Why a Randy Orton Win vs. Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam Is Vital for WWE

Randy Orton vs. Brock Lesnar is the perfect match in many ways. The two men came up together from Ohio Valley Wrestling, they both became top main event wrestlers and they're both future WWE Hall of Fame members.

Their similar paths have now intersected in a big way. But this should not just be a match for nostalgia's sake; this should be a rare loss for Lesnar and an important win for Orton.

The Viper was the only real choice to face The Beast.

Lesnar has beaten everyone of major importance in WWE. John Cena, Triple H, The Undertaker, Big Show and Dean Ambrose have all fallen to him. With the exception of Shawn Michaels, The Rock and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, there are no legends left to topple.

There have been no moves made yet to elevate Kevin Owens, Samoa Joe or Shinsuke Nakamura. Lesnar has not been in the business of giving the rub to newer stars in the first place—with the exception of The Shield. So if he is to continue along the main event path in WWE, the last best opponent right now is Orton.

Lesnar's plan has always been a simple one: seek and destroy. It's what he's best at, and no one does it quite like he does.

He is the most unbeatable star WWE has arguably ever seen. Not since Hulk Hogan in his prime have fans witnessed such domination on such a grand scale. Even Cena can be beaten; this is likely not the perception fans have of Lesnar.

So to believe Orton will go over after looking at Lesnar's history may seem a bit unrealistic to some. But the time has come for Lesnar to do the honors.

This is not the same unstoppable monster who once ravaged opponents in WWE. This is the guy who failed a drug test during his return to the UFC. This Lesnar has been made human again, and it's that guy facing off against a rejuvenated Orton at SummerSlam.

The company may not exploit Lesnar's recent issues, but the fans know, and that may be enough to warrant an Orton win on Aug. 21.

Perhaps the notion of the big-money prizefighter has run its course. Maybe the time has come to think of SmackDown's operation because there's no better time to do just that. The brand split has put a new focus on the blue brand—and with good reason. This is SmackDown's chance to catch Monday Night Raw.

An Orton win over Lesnar would go a long way toward making that happen.

The fact is that, whether Lesnar wins or loses at SummerSlam, he likely will not be back on Raw the night after. However, Orton will be on the following edition of SmackDown Live. So if that is the case, shouldn't the decision to keep building the program win out?

Orton is already a top guy, so he doesn't need this win in order to get any bigger. But it's not about his status as much as it is about improving the status of SmackDown.

If Orton is perceived as a winner and even better than before, he will automatically bring that back with him. He will be seen as the man to beat, and he will have the ultimate bragging rights over Raw's biggest star.

Lesnar may want a rematch, and that would lead to even more drama for both programs.

It's not about penalizing Lesnar for sins committed outside of WWE; it's about giving back to the company he leaves behind between matches. That's not to say he must lose all the time or that this will be the start of his downfall in WWE.

But the time is right for the company to think forward, and that means giving Orton the win at SummerSlam. His victory is key to shining a great light on SmackDown, and it's vital to the overall success of WWE. Lesnar will rebound, and he will be better than ever.

But this is WWE's chance to change it up, and that is exactly what should happen on Aug. 21.

Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Bleacher Report. His podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online here.