15 Exact Moments Failed WWE Ruthless Aggression Gimmicks Actually Got Over
11. Randy Orton | April 18, 2004
There are two schools of thought pertaining to Randy Orton.
To some, Orton is an in-ring master who excels at the small details, and whose discipline and deliberate pacing allows his bigger moments to feel massive.
To others, Orton has obvious talent, but is vastly overrated, a touch boring, and has wrestled far more quiet matches than emotional epics.
This divisive reputation will always define him - but the former camp will point to Backlash 2004 as proof that he is a master. But this did not happen quite as quickly as WWE’s retrospective narrative would have you believe; Orton’s initial blue chipper babyface act in early 2002 was a failure eerily reminiscent of Rocky Maivia, and his Randy News Network gimmick was definitionally midcard fare that he lacked the comedic timing to pull off. His poor injury record further stigmatised him as a bust.
As the reborn Legend Killer, Orton spent his time on the main roster as less laidback, more unflappable. He was composed and relaxed naturally, which enhanced his persona as a young prodigy entitled to success. In his seminal Hardcore match against Mick Foley at Backlash 2004, Orton subverted this to phenomenal effect. His panicked selling when he got thrown into the tacks was incredible. He perfectly conveyed the idea that he was out of his element, and into deep sh*t. But he earned his comeback, and consequently his respect and main event status, by the finishing stretch. It was a masterful job on Foley’s part - but it only worked because Orton was worthy of the rub. His discipline as the guy who could not be fazed had allowed his big, violent, vulnerable moment to feel massive.
Triple H seemed to actively try to erase Orton’s momentum by taking the World title off him a month after SummerSlam 2004, without doing a job in return, but by April 2005, fans were prepared to buy Orton defeating the Undertaker at WrestleMania 21. And, while WWE had only really emphasised the Streak that very match, beating ‘Taker on that stage was still a massive deal - and many thought Orton would get it done.