After Ortons abysmal performance as a babyface, WWE needed a marquis feud that would not only allow him ample opportunities to improve on his ring-work and promo abilities, but also to amplify his credibility. Enter the Undertaker. For almost all of 2005, the Undertaker-Orton rivalry took up a considerable amount of screen time on SmackDown. Undertaker clearly saw something special in Orton, and suggested that he be the one to break the Streak. While that didnt happen, Orton was, at the time, the closest anyone had ever come to ending the Streak, and WWE saw that they could make both a big star and big money out of an extended feud between these two. It was during this period that Ortons match quality improved by leaps and bounds, he became a more multidimensional character, and his presence shifted from cocky rookie to solid and assured wrestler. The Undertaker did everything in his power to make Orton look good on a regular basis, while still retaining his supernatural aura and mystique. After this feud ended, Orton was a much bigger star in fans eyes, while Taker hadnt lost any credibility whatsoever, despite losing on several occasions. Its actually quite possible that Ortons success today wouldnt have happened if Undertaker had decided to go with WWEs original plan for WrestleMania, which didnt include the rising star that was Randy Orton.
Alexander Podgorski is a writer for WhatCulture that has been a fan of professional wrestling since he was 8 years old. He loves all kinds of wrestling, from WWE and sports entertainment, to puroresu in Japan.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queen's University in Political Studies and French, and a Master's Degree in Public Administration. He speaks English, French, Polish, a bit of German, and knows some odd words and phrases in half a dozen other languages.
