31 Years Of WWE SummerSlam Mistakes

14. SummerSlam '04 - Randy Orton: So Young, Too Soon

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It's difficult to ignore the benefit of hindsight when christening Randy Orton's first title win as a mistake.

With Brock Lesnar swapping wrestling tights for overalls as he literally bought the farm, the time seemed right for a new hero to be born. Was it too soon for that man to be Randy Orton, who became the youngest ever WWE champion at the age of just 24? Probably, but given his precocious talent, that didn't seem to matter.

Rather, it was the fallout of his record-breaking title win which rendered the decision a mistake. The future 'Legend Killer' found himself booted from Evolution not long after, precipitating a babyface run which seemed purpose built to further aggrandise Triple H. Ultimately, the coronation would have been better saved, if the plan had simply been to undermine Orton.

The other problem with this decision today was one nobody could reasonably have saw coming. Regrettably, Orton's record-breaking crowning moment came against Chris Benoit, leaving the company with a decade of awkwardly avoiding the subject following the Canadian's tragic end.

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Editorial Team
Editorial Team

Benjamin was born in 1987, and is still not dead. He variously enjoys classical music, old-school adventure games (they're not dead), and walks on the beach (albeit short - asthma, you know). He's currently trying to compile a comprehensive history of video game music, yet denies accusations that he purposefully targets niche audiences. He's often wrong about these things.