Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Orton: WWE SummerSlam 2016 Preview, Odds and Prediction

The Beast and The Viper will clash Sunday night in Brooklyn as Brock Lesnar squares off with Randy Orton in a match 14 years in the making.

For the men involved, it is the culmination of a relationship that began in the hot, dingy gym of Ohio Valley Wrestling. In the most anticipated match of the summer, they will take to the squared circle in the Barclays Center with nothing at stake but personal pride and bragging rights.

Oddsmakers at Odds Shark have already voiced their opinions as to who will leave the hottest event of the summer with their arm raised in victory, but upon further breakdown of Sunday's epic encounter, are they accurate?

Match	Predicted Winner	Odds
Randy Orton vs. Brock Lesnar	Brock Lesnar	Orton: +225, Lesnar: -350

Lesnar is the favorite in Vegas, his star power and sparkling win-loss record sparking favoritism—and rightfully so. Paul Heyman's monster has not been pinned cleanly in a match since Extreme Rules 2012. His last defeat came at WrestleMania 31, where Seth Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank contract and pinned Roman Reigns, costing the unconquerable force his WWE Championship despite not actively being involved in the finish.

That Lesnar joined the rest of the roster to celebrate his role as the cover boy for WWE 2K17 only suggests that the former UFC heavyweight champion is enjoying one of the greatest runs of his professional career.

So what chance does Orton realistically stand?

A greater one than you think.

The Future

Lesnar is a part-time performer whose contributions to home brand Raw are limited. In fact, it would be of no great surprise if he disappears following SummerSlam and does not appear again until the Royal Rumble in January or the Road to WrestleMania in March.

Orton, on the other hand, is key to the success of SmackDown Live.

A former 12-time world champion, he is one of the faces of the blue brand and a Superstar WWE will lean on to draw houses, ratings and pay-per-view buy rates. His star power is undeniable and his influence on the Tuesday night show will be felt far beyond Sunday.

It would certainly benefit WWE to have Orton become the first person since Triple H to pin Lesnar's shoulders to the mat, if only to further strengthen the allure of SmackDown and its marquee names.

Still, that does not necessarily make it the right decision.

The Bray Wyatt Factor

The last Tuesday's SmackDown broadcast was an interesting one for many reasons. Few things struck the viewer the way the confrontation between Orton and Bray Wyatt did, though, as WWE Creative took it upon itself to foreshadow a huge program between The Viper and The Eater of Worlds.

Or did it?

It was not all that long ago that Wyatt found himself engaged in a rivalry with Lesnar that was supposed to end with an intensely personal battle at WrestleMania 32.

Unfortunately, a shift in creative focus resulted in that bout falling by the wayside. Now, some eight months since their last physical altercation, could Wyatt inject himself into the main event of SummerSlam and gain his final vengeance on Lesnar by costing him a victory?

Of course, that scenario gives WWE Creative far too much credit. Rarely does the company look that far back to catapult a story forward.

The greater likelihood is that Wyatt will appear near the conclusion of the match, inexplicably cost The Viper the match and ignite a rivalry that will carry SmackDown through the rest of 2016.

The Lesnar Aura

When looking at the Orton-Lesnar showdown, the most integral element to pay attention to is the aura surrounding The Beast.

For nearly five years, WWE officials have presented Lesnar as the unstoppable monster who bowled over any and all competition. He suplexed John Cena into oblivion and beat him for the heavyweight title. He demolished Roman Reigns for 30 minutes in the main event of wrestling's most prestigious event. He won a three-match series against Triple H and ended The Undertaker's legendary WrestleMania streak.

The biggest question one must ask about Sunday's extravaganza is whether or not Orton is a star worthy of ending Lesnar's unprecedented success, and if so, what can he possibly get out of such a win?

The answer is nothing.

Orton is a bona fide Hall of Famer. His legacy is established and his place in wrestling history is secure. Winning a match against Lesnar does nothing to elevate his star or strengthen his status with fans. It would be a moment in time, but a fleeting one at most.

He would use it to build momentum heading into the fall, but Lesnar's invincibility would be sacrificed for diminished returns.

Prediction

WWE will resist the urge to put Orton over Lesnar, because at this point there is still more money in the legitimate box-office draw of Lesnar than there is in Orton, who has a ton of in-ring miles on his body and has been anything but consistent with his appearances over the last two years.

Orton, for all his accomplishments and hard work, has never been a star on the level of Lesnar, or even John Cena. He is not the franchise star, no matter how much Vince McMahon and Company will try to convince you otherwise.

On the wrong side of 30 and with a history of injuries that have kept him out of action for extended periods of time, there is no valid argument that can be made for Orton to beat Lesnar.

Thus, The Beast will defeat the third-generation star and continue his winning ways well into the future.