After April 6, 2013's Wrestlemania 30 main event, Randy Orton is likely left in one of the most unique situations that a top competitor has been at in World Wrestling Entertainment arguably since the days of "Superstar" Billy Graham post losing the belt to Bob Backlund in 1978. Similar to Graham, Orton's had a career in which, due to his unique gifts as a competitor (Graham was the industry's first larger-than-life physical specimen and ushered in the "steroid" era, Orton is a third-generation wrestler who has evolved into one of the best in-ring technicians of any era) has had a fairly easy run in professional wrestling, not having to overcome a seeming never-ending plethora of both inside (and outside) the ring difficulties to success. The stars who persist, evolve and overcome are stars that, when faced with a major loss, understand what it is to be shuffled back down the card in WWE, evolve as a performer, and yet again reach the top. If/when Orton loses the WWE Championship to either Daniel Bryan or Batista, he's a top heel who, sans any compelling babyface opponents, will be making that trip back down the card in order to redevelop and again rise back to main event status. But, what's to say that Orton can handle this move well. Foremost, how has Orton been in the company for nearly 15 years and never been in this role, and second, how has pro wrestling evolved in the time of Orton's career to possibly preclude him from succeeding at this juncture? It is my belief that Orton will struggle for relevancy in WWE after Wrestlemania 30, and moreover, these are ten (of the many) reasons why that is the case.
Besides having been an independent professional wrestling manager for a decade, Marcus Dowling is a Washington, DC-based writer who has contributed to a plethora of online and print magazines and newspapers writing about music and popular culture over the past 15 years.
