Randy Orton on Collision Course with WWE World Champion Brock Lesnar

Signs point to Randy Orton and Brock Lesnar soon clashing over the WWE World Heavyweight Championship—a pair of predators clawing at the same prize.

At one point, it looked like John Cena would get his third shot at Lesnar this year, but Monday's Raw hinted at a new narrative set to emerge. An attack on Paul Heyman, a change to a Hell in a Cell match and Seth Rollins' latest betrayal signal that it will instead be Orton who challenges The Beast Incarnate.

Until Monday's Raw, Cena vs. Orton at Hell in a Cell felt mundane.

These men have battled each other in an on-again, off-again feud that has stretched on for more than a decade. They had met in several other pay-per-view matches, including four already this year and one inside the Hell in a Cell in 2009.

It was hard to get pumped about seeing them go at it again.

Triple H helped change that. He made an announcement on Raw that the winner of Orton vs. Cena would earn the right to face Lesnar for the WWE title.

Credit: WWE.com

A grin slid over Orton's face.

He had been promised a one-on-one rematch for the championship that he lost in April, but it had yet to come. There was now a clear path to that goal. Victory at Sunday's pay-per-view will beget a major opportunity.

Of course, Cena has a shot at being No. 1 contender as well. The difference is that Cena didn't nail Heyman with an RKO.

What looked like a standard "I'm going to win" promo from Orton later that night became a lot more interesting when Lesnar's advocate showed up. Heyman told both Cena and Orton that they didn't want to face his client.

The Viper responded with his finishing move, soon towering over Heyman and Cena, proud of his violent handiwork.

Credit: WWE.com

One has to imagine that Lesnar will retaliate. CM Punk, Triple H and Cena all know firsthand that harming The Beast's manager is the surest way to draw him out.

If WWE was heading for Cena vs. Lesnar III, it would make more sense to have Cena push Heyman to the ground. Instead, The Viper has made himself a target for the world champ.

To further drive home where Orton is en route to, Monday's Raw ended with the precursor to a babyface turn for him.

The Apex Predator has long been frustrated with his role in The Authority. He has bickered with Rollins on many occasions and did so frequently before they teamed up against Cena and Dean Ambrose on Monday.

A hard-hitting street fight ended with Orton pinning Ambrose, the RKO proving again to be a mighty weapon. Then came Rollins, the Judas of WWE. He attacked his fellow Authority member with a Curb Stomp.

The camera focused on Rollins' celebration, but one can't help but think about what this all meant for Orton. That's the surest sign that he will break away from Rollins and company.

WWE is in need of top-tier face stars. Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns are both on the mend. CM Punk is somewhere in Chicago, his body thanking him for not being in the ring since January.

WWE can turn to Orton for that role, something the company hinted at in heavy-handed fashion on the Hell in a Cell go-home show.

Rather than repeat recent history by having another Cena-Lesnar bout, WWE is wisely positioning Orton to take on the top titleholder. It's a refreshing matchup, one with a natural, electric appeal to it.

It's been a mighty long time since they've gone at it.

Since Lesnar returned in 2012, he has faced Cena and Triple H three times, those two opponents taking up two-thirds of his total matches in that span. It's time for new opposition.

Orton is a great fit, a marquee name who is as consistent in the ring as anybody on the roster. His aggressive style will likely mesh well with Lesnar's. He'll certainly be the underdog going into that battle but is more of a believable threat than someone past their prime like Big Show.

A pair of RKOs in a row or a well-placed punt could possibly bring down The Beast.

WWE teased a future where Orton crashes into the world champ. That's a future worth getting psyched about.

Match history courtesy of CAGEMATCH.