himself in back in 2008. 

In less than two months, Orton will likely return from his suspension, and when he does, do you think that the fans won’t still love him like they have for the past two-plus years? 

Of course they will. 

As was the case with Hardy, Orton is one of the biggest stars in the WWE, and perhaps more specifically, he is one of its top baby faces. 

Although Vince McMahon may think that you can plug a guy who has a certain look or charisma into the WWE machine and turn him into a top superstar, he’s wrong. That’s just not the case. 

You can’t simply make another Randy Orton, and as the WWE has proved with its struggles in developing major stars over the last few years, creating household names is easier said than done. 

While Orton’s suspension had horrible timing and he has been a bit of a headache for the WWE at times, the fact remains that the WWE needs him—perhaps now more than ever. 

It’s hard to find a guy with a great look who is ridiculously over with the crowd and always delivers in the ring. 

That’s what the WWE had with Hardy in 2008, and despite all of his problems, he returned to the company and actually reached a higher level of success than he did prior to that suspension. 

One mistake and one suspension is not going to prevent Orton from doing the exact same thing. 

Drake Oz is a WWE Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter and ask him any wrestling-related questions on Formspring.