This Is The Best Randy Orton Has Been In Decades, But I Hope WWE Doesn't Make The Same Old Mistake

When I first got back into wrestling after a multi-year break in 2009, I couldn’t get enough of the unhinged menace that was Randy Orton. This era of the “Viper,” which saw the third-generation wrestler evolve from a man with a great legacy to one of the most intense and dastardly heels, was unlike anything he’d done before. Then came WrestleMania 25, when it all came crashing down as Orton went into the unstoppable meat-grinder that was late 2000s Triple H in one of the most underwhelming main events of all time.

Randy Orton, who doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon, is currently in a similar situation: he’s wrestling a former stablemate for the WWE Championship at the two-night WrestleMania 42 and he’s in the middle of an outstanding heel run. In fact, this is the best he’s been since that 2009 feud. I just hope WWE doesn’t make the same old mistake… again.

Randy Orton Is Just So Natural As An Unhinged Heel

Nothing against babyface Randy Orton, but the Viper has always been at his best (and having the most fun) as a heel. From his days in Evolution to leading Legacy to even being the Authority’s chosen champion in the Daniel Bryan feud, he’s just natural as a heel. This is especially true when he lets those voices in his head get the best of him and cause him to be unhinged.

We’re in that right now with his feud with WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, whom he turned heel against in March 2026 upon signing the contract for their big WrestleMania main event match. Mercilessly beating Rhodes to a bloody pulp, Orton was in rare form and looked like the silent killer that he was nearly 20 years ago. One of the best and bloodiest beatdowns in recent memory, Orton showed Rhodes and the wrestling world that he was back and crazier than ever…

I Just Hope They Don’t Waste It Like It’s WrestleMania 25 All Over Again

I’ve been loving this version of Randy Orton the past few weeks, but it has got me thinking about the Viper’s underwhelming match against Triple H at WrestleMania 25 all those years ago. The match, which had one of the most captivating and unbelievable builds that year, ultimately fell short of greatness (it was actually boring and unremarkable). It was another example of “LOL Triple H wins a long, uninspired, and formulaic match” that didn’t do anything for anyone and ended the show with a “meh.” Triple H kept the title, and Orton's punt-kicking of the McMahon family in the lead-up to the match was for nothing.

I hope this year is different. Ideally, I would love a situation where Orton wins the belt off his former protege and has one final run with the WWE Championship. However, I would be okay with Rhodes retaining if it led to a major change in his character and forced him to go all out to take down his former mentor. Both of those options are captivating and could lead to some cool programs in the short term and in the long term. I just don’t want a situation where Orton looks like a monster in the build, gets beaten clean by Rhodes, and we end the show with the American Nightmare hamming it up for the camera as fireworks shoot off behind him.

Maybe WWE learned its lesson from the forgettable WrestleMania 25 match. I really hope they did…