10 Reasons Why Nobody Has Missed Randy Orton
'Boreton' is harsh, but it's not too far off...
As announced on SmackDown, Randy Orton is due to make his return to WWE in a match against the Beast Incarnate, Brock Lesnar, at SummerSlam.
The cliche 'long awaited' has been intentionally omitted, because there hasn't been much in the way of palpable clamour for his return. Since he succumbed to his umpteenth shoulder injury - he's damaged it as much as the Big Show has been turned heel over the years - the landscape of WWE has been altered significantly.
The international recruitment drive has continued apace. News of the brand extension has sparked intense debate within and divided the wrestling fandom. The Authority has been dismantled, even if only on a temporary basis.
Orton, undeniably, is a very good wrestler, but with so much going on, it's been easy to forget that he even exists, let alone that he's due to return imminently. Part of the Orton problem is beyond his control, admittedly - as we'll see.
But he's spent so long crafting his Viper character that he forgot one of wrestling's most sacred tenets: there's always somebody coiled and ready to take your spot...
10. He Never Replaced The Punt
Orton's punt was the most over move in wrestling in its heyday.
Un-kickoutable, it was reserved only for occasions on which his trusty RKO had failed him, or he had a particularly eminent dislike for his opponent. Much like the super-finishers developed by the top stars of All Japan Pro Wrestling, it was a super-protected and super-deadly move which added so much to Orton's vicious aura.
Dropped due to the concussion-related furore that has pervaded both WWE and the NFL in recent years, Orton's character has suffered as a result. That he still teases it doesn't help; he just looks ineffective when he inevitably fails to pull it off. Orton is no longer the callous sociopath who would happily end a rival's career if he so chooses - as it stands, he's just another wrestler in an era not especially known for its strength of character.
While he has developed the RKO with awesome catch variations, they require a smaller and more agile opponent with an appropriately reversible manoeuvre to pull off believably, and even then, it can get contrived.