100 Greatest WWE Matches Of All Time (Ranked)
93. Christian vs. Randy Orton (SummerSlam 2011)
Emotions were running high when Christian replaced his retired friend Edge and beat Alberto Del Rio to become World Heavyweight Champion at Extreme Rules 2011. Back then, Christian was a beloved babyface who stood up for his pal's legacy by putting the vile Del Rio in his place. Things change quickly in pro wrestling though. By summer, Christian was a heel himself.
Desperation started to kick in for him when going up against longtime WWE pet project Randy Orton. That led to low blows, treachery, and Christian playing the cowardly villain. He was awesome at it, and the pair had lots of chemistry during their matches. Proof came when they locked horns in a 'No Holds Barred' bout at SummerSlam 2011.
What a show Christian and Randy put on.
They went over 23 minutes and even gave CM Punk vs. John Cena (a rematch from the historic Money In The Bank pay-per-view) a tough task considering it was next on the lineup. People were still talking about Orton vs. Christian long after Del Rio had cashed in MITB following that Punk vs. Cena main event. That's how strong a match it had been.
Few mastered the art of playing a tyrant with his tail between his legs like Christian. He's brought that to AEW in more recent years via his Patriarchy gimmick. It's incredible to think that Vince McMahon was never truly sold on him as a top liner worthy of holding bigger titles for too long. Randy surely disagreed with that sentiment after sharing the ring with Christian as many times as he did.