10 WWE Stars Who Should Be WAY More Over Than They Actually Are

4. Randy Orton

seth rollins
WWE.com

Has anybody been handed more chances in WWE history than Randy Orton?

His listing as a thirteen time World Champion will always read more as an anomaly than an achievement - an indictment of the era in which he has wrestled than a reflection of his ability and legacy.

Orton is over. His entrances invariably generate a loud pop. The problem is that Orton cannot - or will not - sustain audience interest throughout his matches. He too often seems to wrestle like he's in confrontation with the audience more so than his opponent - or, at his most indulgent, as if filmed by David Lynch. Methodical is the word (or euphemism). Everything Orton does in there makes sense. He hasn't, however, moved with the times. To his immense credit, John Cena has. He has modified his style to remain consistently over with a fandom increasingly expectant of a quicker pace. Orton almost wrestles defensively as a vanguard of tradition.

The grim irony is that Randy Orton has sounded off on Twitter recently about so-called diving spot monkeys - and yet, the wrestling fandom clung onto the RKO outta nowhere meme far more than it has nearly any of his full-length matches.

Contributor
Contributor

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!