How to Make Randy Orton Great Again on WWE SmackDown Live

While several stars on today's WWE roster could benefit from a solid reboot, arguably no one needs a fresh start more than SmackDown Live's Randy Orton.

Coming off a horrendous Punjabi Prison main event against Jinder Mahal at Battleground 2017, Orton's stock has never been lower. In fact, his entire year up to this point has been lackluster considering almost all of his pay-per-view matches have fallen flat.

On paper, it wouldn't seem that way; he captured the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 33 and won the Royal Rumble two months prior to that, but he was hardly compelling as a champion or as a challenger. Thankfully, he will be out of the title picture going forward, which is the best thing for him.

On Tuesday, he confronted Rusev and challenged him to a match at SummerSlam. As Bleacher Report's own Ryan Dilbert discussed, that feud could be the key to Rusev's resurgence on SmackDown, especially if The Bulgarian Brute were to win their upcoming contest.

That would mark Orton's fifth straight loss on pay-per-view, but having him defeat the Bulgarian Brute would be a waste seeing as how he gains nothing from winning. Evidently, something needs to change with Orton if he wishes to return to relevance anytime soon.

Credit: WWE.com

It was around this time one year ago that Orton came across as more rejuvenated than ever following a long layoff from the ring. He immediately entered a feud with Brock Lesnar, and although their match was a disappointment, the buildup was brilliant.

That was largely due to how Orton was seemingly enjoying himself more and taking the time to interact with the audience, as opposed to cutting the same monotone promos for which he's been infamous in recent years. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before he was back to being boring in his never-ending program with Bray Wyatt.

Orton was a captivating character for at least a few months earlier on this year as a member of The Wyatt Family, but his split from the stable was inevitable. Once he was out on his own again, there was nothing about his persona that piqued the interest of viewers.

As noted, the rivalry with Rusev is something new for both men, and the matches could be solid, but it will involve Orton fighting a foreign heel. Therefore, it will likely be no different than his storyline with Mahal, during which The Viper failed to feel believable as the patriot.

The Apex Predator should be commended for putting over so many up-and-coming talents, but it is apparent he isn't living up to the expectations of many fans, and there are ways he could be made great again.

First and foremost, Orton must be placed in a program with someone who can bring the best out of him. It remains to be seen what he and Rusev will be capable of producing together, but Superstars such as AJ Styles and Chad Gable could push Orton to his limit and produce great matches with him as well.

Moreover, turning him heel is a must because that is clearly the role he is most comfortable in. There is no denying he is immensely popular as a babyface, but he appears to be much more motivated when wrestling as a villain.

Beside, SmackDown could use a top-tier heel who isn't portrayed as an evil invader, and Baron Corbin won't be ready for that prominent position until later this year. Orton could lend a lot to the heel side of SmackDown and not be lost in the shuffle among the surplus of babyfaces.

It's almost unbelievable to think Orton has been a part of the main roster for 15 years yet still has so much left to offer. One of WWE's most notable names, he continues to wrestle regularly (unlike John Cena), and therefore the company should be doing all it can to maximize his worth while he's around.

Orton is far from damaged goods, but a significant character overhaul and a focused creative direction would cement him as an even more valuable asset to SmackDown Live.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is an Endicott College alumnus and aspiring journalist. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.