10 Quick WWE Fixes To Save Randy Orton

4. The NXT Step

Randy Orton
Twitter (@DrewGulak)

Randy Orton's main roster presence isn't exactly unbearable. It's not as bad as Kane's circa 2014-15. He has too many great TV matches in him to reach that nadir. His bout with AJ Styles on the March 3 SmackDown was gripping.

Still, he has been a staple of the main event and upper midcard for nearly 15 years. That's longer Hulk Hogan's Golden Era run. Longer than Steve Austin's Attitude Era run. Ditto The Rock. The Undertaker was around longer, but then, he's The Undertaker. The Orton problem is compounded every week he appears on SmackDown. He still gets pops. He's still well-liked. But this is a 13-time World Champion we're talking about.

Say the Shane McMahon feud ends with Orton's suspension or firing. If Randy Orton were to resurface in NXT - which is ostensibly a different company in everything from its storytelling framework to its more serious, understated approach - he would instantly become the promotion's top heel. He is everything - or perceived to be everything - the Full Sail crowd hates: an established veteran proudly wrestling an anachronistic, typical WWE style. You get the feeling they'd play along too, with a knowing wink.

The relationship would be mutually beneficial; Orton would undoubtedly boost live gates, allowing Performance Center outliers the opportunity to gain valuable experience wrestling in front of live crowds.

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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!