Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt: WWE Backlash 2016 Preview and Prediction

When Randy Orton returns to pay-per-view Sunday night at WWE Backlash 2016, he will do so looking to regain confidence following a one-sided, TKO loss to Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam. It will not be easy, as his opponent, Bray Wyatt, will seek to score a rare high-profile victory over a legitimate main event competitor, all the while establishing himself as one of the elite performers on SmackDown.

Focused on Wyatt's determination to prove that Orton is a mere mortal, whereas he is a god, the match has had little in the way of any substantial hype. There have been promos exchanged, but there has been no real physical altercation.

The result is a fresh match, which is a rarity in today's professional wrestling landscape.

Which Superstar should win, who will win and what will it mean for SmackDown going forward?

Preview

The Orton-Wyatt match is a meeting of two Superstars viewed as bulletproof by WWE Creative, but both are in desperate need of wins to re-establish momentum for themselves and with the fanbase.

Their promos to this point, which have featured Wyatt waxing poetic about gods and mortals, serpents and vipers, have sold the match. The lack of physicality has helped create a freshness about the contest that it otherwise may not have had.

Yet as the show approaches, there is a lack of "big fight" feel to it.

What should be a marquee match between two of the most significant stars on the SmackDown roster feels more like the third- or fourth-most important match on the Backlash card. Neither has been presented in a light that suggests he is among the top five guys on the show.

Realizing that the story behind their first pay-per-view meeting is not as strong as it should be, expect Orton and Wyatt to deliver a match that forces WWE Creative's hand, making it shift its focus from the Heath Slaters and Dolph Zigglers of the world back to them.

Who Should Win?

Wyatt has been so poorly utilized by WWE Creative over the last two years that the only valid answer here is The Reaper of Souls.

Orton, who is also in need of a big win to re-establish himself at the top of the rankings, is a 12-time world champion. He is a future Hall of Famer and a guy destined to rank among the best in company history. He has credibility among fans.

His opponent, though, is still living and breathing off potential. He is a virtuoso promo guy and an above-average wrestler. He has considerable agility for a guy of his size and can tell a story between the ropes.

Yet he never wins.

He has been built up and then sacrificed to elite babyfaces too often. John Cena, Undertaker, Roman Reigns...none of them needed to go over Wyatt, as their stars were already at their brightest.

Orton is similar. He is over and has enjoyed an incredible run. While he needs the win, he does not need it nearly as bad as Wyatt does Sunday night.

Wyatt should go over—and impressively. No screwjobs. No interference from Erick Rowan. Let The Eater of Worlds beat an established icon cleanly in the center of the ring.

Who Will Win?

Orton.

WWE values its babyfaces more than its heels. It has been that way for a long time—and rightfully so. They draw, sell merchandise and are the men and women who inspire the audience. But a babyface is only as good as the heel he or she has to work with.

Until WWE Creative understands that, the one-sided morality plays that have dominated WWE television since John Cena rose to prominence back in 2005 will continue.

The Viper puts Wyatt away with an RKO, motivating the villain to come back more dangerous and dastardly than ever beginning this Tuesday night.