Just a week before a scheduled match at the Hell in a Cell Pay-Per-View, news broke that number three babyface Randy Orton suffered a freak injury and would be forced to pull out of the event. According to reports, Orton - who has suffered many shoulder injuries throughout his career - dislocated a shoulder while taking out the trash at home, and initial estimates suggest he'll be out of action for four to six months. The timing of the injury hurt WWE, but keeping Orton off TV for a while could benefit his career. After missing several months last winter to film The Condemned 2, Orton returned as a babyface and feuded with Seth Rollins. While many felt the turn was a long time coming, Orton floundered after his program with Rollins ended, spinning his wheels with Sheamus and The Wyatt Family. By the time of his injury, many felt that Orton had lost a lot of the cachet he had built up as The Authority's top player. Orton, who should be able to return after WrestleMania, could come back as a heel - a role that most feel plays to his strengths. For the first time in a long time, he could be a bad guy on his own, with no Authority, Legacy, or Evolution backing him up. In this new position, Orton could find himself once again, potentially leading into a feud with a babyface like Roman Reigns or Brock Lesnar.
Scott Fried is a Slammy Award-winning* writer living and working in New York City. He has been following/writing about professional wrestling for many years and is a graduate of Lance Storm's Storm Wrestling Academy. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/scottfried.
*Best Crowd of the Year, 2013