10 Quick WWE Fixes To Save Randy Orton

5. A Feud With Shane McMahon

Randy Orton Shane McMahon
WWE.com

Maybe fans stopped believing in Orton after he was forced to sell Shane's completely laughable worked punches back in 2009, and the key to restoring Orton to his career-best is by having him RKO the SmackDown Live Commissioner from a great height.

It's difficult not to amuse yourself when writing about Randy Orton in 2017. He is that uninspiring. But dropping the facade for a moment: a retread might actually make sense for this hypothetical heel character. Orton, in his mind, has done more than anybody else to earn the opportunities McMahon throws out willy-nilly. Maybe McMahon ignores these protests and makes Orton earn them, all over again, the hard way, creating tension and scope for an eventual match. It wouldn't be terrible, so there's that. Watching Orton systematically destroy McMahon would be something of a guilty pleasure to those who absolutely cannot buy him as the badass he portrays himself as, and an act of loathsome viciousness to those who do perceive Shane as affable and ballsy.

Randy, despite bashing backyard wrestling geeks on the regular on Twitter, has no problem half-killing the Singh brothers. Shane meanwhile has no problem getting half-killed. Two birds, one stone.

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!