Brooklyn Brawlin' 4.16.08: Re-Writing the Book - The Age of Orton...The 2004 Edition

Posted by Dan Torkel on 04.16.2008

What if Triple H actually knew what Darwin meant by "evolution"? Find out inside...

Hello to all, and welcome to the first RtB column of the SAMOA JOE era as TNA finally pulled the string on Joe and had him win the big one on Sunday. Let's hope this is a good long legit reign for the toughest and best wrestler in the sport today.

Instant Raw Notes

Instant RAW Notes: Awesome show tonight from the UK as William Regal nearly kills the champion, and Mickie James makes me care about a title. The build to Batista/Shawn is getting really good and Jericho's inclusion in the match makes it that much more interesting. I personally would have Batista totally demolish Shawn to cement his heel turn and have him go against Triple H or Cena at Summerslam.

Last week, a reader said that it was time to start pretending a certain you know who never existed and say his name. I happen to agree. This week's rewriting of the book begins in the summer of 2004 when Chris Benoit was World Champion. There, I said it. To answer another post, I do not hate John Cena because it's trendy, but mainly because I just cannot stand his wrestling. I loved his match with Shawn from Raw last year and the Umaga classic at the Rumble, but his move set is asinine to childish, his moves don't look like they even hurt and he actually wrestles most matches now like Hogan. If you don't believe me ask Mr. Kennedy. A few weeks back on Raw, Kennedy controls the action for 10 minutes and it was shoulder block, protobomb, 5-knuckle shuffle, STFU goodnight. BAH. A good match is a good match, but I just don't like him.

To tonight's column: It occurred to me watching Raw the previous few weeks that Randy Orton definitely has that "it" quality. His win at Wrestlemania cemented his modern day champion status, but I feel that this push has come about 4 years too late. The Orton face turn/Triple H screw job title win never sat right because it defied the logic of the stable. Evolution is any process of growth or development. Well that was the nature of the stable. Ric Flair was the old veteran who passed the torch down to Triple H who would in turn pass it down to Batista and Randy Orton. So Orton wins the title and suddenly he is out of the group...QUE?

The scene is Summer 2004 and Chris Benoit is the World's Heavyweight Champion. His Summerslam challenger: Randy Orton. Orton had been getting a steady increase of face pops despite being in the clearly identified heel stable of Evolution. He had reigned as IC Champ for nearly 9 months before dropping it to Edge and had a vicious career-changing feud with Mick Foley. Triple H was distracted at this point by of all people, Eugene, the mentally challenged nephew of Raw GM Eric Bischoff. At Summerslam Triple H squashed Eugene and Orton cleanly pinned Benoit with the RKO to become the youngest WWE Champ ever!

The next night Benoit got his rematch but Evolution cost him the match and celebrated with Orton. Triple H had Batista lift Orton up over his head, the thumbs went down and Evolution promptly turned on Orton, bloodied him and left him for dead. Worse, at Unforgiven, the same thing happened and Triple H beat Orton to become the New Champ, his title reign lasting all of one month. By the Royal Rumble, a funny thing happened. Batista; the other Evolution member was getting the pops and push that Randy was supposed to be getting and Vince ran with it. So Triple H beat Randy again and Batista won the Rumble and the rest is history.


Re-Writing the Book: The Original Age of Orton

Summerslam 2004: Triple H defeats Eugene and post match decides to end his career. He grabs his trusty sledgehammer but William Regal (Eugene's friend and mentor) runs in and blasts Triple H(aitch) with brass knucks. Orton tells Flair and Batista to stay back and let him go to the ring himself. Triple H returns all pissed off and screams at Flair and Batista. Orton and Benoit have their match and it goes down very similar until the end. Benoit is trying to power Orton down into the Crossface but Triple H comes running down. Benoit breaks the hold and Orton tries to RKO but gets sent into Triple H and Benoit grabs the Crossface for the tap out victory. Orton and Triple H argue to the back.

On Raw Orton calls out Benoit. He says he wants to know who the better man is with no interference. Bischoff makes a non-title match and says if Orton wins he gets a rematch at Unforgiven with a stip that should Evolution interfere, Orton loses his title shot. In a clean Raw main event Orton hits the RKO and pins Benoit. With Triple H feuding with William Regal, Orton goes into Unforgiven looking to prove to Evolution he can win the big one himself. Problem is Triple H's match with Regal does not go according to plan as Eugene's interference allows Regal to score the major upset pin. In the main event, a ref bump sets up a run in from Flair and Batista but Orton calls them off. Triple H, sneaks in from behind and levels Benoit with the sledgehammer and tells Orton to cover like a man. Orton does and becomes the New World Champion.

There is money in the slow build and the slow build here is obviously Randy Orton vs. Triple H for Wrestlemania XXI. Orton and Triple H would mend ties with the help of Ric Flair and of course the World Title. At Taboo Tuesday, Shawn Michaels (who won initially) would win the vote and face Orton for the title leaving Benoit to get revenge on Triple H in a Cage Match. Orton would retain cleanly and do the unthinkable; shake hands with Shawn Michaels. Triple H and Orton again argue over this. At Survivor Series, the break up that had been teased since Summerslam would finally culminate. It is Evolution vs. Shawn, Benoit, Jericho, and Shelton Benjamin in the Main Event. Orton accidentally takes out Triple H allowing the faces to eliminate the Game. Triple H responds by destroying Orton with the Pedigree and leaving him to get pinned and lose the match.

Finally the match is booked for New Year's Revolution: Orton vs. Triple H for the World Title. Problem is Flair and Batista are split in the middle. Flair has been coaching both men behind the other's back and Batista has been playing the spy. Bischoff sticks his head in and as a rib on both men makes Flair the special referee. At the ppv the time comes to pick side and Flair grabs the Sledgehammer away from Triple H but Batista slides in a delivers a spine buster to Orton. Flair sees this and reluctantly hands the hammer back to Triple H who destroys Orton and wins the World Title. A few weeks later at the Royal Rumble, Orton makes Final 4 with Cena, Batista and Edge. Edge gets tossed and Orton is able to counter Batista out but Batista distracts him from the outside allowing Cena to dump Orton and win the Rumble.

To decide the #1 Contender to face Hunter at WM 21, Eric Bischoff announces a Tournament of 6 men. The winners meet in a Triple Threat match to go to WM. Orton beats Kane, Flair beats Shelton and Batista beats Benoit. That leaves an Evolution Triple Threat and Orton gets his revenge over both his former friends and wins and then goes to WM 21 to face Triple H. To cap things off, Mick Foley is the special ref for the Mania match and a year after his career-making feud, Foley lifts the victorious Orton's hands as the New World Heavyweight Champion.

So there it is, the original AGE OF ORTON, as Triple H's craving for power and the strap do not comes immediately into play and Orton was subsequently not robbed of a star-making run as World Champ. Of course at WM 21 Orton jobbed to Undertaker (another column perhaps), and would go on to watch the "other" guy in Evolution, Batista become the star he was meant to be. Now the WWE is trying hard to correct the Honky Tonk Man-like way Orton's title reign started.

Next week, we delve into something a tad different. Undertaker's streak at Wrestlemania: Is it legit? Should Taker have lost, and to whom? We shall see. Make sure to check out the other great columns and reviews!!! Till then, sleep well, and dream of large women!