Randy Orton Has Been Rejuvenated by Old Feuds to Become WWE's Top Star in 2020

As Triple H once said during an infamous moment, there's always a plan B. 

And that plan is...Randy Orton. 

Talk about another curveball from WWE in a strange 2020. Thinking back before WrestleMania 36, it was hard to see who might end up carrying the company through these odd, audience-less times while heavyweights such as Roman Reigns were gone. 

Yet there was Orton on Sunday night, putting on an instant classic against Edge in an ongoing feud that just begs for a Round 3 once The Rated-R Superstar recovers from a triceps injury. 

And where WWE could have swerved in the wrong direction was letting The Viper cool off. He could have easily gone on the back burner or into some other feud and lost all momentum. But his in-ring work—and more importantly—his character work would have gone to waste. 

So WWE swerved again with an unexpected development—the sudden return of Christian. 

We're using "return" loosely, of course. Christian and Orton exchanged words early on Monday's Raw and a challenge was issued. Captain Charisma, technically retired, accepted and later hit the ring for an unsanctioned match against The Viper.

He then ate a low blow from Ric Flair, of all people, and then went goodnight after a punt from Orton put him on a stretcher. 

Brilliant on all fronts. Back against the wall due to the Edge injury, WWE revived another legendary career in Christian, another guy Orton hadn't exactly been cordial with over the years. And Monday night's assault was a good way to start a slow burner of a feud that probably goes to Extreme Rules or even stretches out to SummerSlam.

And while the overarching plan was about as smart as it gets to keep the Edge fire alight, Orton's performances might just border on the best of his career. 

He has been passionate and violent throughout his feud with Edge to date. He crushed it on the mic, and the lack of a crowd drowning out what wrestlers say during matches really shined a light on the character work he can do in the ring from a psychological standpoint. 

If anything, Orton's character work has been amplified to legendary degrees in quiet arenas. He's benefited where most have suffered. 

Take Monday night. He punted Christian and "won" before getting down next to him and talking to him, saying things like this was his fault but also that he's sorry. 

Oh, and after Raw went off the air? Orton chatted up his stretchered adversary some more, suggesting Christian should go see a ton of doctors so they can fight for real, just as Edge did—while also asking the medics to take care of him and generally just looking distraught. 

We've seen the Legend Killer version of The Viper and plenty of others, but there's something particularly creepy about him lately, which is probably best amplified by his sweet-talking victims and showing regret for the violence he instills on others. His helping paramedics load a victim onto a stretcher with the utmost care only adds to the work.

What's most encouraging? Orton is fun again. He's been one of those longstanding guys who have peaks and valleys that create some whispers of "boring" every now and then. Sometimes he's in the same-old stuff and sometimes he's hitting a peak like this where fans are tuning in just to see him. 

And at this trajectory, this could be a peak we haven't seen from Orton before. Even a month ago, suggesting he'd feud with Christian might have earned a muted response. But this old re-up of a feud has a must-feel weekly trait to it in large part because the villain is so dynamic, so creepy and just so well done. 

One more thing to remember: This doesn't have to be a self-contained thing. At some point, someone else on the roster is going to take issue with Orton's actions and try to put him down. That someone could be a guy WWE wants to build or a budding legend like Drew McIntyre, who happens to have some gold over his shoulder. 

No matter where things go from here, it's abundantly clear Orton is WWE's top guy. This isn't the first time he's had such a moniker, but it is the first time it has felt like he'll never let it go again. A golden age for The Viper was probably the last thing anyone expected, and especially thanks to the touchy subject of returning part-timers or retirees. 

Yet here WWE fans are with Orton, who is suddenly top of the food chain again and someone excelling in the face of odd circumstances, outside competition and struggling ratings. If he keeps this up, WWE is going to have an unexpectedly special 2020.