The Shimmy 02.23.09: Third Time's the Charm

Posted by Andy Clark on 02.23.2009

Twice before Triple H and Randy Orton have been scheduled to face at WrestleMania only for plans to change. Will the third time be the charm for these two superstars?

August 16 2004. The "Legend Killer" Randy Orton has just successfully retained the World Heavyweight Championship against the man he won the title from a night before, Chris Benoit. Two wins in two nights isn't too shabby. Benoit is from Canada and the fan favorite, but despite this Orton gets a sizeable reaction from the crowd. It's been that way for months really. There is a difference between Orton's win the night before at SummerSlam and this one on Raw though. His friends. Triple H, Batista, and Ric Flair, his three partners in the group Evolution are there to bask in the glory with him. Triple H and Flair are used to championship celebrations; between them they've won 23 World Titles (at least). So far the only gold Batista has won is tag gold, but he's the muscle, so who cares really? This is about Orton, the youngest World Champion in WWE history. His teammates soak him in adulation and Naitch is already planning the celebration with the women. Batista hoists Orton up on his shoulders, placing him up high where he belongs. The Game even gives his support, tossing up an approving thumbs up. Life is good. Whoo! Yeah, Hunter, thumbs up!

Thumbs down.

With one flick of the wrist and a menacing scowl, Orton is dropped from his perch on Batista's shoulders and within moments the men Orton had though of as his friends pounce on him like a pack of hyenas. Triple H viciously pounds away at his young protégé, scolding him for daring to win a title that belonged around The Game's waist. The crowd is stunned. They anticipated the day that Orton would leave the Evolution nest, but now? This way?

Less than a month later, Orton found himself across the ring from Triple H in an actual wrestling match. A championship match, only Orton's second defense of his reign, his first since his Raw encounter with Benoit. It would be the last of this reign. Thanks to some interference from the remaining members of Evolution, Triple H walked away from the Unforgiven PPV in Portland, Oregon with a big gold belt that had Randy Orton's name engraved in it. By the next night on Raw Orton's name would be gone and Triple H's would once again sit in its place. Yet again the crowd was stunned at these developments. At SummerSlam Orton had seemed to be a many of destiny, and now he was out of Evolution and without his championship? There had to be something else in store for the "Legend Killer." Perhaps this was the start of a bigger story. Maybe this was all leading to a place where dreams come true and legends were made. Yes, this wasn't an unsatisfactory end to Orton's tale, but the beginning of his road to redemption; his road to WrestleMania.

And things looked like that might have been the case. Due to a stipulation in a loss to Ric Flair, Orton would never get a title opportunity against Triple H so long as he continued to reign as champion. Many a conquering hero has had to overcome some situations and it only seemed right that Orton would come out on the other end of this with a true WrestleMania moment. But a funny thing happened on the way to WrestleMania. Orton lost his swagger. That self-assured cockiness that had helped him crush so many legends, to win the Intercontinental Title, to win the World Heavyweight Title, and to earn the respect of the fans long before he had pandered for it and left him, and it appeared so did his fan support. After months of dying to cheer for Orton while he was fighting against their applause, the fans tired of Orton's struggle to regain the championship and as such Orton lost traction. A new man emerged as the potential hero to end Triple H's reign: Dave Batista. Slowly Batista, long thought to just be the stereotypical muscle of Evolution, began to receive fan support, and with that support came momentum, momentum that would seemingly overtake Orton's destiny.

When Triple H's title was vacated it looked like things were looking up for Orton. Now instead of trying to head into WrestleMania with the pressure of being the challenger he could focus on trying to win the belt back before the big show. The night after Triple H regained the World Title at New Year's Revolution Orton bested Batista in a No. 1 Contender's Match, earning another crack at The Game at the Royal Rumble. Instead of having their epic clash at WrestleMania 21, Triple H and Randy Orton fought at the Royal Rumble instead. Triple H won that match and later that night Batista won the Royal Rumble, signaling the beginning of the end of his time in Evolution. Unlike Orton Batista was able to leave the group on his own terms, powerbombing Triple H through a table a few weeks later. Also unlike Orton Batista got his big WrestleMania moment, taking the World Heavyweight Title away from Triple H at WrestleMania 21. Orton had been passed by for his big WrestleMania showdown with Triple H, and it was unlikely that it would ever happen again.

This wouldn't be the last Triple H and Orton would see of each other. In fact Orton's mistreatment at the hands of Triple H would be one of the inspiring factors of the creation of Rated RKO, and sadistic tag team consisting of Orton and Edge, two years later. Rated RKO did battle with Triple H and his degenerate DX partner Shawn Michaels, even injuring The Game's quad for a second time. This quad injury would put events in motion that would eventually help Orton's career make it to the WrestleMania main event he was denied years before. Triple H's injury took him out of the WrestleMania 23 title picture and Orton, Edge, and Michaels were all hovering around the top, waiting to get their hands on WWE Champion John Cena. Ultimately Michaels got the WrestleMania spot but that didn't keep Orton and Edge out of the mix for a future title shot. Orton continued to feud with Michaels after WrestleMania and added him to the injury shelf with his partner, debuting his vicious concussion kick. It is the momentum Orton built that summer with that concussion kick that would lead him to once again becoming champion. Shawn Michaels, Rob Van Dam, Dusty Rhodes, Sgt. Slaughter, and even John Cena's father all felt the end of Randy Orton's boot as he punted them right in the temple. Ironically it wouldn't be a punt that added John Cena to the injury list but an RKO on the announce table. Just days before their championship match at No Mercy and the WWE Champion was out of commission.

At the event Mr. McMahon had no choice but to award Orton, the No. 1 Contender, the WWE Championship. Orton was forced to the defend the title that night, but against who? There was little question. Triple H had returned from injury two months before but had yet to get a shot at the title. Now he wanted one. In the first match of the show Orton and Triple H did battle over the title Orton had received just minutes earlier. Much to the surprise of everyone Triple H won the WWE Title with a rollup on the new champ. Orton couldn't believe it. His moment had been ruined by Triple H yet again. This time, though, he had a plan. This time he got his rematch and he got it that very night. The rematch could be typified by three words: Last. Man. Standing. Triple H and Orton brutalized each other in a Last Man Standing Match, putting their bodies through immense amounts of pain to walk away with the title. Ultimately it was an RKO on the announce table, the same move that did in John Cena, that scored Orton the title. For the second time in one night Orton was the WWE Champion and this time he wasn't losing it. The Age of Orton had begun.

In this day in age it is customary for the former champion to get his rematch right away. Fans have grown used to seeing it and expected to see Orton and Triple H face off again sooner rather than later. But it never happened. For one reason or another Triple H never got his rematch and fans were left wondering if this was it for these two men. Triple H came close to winning the Royal Rumble and earning a WrestleMania title shot, but was ultimately felled by a returning John Cena. Cena, who also wanted revenge against Orton, decided to cash his title shot in early at No Way Out, while Triple H entered the Elimination Chamber Match to crown a new No. 1 Contender. Orton was disqualified in his match with Cena, losing him the match but keeping the title around his waist. Triple H won the Chamber. The match was set. WrestleMania XXIV: Randy Orton vs. Triple H.

But Orton's cowardly actions at No Way Out bought Cena a second chance. Defeating Orton in a non-title match, Cena found himself in the main event as well, making the championship encounter a Triple Threat Match. While Orton and Triple H would still both fight at the Grandaddy of ‘Em All it would not be the one-on-one match they had originally anticipated. Cena would prove to be the deciding factor in the match as he would be the one to take the pinfall as Orton retained his title once again.

Triple H and Orton continued to fight for the title. Triple H won the title off of Orton at Backlash in a match with Cena and JBL also involved, and they met in a Raw rematch, a Steel Cage Match, and a return Last Man Standing Match. But when Orton suffered an arm injury in the Last Man Standing Match and Triple H was subsequently drafted to SmackDown it seemed like that could be all she wrote for these two men's story.

Until now. Orton returned to Raw a man possessed and ended up winning the 2009 Royal Rumble, having his pick of champion at WrestleMania 25. Following his impressive Elimination Chamber win at No Way Out Triple H is the new WWE Champion on SmackDown. But after having his family terrorized at the hands of Randy Orton for months it seems as if The Game is comfortable with working Monday night's yet again in order to get his hands on his former teammate. While it has not been made official, Orton has vowed to take out the McMahon family one by one and Triple H has vowed to avenge the attack on his wife Stephanie. This should all indicate that at long last Triple H and Randy Orton will meet in their one-on-one WrestleMania clash. After all these years which one will be able to walk away from the big dance as the victor?

On August 16, 2004 this story began. It may be April 5, 2009 when we see just how it ends.

The Shimmy Likes it Raw!

What's on tap for tonight's show?

Shawn Michaels vs. JBL; The winner of this match will supposedly face Undertaker at WrestleMania. Doesn't Undertaker have any say in this? I think Vladimir Kozlov said something about breaking both men before moving on to Taker himself so I wouldn't be too surprised to see the "Moscow Mauler" tonight.

Triple H returns to Raw; It was announced on SmackDown Friday that Triple H would be coming to Raw to go after Randy Orton. After watching his wife get the RKO last week what will "The Game" have in store for the 2009 Royal Rumble winner?

Well that does it for this week. Until next time, don't die. Clark…out.