10 Reasons Why Nobody Has Missed Randy Orton

3. He's Inconsistent

Randy Orton
WWE.com

You can never really be sure which version of Orton you're going to get - and that makes many apprehensive about his return.

There doesn't to be much in the way of a pattern, either. Unlike Lesnar, who as we've mentioned tends to excel against a certain type of opponent, Orton sometimes doesn't click with even the most versatile of performer.

Expectations were high going into the Rollins series, the results of which were decidedly mixed, because Orton's programme with Christian remains to this day one of the decade's best in all of wrestling. You'd think that Orton would be able to reach similar heights with a performer of similar style and ability. Then again, Rollins is probably closer to Punk than he is Christian, and the 2011 Orton Vs. Punk series never exceeded the four-star level despite the undeniable talents of both involved.

Orton can also be uneven within the same rivalry. His early-2013 RAW matches with Daniel Bryan went some way towards convincing WWE officials that the Yes! man was ready for the main event, but their post-SummerSlam pay per view reprise didn't have the same magic. That they rekindled it at WrestleMania XXX just lends credence to the argument.

This selective chemistry naturally leads fans to mitigate their expectations.

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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!