Randy Orton Losing WWE World Title at WrestleMania Is Blessing in Disguise

Losing the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XXX may seem like a step back in Randy Orton's career, but it was actually the best thing that could have happened to The Viper.

Orton initially won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at TLC by defeating John Cena. Although he had to resort to handcuffing the leader of the Cenation, anything goes in a Tables, Ladders & Chairs match, and Orton left that bout looking strong.

In the ensuing months, however, Orton was booked about as poorly as any world champion ever has been. Orton lost a non-title match to midcard talent Kofi Kingston leading up to a Royal Rumble rematch against Cena. While Orton retained, he needed help from the Wyatt Family in order to do so.

Orton then dropped decisions to Cena, Daniel Bryan and Cesaro prior to the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. The Viper once again escaped with his title reign intact thanks to further interference from the Wyatt Family as well as Kane. Even though Orton dodged another bullet, fans still didn't view him as a legitimate champion.

Orton's title run was so bad that WWE had to move away from the initial WrestleMania main event match of Orton vs. Batista. The Bryan vs. Triple H bout stipulated that the winner would be added to the title match, and Bryan ultimately gained entry.

As seen in this photo courtesy of WWE's Instagram account, WrestleMania marked the last time that Orton would carry the prestigious titles with him to the ring:

Expectations for Orton's performance at WrestleMania weren't very high, and although Bryan clearly stole the show, Orton actually played a big part in the main event being successful. His in-ring work was solid throughout, and he executed the spot of the match by turning a Batista Bomb into an RKO through the announce table.

Jonathan Bachman

Bryan seemed to take the worst of it at first, but upon closer inspection it became clear that Orton cut his back on a TV monitor. Despite being in obvious pain, he resumed the match and played his role to perfection.

Orton and Batista were basically forgotten men once the bell rang. Bryan and the raucous Superdome crowd engaged in a massive celebration, per WWE on Twitter:

The night was all about the WWE Universe getting what it wanted, and Bryan was grateful for the support:

Now that WrestleMania has come and gone, though, Orton finds himself in an interesting spot. He didn't figure into the decision since Bryan made Batista tap out, and he probably has a rematch coming his way at some point as the former champion.

Rather than having it at a pay-per-view, a rematch is something that can be settled on Raw. Orton seemingly has even bigger fish to fry in the near future. Orton and Batista were on the same page on Raw as they decimated The Usos.

They then joined forces with Kane later in the night in an attempt to help Triple H beat Bryan for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Their plan was foiled, however, when The Shield interfered and caused a no-contest.

That would seem to suggest that Orton, Batista and Kane will take on Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins at Extreme Rules. Some might view that as a case of Orton being downgraded, but he is still firmly involved in the most important feud in WWE.

Triple H vs. Bryan for the title will probably main event Extreme Rules, but the six-man tag will be right alongside it. The Shield has consistently been one of the most entertaining entities in WWE ever since debuting at Survivor Series 2012, and Orton will benefit greatly from being involved with them.

The Extreme Rules match is almost guaranteed to be a good one, and Orton won't be asked to carry the load on his own from a character and promo perspective. Orton's gimmick is stale, but it won't have to be at the forefront with so many other talented Superstars taking part in the angle.

After performing so well at WrestleMania, Orton actually looks stronger now than he did at any point during his title reign. That momentum should continue to build throughout his feud with The Shield, who are now fan favorites.

It's tough to say where Orton will go after the assumed match at Extreme Rules, but it's possible that it could break into three small feuds with Orton taking on one member of The Shield moving forward.

Having him face Dean Ambrose and perhaps even beat him for the United States Championship would be an interesting angle. Orton could then potentially face Big E in an effort to unify the United States and Intercontinental Championships.

The midcard titles haven't seemed important in a very long time in WWE, but Orton is the type of guy who can change that.

Another intriguing possibility is a feud with Cesaro. Orton already put Cesaro over once in what was a spectacular match on SmackDown. Cesaro is very much on the ascent after winning the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal and bringing in Paul Heyman as his manager.

Besting a future WWE Hall of Famer like Orton in a somewhat long-term angle could go a long way toward launching Cesaro to the next level. It wouldn't hurt Orton in the least since he is already established, and he could work his way back up the card whenever needed.

Orton had a nice, long run in the main event from SummerSlam through WrestleMania, and now it is time for him to explore some new avenues.

He was beyond stale as WWE World Heavyweight Champion, and losing the strap gives him an opportunity to do something new and fresh. That alone should make him infinitely more interesting to WWE fans in the coming weeks and months.

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