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After making his massive return after a year and a half away at Survivor Series, Randy Orton officially made his future a whole lot clearer on SmackDown: Signing with the Blue Brand as his new home within the WWE Universe so he can go after The Bloodline.
For Orton, the decision to return was a no-brainer, as he's a WWE lifer who has been working for the promotion for almost 25 years and still looks like a world-beater deep into his 40s, but where does that place him in the greater hierarchy of the promotion's all-time greats? Does Orton need anything out of this run to really get into the all-time great conversation, or is the son of “Cowboy” Bob Orton already a made man, a guaranteed Hall of Famer who will end up alongside the best wrestling has to offer when he hangs up his boots for good?
Well, in the opinion of Matt Hardy on his Extreme Life podcast, who spent years working with Orton in WWE, Orton is already on track to become one of the modern GOATS of professional wrestling, with a spot in the Hall of Fame a borderline guarantee.
“He's drawn money, he's sold tickets. As a heel, he was very, very good, probably excels, and probably is where he excels the most and at his best. People will pay because they dislike him, they want to see someone else beat him. Also, he's is someone that connects with people. He evokes emotion, and he connects with fans that are sitting in those seats. People go, ‘Oh my god, Randy Orton has had so many memorable moments.' They might not remember his top ten five-star matches, but they're definitely gonna remember a s**t-load of Randy Orton moments, which there has been a bunch,” Matt Hardy said via Fightful.
“He without a doubt will go down as one of the greatest of all time. He's had a bunch [of world title reigns], so he's a legit guy. He's a legitimate Hall of Famer, without a doubt. As they say, a first-ballot WWE Hall of Famer. In the whole lore of pro wrestling, he's a Hall of Famer, no matter what era you're talking about. He's a guy who's just special, who has sold tickets, who has had people care about him, who has evoked emotion. He is a guy that people give a s**t about. He's been very consistent. He might not have the five-star match, he might not have the banger, whatever, but he goes out and he produces. He has these great matches, he tells these great stories over and over again. At the end of the day, after you watch a Randy Orton match, you remember how you felt during that match, especially if there was some hot story connected to it.”
Is Hardy on the money? Is Orton going to go down as one of the best WWE performers of the last 25 years and see his career immortalized forever in the Hall of Fame around so many of his friends and family members? Well, considering everything Orton has already accomplished, with the potential to get even more interesting film on his proverbial highlight reel with this forthcoming feud against The Bloodline, it's safe to say no one will ever forget the “Apex Predator.”
Matt Hardy isn't as sold on CM Punk in WWE as he is Randy Orton.
Now, as you may or may not know, Randy Orton wasn't the only WWE Superstar who returned at Survivor Series, with CM Punk also getting back into the promotion for the first time in a long time after the conclusion of WarGames.
While Matt Hardy knows a ton about Punk from his time in WWE and AEW, as they were just co-workers over the summer, he's far less sold on his return to The Fed, as he thinks the “Best in the World” will have to be on his best behavior to get the most out of the experience.
“You can't hate that move by WWE, for sure. It was a shocking move,” Matt Hardy said via Fightful. “Obviously, it was gonna get people talking. It's business, and it's good for business. I would imagine it's an environment where I think Phil would be on his best behavior there. If that makes him happy and he's good with that, then I'm fine with that too. I'm cool with that. It is what it is.”
Has CM Punk turned over a new leaf, or is he still the same performer who punches co-workers backstage a la Kevin Owens on SmackDown? Fans will have to keep tuning in to find out.
