Triple H and WWE's Growing Randy Orton Problem
For the first time in many years, Randy Orton is among WWE's most talked-about talents heading into WrestleMania 42. He has become a recurring highlight on SmackDown in recent weeks and is on the cusp of capturing his 15th world championship.
So, why should he be considered a significant concern right now?
Having just turned heel, Orton is playing the role to the best of his ability, or is at least making the most of what he's been given thus far. He's been known to do his most compelling work in the antagonist role throughout his career and going heel was the right move.
Despite all that, his villainous turn hasn't been received the way WWE likely hoped it would be. His betrayal of Cody Rhodes was largely cheered by those in attendance, and his subsequent antics on SmackDown haven't done much to turn the audience against him.
Triple H and WWE have a growing Randy Orton problem, and there doesn't appear to be one true solution in sight.
He's Too Beloved to Be Booed
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The biggest issue with John Cena's botched heel run in 2025 was that he had finally reached an elusive point in his illustrious career where a vast majority of WWE fans didn't want to boo him.
The whole point of announcing his retirement tour was to give every city he appeared in one final chance to celebrate Cena. The heel run was ultimately a failure because he never did enough to elicit a genuinely negative response from crowds.
Even Edge's forgotten heel run in 2022 was short-lived because fans refused to boo a legend they longed to see return to the ring. Orton now finds himself in a similar spot.
There's been nothing to suggest The Viper is anywhere near wrapping up, but since he's been around for almost 25 years and is obviously established as a perennial main event player, he has officially entered icon territory. He has a special connection with crowds where he doesn't have to do much other than throw his arms in the air and nail an occasional RKO to send fans into a frenzy.
Simply put, he's too beloved to be booed, and nothing he's done up to this point has been dastardly enough to change how crowds feel about him whenever his unmistakable entrance music hits.
Does Peak Heel Orton Even Exist in 2026?
2 of 5For years, fans have fantasized about what 2009 Orton would look like in 2026, particularly for a program with Cody Rhodes.
The fascination with The Viper's 2009 villain arc started within the last few years as it's now nostalgic for a certain segment of the audience who grew up on it. He was on another level of evil on the Road to WrestleMania 25 when he systematically eliminated every member of the McMahon family with punt kicks to the head.
Interestingly, it wasn't long after that he embraced the audience as a babyface because of organically positive crowd reactions. He went on to turn heel several more times in the years that followed, but all of them paled in comparison to when he was at his peak in 2009.
That version of Orton just doesn't exist anymore. Regardless of whether he's viciously attacking Rhodes, embarrassing Matt Cardona or planting Jelly Roll with an RKO, anything he does going forward is bound to be well received by fans and not get the reaction it should.
Fans are setting themselves up for disappointment with what The Viper can actually deliver as a heel at this stage, and as long as they're riding with Orton, Rhodes' relationship with the audience will continue to sour.
His Rivalry with Rhodes Feels Rushed
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Everything about the Undisputed WWE Championship scene on SmackDown has been a mess for many months now.
Rhodes' rivalry with Drew McIntyre long overstayed its welcome and should have ended at the beginning of the year. The Scot winning the title and holding it for a brief period was better than him not winning it at all, but it would have made more sense to pull the trigger on a title change at either Wrestlepalooza last September or Saturday Night's Main Event in early November.
If Rhodes was always going to walk into WrestleMania 42 with the gold in his grasp, then the storyline with him and Orton should have started sooner than it did. As a result of WWE waiting until mid-March to turn The Viper heel, the build to their bout at The Show of Shows feels rushed.
There could be more explanation to come as to why Orton went rogue, but as of now, all he's done is blame the voices in his head, completely ignoring the years of him not winning when it mattered most, taking a backseat to his former pupil as champion and hesitating to put him away when they last faced off at Night of Champions 2025.
Orton is a far more appealing option for Rhodes at WrestleMania than McIntyre, but it may have been wise to wait until the event itself to turn The Viper to maximize the moment instead of giving it away out of nowhere on a random SmackDown a mere month out.
Mystery Caller Could Distract From an Already Strong Story
4 of 5WWE incorporated an intriguing element into Orton's ongoing feud with Rhodes by showing him on the phone before some of his segments on SmackDown.
The latest tease on The Viper's own X account from Wednesday night hinted at the reveal coming on Friday's SmackDown in Orton's hometown of St. Louis.
There have been countless guesses about the caller's identity, ranging from Stephanie McMahon and Shane McMahon to "Cowboy" Bob Orton and Ric Flair.
The voices in Orton's head being behind the phone calls would be the most underwhelming route WWE could take, but no matter who it ends up being, almost no one would live up to the hype.
If anything, all the talk of Orton having an anonymous ally has taken away from an already strong story that he has with Rhodes dating back two decades, including their well-documented history in the Legacy faction.
There's no need to add anyone else into the mix or to shift the focus away from the prestigious prize at stake, something Orton should be desperate to want to win again.
It would also imply there could be interference in their WrestleMania match, when the focus should solely be on their issues with each other.
Making The Rock and Travis Scott enemies of Rhodes in addition to John Cena last WrestleMania season backfired, and it would be foolish to make that same mistake in Rhodes' rivalry with Orton and the mysterious caller.
Why the WrestleMania Match Is a Lose-Lose
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Once the bell rings at WrestleMania, Rhodes vs. Orton has the potential to be an excellent outing. There's no denying what they're capable of as opponents, especially if their aforementioned meeting at Night of Champions 2025 was any indication.
The outcome, however, is a lose-lose situation.
If the idea was to turn Orton heel so Rhodes would have another notable obstacle to overcome and successfully retain his Undisputed WWE Championship, it will almost assuredly not go over well with the audience. If anything, it would turn fans even more against The American Nightmare than they already are.
If Orton steals the win and the title, it could be seen as a direct rehash of how Rhodes' WrestleMania main event ended last year with Cena, including his chase for the championship in the months that follow.
Furthermore, Orton's last few world title runs haven't been overly engaging. The endgame should be for him to lose it to the up-and-coming Jacob Fatu, but there's no need to hold off on that until SummerSlam if Fatu is ready now.
After spending years toiling away in the upper-midcard and battling back from near-career-ending injuries, Orton returning to the main event spotlight should be worth getting excited about, which has made Triple H's inability to book him and his heel turn properly all the more frustrating.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.
