WWE TLC 2011: Will Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett Steal the Show?

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Wade Barrett.

Finally.

During his time as leader of the Nexus, Wade Barrett had been the guy who was seemingly on his way up. He was a classic heel, with an old school wrestling style, and a cocky arrogant demeanor.

He believed that complete dominance over his opponents was the only way to ensure longevity, and establish his legacy in WWE. Barrett was bringing ruthless back. Every week, Nexus imposed their will on everyone in their path. They destroyed rookies, legends and main event stars. Soon, it became evident that Barrett’s sinister ego was not only driving the group, but it would eventually lead him to main event status.

Of course, we all know what happened next.

John Cena systematically dismantled the faction, one by one, and then Barrett was kicked to Friday Night SmackDown, where he got the opportunity to lead another group, The Corre.

Yeah, let’s not talk about that one.

As Wade sat there, doing a whole lot of nothing, fans began to speculate if it was ever going to happen for him. Was his potential being wasted, would he be doomed to stand still, with no forward progress being made?

Yes, and no freakin’ way.

All of that is ancient history now, as we are looking forward to Barrett’s tables match this Sunday at WWE’s TLC pay-per-view. Barrett’s renewed push has him set squarely in the spotlight, and now he once again seems to be moving in a natural upward progression.

And, the guy who has helped put him on this track? The one man who supposedly didn’t know what it meant to give back in the first place.

Randy Orton has done more to gain credibility among fans the past several months than he arguably ever has during his WWE career.  

From doing the job to Mark Henry, crowning him as the World Champion, to having a great feud with Cody Rhodes, Orton has redefined himself. He is now entered into Shawn Michaels territory in the company.

Shawn came to the point in his WWE career when he began to work more and more with the younger talent, fresh faces of the promotion whose time had come. The Heartbreak Kid worried less about his own spot, and more about giving back to others.  

Shawn understood that the business can only move forward if the talent of today prepares the talent of tomorrow. It is very cyclical in that regard, and HBK is highly respected for selflessly embracing the concept.

Orton is by no means on his way out, and arguably may not have even reached his prime yet. But WWE has managed to keep him relevant, keep his character intact and keep him near the forefront, all the while allowing him to do what makes sense.

Pro wrestlers job to other pro wrestlers. It’s part of the deal. Not everyone can be Hulk Hogan.

So, as Orton is now firmly established as the well rounded WWE Superstar, his program with Wade Barrett is up for scrutiny.

That’s a nice way of saying, “is Barrett going to make it this time?”

For me, he has never looked better than he does right now. He has found his swagger and looks very confident in the ring. More importantly, he has found the perfect opponent in Randy Orton.

Both men match up physically, and in terms of character, Barrett’s constant game of “gotcha” has apparently put Orton off of his game. But don’t count The Viper out just yet.

There is a feeling that after the past few weeks of Barrett getting the best of Orton, that Randy is overdue for a measure of revenge. And, he will likely have it this Sunday at TLC.

This match is going to be a good one, and at this point, the only real problem I have with it is the fact that WWE gave it away for free on Tuesday night’s Tribute to the Troops event on USA. After all, the longer that heated rivals such as Barrett and Orton remain separated, the more anticipation will build to their eventual confrontation.

But, I still believe that their match is going to steal the show on Sunday night. A lot of work has been done in getting them to this point, and with any luck the end result will be as satisfying as the ride that got us there.