WWE: Why Randy Orton's Star Is Falling on Smackdown and What It Means

Randy Orton has seen a bit of downward momentum in the last couple of weeks.

He has consistently lost to Mark Henry and now seems to be starting a feud with Cody Rhodes.

It seems as if Orton's rise has finally crested and peaked and is now on the descent.

Except it isn't. 

Losing to Henry and possibly putting Rhodes over doesn't mean that Orton has angered higher-ups or finally lost whatever made him special.  It's just that he can't go any higher and he can't stay stagnant.

To understand why Orton isn't being punished, but moving in a natural progression, his accomplishments need to be listed.

He is the youngest man to ever hold the world heavyweight championship.

He has held the world heavyweight championship three times.

He has been the WWE champion six times.

He has even been the intercontinental champion and a tag team champion one time each.

And he is only 31.

It might seem like Orton is falling from grace, but really it's that it just isn't sustainable to keep him as high as he has been.

John Cena is kept at that level, but he is the face of the company and sells more merchandise than anyone else.

Orton, on the other hand, isn't.  He is a top star, but he isn't the top star.  And the organization can't have two supermen who can't lose.  They would burn through too much of the roster too fast.

The fact that Orton has lost to Henry and may end up on the losing end of feud with Rhodes only means that the WWE is looking out for its future.

They can't establish Orton anymore than they already have.  In fact, at this point, it would only hurt the other wrestlers to keep him at the level he has been at for so long.

He has been with the WWE for around 10 years.  He will probably be with them another 10.

He doesn't need to be put over anymore, and at this point it would only hold back the rest of the roster.

Orton may no longer be the "Apex Predator", but he is still one of the best out there.

And that is good enough.