12 Things You Learn Binge Watching Every WWE Raw From 2005
10. Randy Orton’s Injury Comeback Was Odd
What was that about Vince McMahon not really being 100% sure on the best way to use Mr. RKO? That was never more evident than when Randy returned from an injury layoff on the 16 May '05 edition of Raw to proudly announce that his shoulder issue meant he simply couldn't be involved in the upcoming 2005 Draft.
McMahon interrupted him to say he bloody well could be involved in the Draft, injured or not. That's when things got funky and almost counterproductive. Vince also ridiculed Randy’s appearance by saying he’d dropped weight and was on “some kind of anorexic diet”. Orton looked miffed by all of this, defended his inability to lift weights because of the injury, then stood around awkwardly as Vince left.
It was such an odd segment from beginning to end.
Firstly, it looked for all the world like WWE had picked out a suit that was a size or so too big for Randy. Did they do that just so McMahon could cut him down with some cruel verbal jabs that verged on the boss saying: 'Get on the juice, son'?! If not, then why didn't Orton have any real comeback for some of the stuff Vince was saying? He seemed caught off guard by it.
The segment closed with McMahon strolling off (in typically comical fashion) as Randy wondered what the future held for him, and WWE's cameras zoomed in to catch him pondering what the boss had said. It'd be awesome to find out if Orton even remembers this face to face, and if he knew in advance everything Vince was going to fire his way.
It sure didn't look like it.