WWE Hot Take: Why We Don't Need a Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton Feud

Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton seems like the most obvious thing WWE will trot out near or at the top of the all-important SummerSlam card August 23.

It's also the one thing WWE just doesn't need to do.

On paper, it sounds good. McIntyre has been a dominant champ since taking the mantle of "top guy" from Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania. He doesn't have a top-tier heel to feud with going into the second-biggest show of the year.

And Orton has been doing some of his best work of the past decade as the sadistic, twisted bad guy in his feud with Edge. But with Edge out injured, Orton seems like the perfect adversary for McIntyre.

But unfortunately, it just isn't so cut and dried in WWE right now. A spectacle like McIntyre vs. Orton deserves a live audience and a massive viewership. Ratings are down, and crowds aren't likely to be back anytime soon. The match sounds good, but it isn't that one thing likely to bring back all the fans.

And it goes well beyond how many eyeballs get to see what will undoubtedly be a special encounter too.

McIntyre, for example, has quietly been having a stellar run as the champ. WWE has smartly worked in some of his past in the process of building these feuds, and his matches, as expected, have been fantastic.

While the McIntyre-Dolph Ziggler showdown that happened at Extreme Rules isn't SummerSlam-headlining material, it was a superb match with a smart stipulation to keep things fresh (Ziggler could use extreme rules, and the champ had to fight a normal match).

There's no reason WWE can't find another smart feud and storyline like this for McIntyre heading into August's big event. Whether it's letting an up-and-comer like Aleister Black get some shine or a different veteran who can afford a loss, it doesn't have to be Orton.

McIntyre deserves more credit as a guy who gets the most out of even midcard-types he has to face while serving as champ, too. His past few feuds aren't as great if it's someone else as champ. Letting him prop up other up-and-coming talents is a good thing for this year's SummerSlam stage, not bad.

And speaking of taking affordable losses, Orton can't really take one. Throwing him in a title match only to have him lose would knock him down a peg and dampen the later revival of the feud with Edge. His legend-killer phase would take a hit too.

Orton has been just fine without a marquee feud as is, provided the recent Raw tangle with Big Show was a one-off. He can keep plenty of top-of-WWE steam simply be reliving some of his legend-killing days, brutally assaulting older veterans until Edge returns to play the hero. Sidetracking him now into a feud with McIntyre is something fans will see through and it will simply reek of desperation to present a stacked SummerSlam card.

Perhaps most devastating? There's just no good way to pick a winner in the matchup. Give the win to McIntyre to keep him going and Orton takes a hit and the whole thing feels unnecessary as they again go their separate ways. When WWE needs a top challenger down the line if a guy like Brock Lesnar or Roman Reigns isn't on the way back, Orton's already taken a loss.

Give the win to Orton, all that buildup for McIntyre via the Royal Rumble and sacrificing Lesnar to make him look amazing goes out the window. It puts the belt on Orton, who then feuds with...someone? At this stage of the game, a champion Orton against a returning (potentially) part-timer edge just creates more problems for the long-term title scene than solutions.

Ideally, WWE would like to get McItnrye back in chase mode at some point and let him have his big WrestleMania moment in front of a live crowd that he was robbed of—but putting him back in chase mode right now wouldn't make a ton of sense given it doesn't seem WWE is anywhere close to getting fans back in stadiums.

Meaning, SummerSlam isn't a great spot for McIntyre to drop a belt to anyone, let alone Orton. And as the Ziggler match just showed, predictable doesn't have to mean unwatchable. While it stinks to perhaps keep pushing off great feuds like this for a later date and keeping things in a holding pattern on most fronts, selling all out for one card right now would probably do more harm than good.

In an unorthodox year, WWE doesn't need to maintain old habits like jerking around the current developments just to formulate the best possible card for one night only. Orton is off doing amazing work on his lonesome and should continue to do so, while McIntyre can elevate those around him and still steal the show.

SummerSlam the stage is important. But more important right now is not exhausting possible future feuds and going away from what's working. McIntyre and Orton separately are two things carrying the weight well—it only makes sense to keep them away from each other for as long as possible.