Randy Orton Would Gain Renewed Interest in Feud with Chris Jericho

The Randy Orton character, if there is still such a thing, has been going through the motions for quite some time. Despite all that, when Orton gets physical, he continues to do some of the best work of his career.

He’s that good. Even when he’s checked out, he’s still checked in.

Raw was the latest example of Randy being Randy. The beginning of the season premiere saw Orton underperform in dull backstage segments alongside his suddenly one-dimensional Authority counterparts.

The term “Sunday school” was used by Orton in reference to what he’s going to make Rollins’ beatdown of Dean Ambrose look like in comparison to what he had in store. Again, nothing special.

Orton would go on a rampage for the remainder of the show, first taking out Chris Jericho in a training room before playing a starring role in the show-closing demise of Roman Reigns.   

Orton’s facial expressions were jarring—crazy look in his eye and all. He’s so good at going from zero to psychopath that it almost adds a creepy layer to his comparative dullness during non-wrestling segments.

Much like reality television, Orton is better when all subtlety is discarded; things get out of control and people get hurt.

The hobbled Jericho, a longtime fan favorite, is the perfect WWE Superstar to help Orton maximize his rage.

Jericho just came off a hit-or-miss stint with Bray Wyatt, but it was one that portrayed Wyatt as a more of a heel than any of his previous feuds.

WWE’s budding quandary with Wyatt is his tendencies to act like a babyface, thus receiving positive reactions from live crowds. This makes it difficult to tell the story of good versus evil, which is at the heart of any competent feud.

Since Jericho returned under his simplistic yet nostalgic Y2J persona, fans have responded positively by backing him throughout his feud with Wyatt. The cheap pops and the “firefly” display of cell phones are still there for Wyatt’s entrance, but based on his matches against Jericho, one can plainly see that Y2J is the good guy.

Chants of "Y2J" dominated Jericho's most recent outing with Wyatt inside a steel cage.

Jericho’s magnetic babyface energy could translate to a nice feud with Orton, one that will feature two veterans who are in complete command of their characters.

The attack on Jericho is the perfect catalyst for even a one-off match, one where further damage inflicted by Orton could be a storyline reason for Jericho’s inevitable exit.

Much like fan investment in Jericho helped establish Wyatt as a more classic heel, Orton’s rivalry with Jericho will provide an outlet for more meaningful heat than the token boos he receives for standing next to Triple H.

With Ambrose currently off television and a thin roster of established babyfaces, Jericho is the perfect feud for Orton to do something meaningful with all of that talent.

A feud between two pros like Jericho and Orton could make all others look like, well, Sunday school.

Follow @ThisIsNasty