REPORT CARDS OF THE STARS
Randy Orton

GOAL ACHIEVEMENT: The “Legend Killer” ought to find whoever decreed that championships couldn’t change hands on disqualifications and put that person on his permanent Christmas card list. Randy Orton has relied on the DQ rule to keep his championship ever since No Mercy. That night, he was awarded the title due to Cena’s injury and then immediately lost the belt to Triple-H. He managed to win the belt back before the night was over. Since then, he has intentionally gotten himself disqualified against Cena, Shawn Michaels, and Chris Jericho. While we don’t condone intentional disqualifications, we have to give Orton credit for surviving challenges from some of the biggest stars in the sport and walking into ’Mania with the title around his waist. GRADE: A+

MARKETABILITY: Orton never took off as a fan favorite, which is fine because he’s much more effective as a villain. Orton is the new breed of rulebreaker. He’s an arrogant, obnoxious jerk, but he’s also a skilled wrestler and a sadist. He’s a lot like Christian Bale’s character in American Psycho. He’s a vile human being, but he still oozes charisma. In wrestling terms, that means the average fan is more than happy to plop down his or her hard-earned cash in hopes of seeing him get his comeuppance. That makes Orton marketable … even if you have to scroll through loads of HHH, Cena, C.M. Punk, and Hardy gear to find his T-shirts and ringtones on the WWE Shop website. GRADE: B+

REPERTOIRE: There has been a lot of hype about Orton being a third-generation wrestler; but that fact means more than that he’s simply in the family business. From a very early age, Orton was taught the finer points of the wrestling game. He learned takedowns and counters, and, when he was a bit older, he learned ring generalship and a decent dose of dirty tricks. He has been training for his time to shine since he was an infant. He doesn’t get a lot of credit for being a technical marvel, but that’s because he bases most of his offensive on hitting an explosive finish with the RKO. Just like his father, “Cowboy” Bob Orton, Randy keeps his cards close to the vest. When pressed, he always seems able to find an appropriate high-impact move (a DDT or neckbreaker) to regain the advantage. GRADE: A

CAREER GROWTH: Everyone talks about the backlash Cena has faced, but people forget Orton faced a similar reaction back in 2004 when he won his first world title. Orton began hearing some boos during his feud with his former mentor, Triple-H. When he lost the belt to HHH, Orton struggled through an ill-advised feud with The Undertaker and teamed with Edge to feud with DX. He has finally gotten back on track, but his post-’Mania prognosis is cloudy at best. GRADE: A

OVERALL VALUE: Orton is a mix of the dastardliest traits of Roddy Piper, Ric Flair, and Jake Roberts. He’s evil to the core and as dangerous as they come. Every company needs a strong bad guy, and Orton is the strongest bad guy in WWE. GRADE: A