Smackdown Spoilers - The Orton Pattern!

- Daniel Bryan, Sheamus, and Christian all hit the ring to kick off the show. So, naturally, The Shield joined the party and a six-man tag match was made. Surprisingly enough -- or maybe not so much -- the heel team went over after Dean Ambrose pinned Christian following an errant Brogue Kick. Another awesome six-man.

- A fatal four-way was booked to determine the number one contender to the Intercontinental championship, so they didn't totally forget about that title. The participants: Jack Swagger, Kofi Kingston, Rey Mysterio, and Mark Henry. The winner: Swagger, who submitted Kingston with the Patriot Act. Langston was on commentary for this.

- Eva Marie def. Alicia Fox in a short, nothing match. It was done to lead to Bad News Barrett coming out and trashing everyone in the crowd for being fat pigs on Valentine's Day. This airs on that "holiday", so it's timely. Good for Barrett, Valentine's Day is the most ridiculous thing.

- One of the big advertised matches, Rybaxel & New Age Outlaws vs. The Usos & Rhodes Brothers saw one of the Usos pin Road Dogg after a solid match. It almost seems like it's impossible for WWE to miss on tag matches anymore.

- Darren Young def. Damien Sandow in a quick match with Titus O'Neil out on commentary. He was there to attack Young after his win, but Mr. No Days Off got the upper hand before it was all said and done.

- Miz finally got booked for a show and defeated Fandango after Santino Marella and Emma caused a distraction. Emma and Summer got physical and Marella used the Cobra to set up Miz winning.

- Cesaro def. Randy Orton clean in the main event in an excellent match. Orton has been on fire lately in-ring, and he put Cesaro over strong here. For what it's worth, he got a big babyface reaction by the time the match was over.

So it would seem the pattern we felt would occur for Orton (win smackdown, lose RAW) was totally wrong! A clean win for Cesaro!! That's 3 losses and one win heading into the Chamber at the moment...though at least he has been made to look strong even in his losses. I must say that people give a lot of stick to Orton but I don't think you can fault the guy. He may not set the world on fire but he has been decent in this run. When booked properly he can promo well enough and plays his part brilliantly...but perhaps most importantly does anyone else in the industry put over young talent better than him?! I don't think they do! At least with him as Champion the younger stars are a) Involved in decent matches & b) have the chance to go over....better for business than a certain other 'superstar'. All signs point to Orton retaining at Elimination Chamber (given the way he is being booked) which would point to Batista vs Orton for Mania   

Sandow being buried...joining Ziggler on the lose in under a few minutes stakes! Creative really know how to drop the ball I have to say! Sandow & Ziggler deserve much much better IMO.

Looking forward to seeing Bad News Barret...his segments are brilliant! Sadly they don't seem to care for his in-ring career!!

I have to say: it worries me that 3 of the brightest talents the WWE have had in recent years seem to swimming around aimlessly in the company...I could buy into it being a problem with said stars if it was just one of them...but the fact that all 3 don't seem to be going anywhere suggests that WWE just don't know what they are doing!

Errant Brogue Kick - Are we looking at a heel turn for Sheamus already?

I hope Sheamus turns heel, his character really doesn't work as a "WWE Face"

Orton has got to be winning the Chamber, Cesaro face turn soon as well.

Don't think it's a Sheamus heel-turn, just building up to the Chamber.

Good for Cesaro, really good. Think WWE booking him into the EC was a golden move.

Didnt realise anyone enjoyed Bad News Barrett

i love him

Cesaro is awesome. Love him   

I enjoy Bad News Barrett but he needs to be wrestling.

Thats basically my problem. He doesnt wrestle and it almost offends me!

I hope Orton doesn't retain, he looks weak as hell now, I don't know how they expect their only World Champion to go into the biggest PPV of the year off the back of jobbing to all and sundry on free TV since the start of the year, thats four guys now who've beaten him clean, you're World Champion, particularly going into WrestleMania has to be looked upon as unbeatable or at least a strong favourite so it becomes a big thing actually beating him.

If Orton was a face I'd be calling a heel turn in the offing, a bit like the logic behind Austin's heel turn in 2001, I just don't understand why they'd have Orton job like this though if he is going to retain, I know the whole thing is about Randy Orton not really being deserving of the World Title, I get that but that only makes sense if he drops it 1 on 1 to Daniel Bryan and not Batista - who hasn't been hard done too at all.

But if Orton loses the title as well, where does that leave him going into Wrestlemania? He'll have lost to most of the Chamber, lost the title in the Chamber and I can't see where he fits into the fold at Wrestlemania unless he faces Bryan?

Id rather he lost it and it drove him mental. I really want him to lose the title and then go out to take Taker down. Make him brutal as hell trying to prove himself in a warped way.

I'd like to see Orton/Taker but I don't want anymore guys facing Taker off the back of a losing streak.

Where does Orton fit in? I don't think you can put someone into the title match at WrestleMania because he wont fit in anywhere else, if that's a real problem then that in itself suggests he's not the right guy to be carrying the belt into the biggest PPV of the year.

I don't think Orton needs a pay-off, he might need character development though so there is no real rush on that front, you could easily put Orton in one of the non glamour matches against a Sheamus or a Mark Henry and you can either cause him to lose again and create more self doubt or just loom at rebuilding him...I think Orton has plenty more time left in his current role to go down a few avenues, I don't think he needs to be Champion.

That's kind of why I'd put him with Taker. He deserves a big match, can tell the story with Taker and will be a full heel. He'd be better off losing to Taker than beating Henry or Sheamus. Plus it would free Lesnar for something else.

They'll probably turn him face and team with his new BFF Bryan vs Kane and HHH

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:That's kind of why I'd put him with Taker. He deserves a big match, can tell the story with Taker and will be a full heel. He'd be better off losing to Taker than beating Henry or Sheamus. Plus it would free Lesnar for something else.

Without CM Punk being involved im struggling to see where Brock fits in other than Undertaker, unlike Orton, Lesnar is a top drawing special attraction, I don't see whay else there is for him.

I know Orton facing Taker is better for him than getting lumbered with a Sheamus or a Mark Henry or a Big Show, no doubt about it, but I'm looking at it from whats best from the streak prespective, another match with a guy whos jobbing weekly on free TV just doesn't sell the fact he can beat Taker too me, Punk couldn't convince me so I doubt Orton could, with a lesser opponent then losing to them does too things, it sends Orton even closer to the edge whilst also giving a decent rub to the winner, not a major rub but a good rub.

I would have preferred Orton to be on a huge winning streak then take 3/4 finishes in the Chamber in the same sequence and lose his title that way, at least then he could look strong as hell and feel genuinely aggrieved about his Title loss and that way it sets him up in a lot better position for the Undertaker match

Momentum wise, sure, but I think story wise a paranoid vicious and enraged Orton targeting Taker is great. The spectacle of Taker/Lesnar is top dollar though.

Lesnar should have had Punk. Sadly, it does seem like Taker or nowt now.

I mentioned on the RAW thread what I think will happen...and going along with the train of thought here I believe it could do because it's the only way I see them settling everyone into a feud come Mania & that is:

Orton loses the title in the Chamber....to either Cena or Brock (Brock could take Bryan's place who is taken out by Kane) ...if it is to Cena then I fully expect Brock to either beat him down after or the next night on RAW...eventually pushing him into the feud. That gives us BROCK VS BATISTA VS CENA at Mania.

Bryan feuds with Kane; revealed that HHH was pulling all the triggers and keeping him down: TRIPLE H VS BRYAN

Orton snaps after losing title and being pushed aside by HHH & the authority who say he isn't good enough to be the face of the company and has never fulfilled his potential...thus leading him to earn the respect & prove himself by taking the biggest thing in Wrestling...THE STREAK!

Wyatts vs Shield...I think Wyatts are going to win at Chamber and The Shield break up will begin....I see BRAY VS REIGNS at Mania....meanwhile Ambrose & Rollins will end up feuding...

All of this leads to the following Mania card:

Batista vs Cena vs Brock (WWE Title)
Orton vs Undertaker (Streak)
Bryan vs HHH
Bray Wyatt vs Roman Reigns
Ambrose vs Cesaro/Rollins (US Title)
Langston vs Swagger/Cessaro (Intercontinental)
NAO vs USOS vs WYATTS (Tag Titles)
Rhodes vs Goldust
Diva match

I bet you Sheamus is on the card

Ha missed sheamus! He will be of course; not sure where you put him mind....perhaps some kind of feud with Cesaro if he isn't in the intercontinental picture.

Actually thinking about it surely one of the mid-card titles will be fatal four way/battle royale else plenty of people are missing out:

Christian
R Truth
Miz
Sandow
Ziggler
Del Rio
Mark Henry
Ryback
Rey Mysterio

I'm going for this as the card;

Orton v Batista v Bryan (WWE World Title)
Undertaker v Lesnar
Bray Wyatt v Cena
CM Punk (I think they'll get him back) v HHH - stip of if Punk wins he gets title shot
Ambrose v Rollins v Reigns (US Title)
Langston v Cesaro - preshow
NAO v Usos v Ryaxel v Ziggler & Miz
AJ Lee v Lita
Sheamus v Big Show

Rhodes Brothers dont even get on the card? This is why we keep struggling to predict the card, there are too many people to leave out.

Great episode of Smackdown again, this period of the year is great for the blue.

No I don't think they will get on the card tbh.

I do very much like the rumour about Reigns being the man to face HHH if Bryan goes into the title match (and Punk remains away).

I don't really want to see Cesaro and Langston together, and I don't like the Shield triple threat match. Fine if its for pride, but I don't want Reigns to win the US Title. I'd quite like Reigns to take out Ambrose but Rollins to steal the win.

I seen Orton refer to himself as getting back to being The Viper but he's constantly losing as The Viper, im starting to wonder if this reference has some kind of meaning...when he loses the belt at the Chamber he can say being the Viper has done nothing for him and the only thing left to do is go back to wjat made him tick, The Legend Killer...the only Legend worth killing at Mania is the Streak so that could be an in for him...that being said I just don't see Brock Lesnar being wasted on anyone other than Taker or Punk

Didn't they do away with Legend Killer due to Benoit?

I've got absolutely no idea, to be fair though I think they could bring that back now, I don't think anyone would associate that term with Benoit but I could easily see why they would drop the name in the immediate aftermath of what CB did.

Who's Benoit?