[the_ghost]

Alright folks, now I know a lot of people on this forum are critical of the reasons behind Randy Orton's face turn, but I feel it was a complete and utter accident.

As we all saw, the weeks and months before Wrestlemania 26, it was clear that they had given up on the Legacy and that no matter what happened, they were going to split the group up.

Towards the end of last year, we saw Ted Dibiase and Cody Rhodes being 'bullied' by Orton, and Orton was clearly the leader and acting in very much a heelish way. The writers were trying there best to have the crowd be sympathetic towards Rhodes and more specifically Dibiase (remember the Raw when he was in a match with Orton and was ordered to stand and take a beating).

This line of thought clearly backfired when the writers seen how little sympathy we had for Rhodes and Dibiase, and that, ironically Orton was out popping many other of the so called faces on Raw.

Do you think creative had always planned this face turn for Orton? or did they stumble upon it whilst trying to make him even more heelish?

 

[Gingermadman]

The crowd was entirely behind Cody one raw where Orton had just taken out Dusty.

But VINTAGE booking dragged it out too long and it was lost.

 

[Prospekt's March]

The crowd was entirely behind Cody one raw where Orton had just taken out Dusty.

But VINTAGE booking dragged it out too long and it was lost.

They were behind DiBiase too in a similar situation, he faced Orton in a match, and he was about to snap and the crowds were cheering for him. Too bad there was no follow-up.

I do think they had anticipated Orton's face turn because he had been getting cheered in most arenas despite acting heelish most of the time.

 

[Thumbinthebum]

Alright folks, now I know a lot of people on this forum are critical of the reasons behind Randy Orton's face turn, but I feel it was a complete and utter accident.

As we all saw, the weeks and months before Wrestlemania 26, it was clear that they had given up on the Legacy and that no matter what happened, they were going to split the group up.

Towards the end of last year, we saw Ted Dibiase and Cody Rhodes being 'bullied' by Orton, and Orton was clearly the leader and acting in very much a heelish way. The writers were trying there best to have the crowd be sympathetic towards Rhodes and more specifically Dibiase (remember the Raw when he was in a match with Orton and was ordered to stand and take a beating).

This line of thought clearly backfired when the writers seen how little sympathy we had for Rhodes and Dibiase, and that, ironically Orton was out popping many other of the so called faces on Raw.

Do you think creative had always planned this face turn for Orton? or did they stumble upon it whilst trying to make him even more heelish?

I've discussed this a number of times. It was clear that it was coming which is one of the reasons for the Orton/Kingston feud being ended early; if you were listening you'd have heard a lot of audible boos for Kofi during that time because the fans had made their choice. It also led to the Edge heel turn following the Jericho feud imo, I'm pretty sure that was meant to be the other way round.

 

[irishboy109]

It all started way back when the feud with the McMahon family began. The McMahons are not faces in any way, shape or form, so of course a wrestler "taking it to them" would get major pops.

The pops that started as a result of the McMahon feud carried through his lengthy feud with Cena (no surprise there) which culminated in the fans turning him face.

 

[Noel]

To be honest Creative always planned it. Cena and Orton are built after The Rock and Austin respectively, that's clear for anyone who has seen all 4 superstars over the years (although not so much the first).

Orton although in my opinion has nothing on Austin, is able to do what Austin did in the sense of that he can do bad things, almost heelish things, insult people willy-nilly, RKO basically whoever he wants (on the subject of the RKO, similarities can be made with the Stunner) yet still get face pops for it. The live crowds don't like a heel, but they do love a badass, which is why Austin (and now Orton) are so successful. I expect to have this Orton for years to come.

 

[yoseftigger]

Alright folks, now I know a lot of people on this forum are critical of the reasons behind Randy Orton's face turn, but I feel it was a complete and utter accident.

As we all saw, the weeks and months before Wrestlemania 26, it was clear that they had given up on the Legacy and that no matter what happened, they were going to split the group up.

Towards the end of last year, we saw Ted Dibiase and Cody Rhodes being 'bullied' by Orton, and Orton was clearly the leader and acting in very much a heelish way. The writers were trying there best to have the crowd be sympathetic towards Rhodes and more specifically Dibiase (remember the Raw when he was in a match with Orton and was ordered to stand and take a beating).

This line of thought clearly backfired when the writers seen how little sympathy we had for Rhodes and Dibiase, and that, ironically Orton was out popping many other of the so called faces on Raw.

Do you think creative had always planned this face turn for Orton? or did they stumble upon it whilst trying to make him even more heelish?

No

Is this thread-worthy?

 

[the_ghost]

No

Is this thread-worthy?

no need to be a spoil sport, I think you'll find that it is thread worthy, and a discussion has been contiuned by fellow forum users.
If you don't like the thread, then don't post in it.

 

[DR JUPES]

I've discussed this a number of times. It was clear that it was coming which is one of the reasons for the Orton/Kingston feud being ended early; if you were listening you'd have heard a lot of audible boos for Kofi during that time because the fans had made their choice. It also led to the Edge heel turn following the Jericho feud imo, I'm pretty sure that was meant to be the other way round.

In that feud, strictly speaking, Kofi was the heel. He started it off, he attacked Orton out of nowhere, broke his newly bought car.

The point about Cody as made before, he had the same experience as DiBiase, hinting the face turn but in the end staying loyal. He was never, like Ted, going to turn heel and it was all a show of loyalty to Orton.

 

[DahStoryTella]

The crowd was entirely behind Cody one raw where Orton had just taken out Dusty.

But VINTAGE booking dragged it out too long and it was lost.

Haha. I remember thinking ''This could make Cody Rhodes into a Main Event star, immediately.''

 

[NJ88]

Agree with the OP, I think it was an accident.

I thought it was clear coming up to the Legacy breakup that they wanted Cody/Ted to be the faces. It worked well when they teased it too, with the Ted/Orton match the crowd got right behind Dibiase, and the Dusty stuff with Orton RKOing him got the crowd right behind Cody. I remember the show going off air with massive 'Cody' chants going up. But they didn't follow through with it, if they did, it might have turned out differently. If they played out situations like I just mentioned regulary after they just happened, the crowd wouuld have become favorable towards Cody/Ted like they were starting to do when they teased it.

Instead they didn't bother. Cody/Ted continued to play Orton's lackeys and the tension or face teases were forgotten to a point to where the crowd didn't care and Orton's actions (especially with Kofi) got him more over with the fans and when the breakup came, they wouldn't route against Orton, meaning that by default Cody and Ted were the heels. It then took off until we are where we are now, with Orton being one of the most over face main evneters in the company.

 

[Natsuke]

It was definitely an accident in my book. Randy was the top heel last year, and I doubt that creative would ever have taken a chance to turn Orton face just by their decision alone.

My impression is that Orton's face turn was during the Legacy breakdown. I believe that it was originally supposed to be Cody and Ted going face, continuing the predictable path of the young guns in a heel stable always going over the veterans and turning face. But the way creative booked the breakdown was stupid. They cost Orton, a heel, important matches and, if I recall, a championship match/opportunity. Then continued to screw Orton in a way that the crowd began to sympathize with Orton, and Orton's character reacted with the crowd's own thoughts, and proceeded to beat the living shit out of Ted and Cody.

THEN, creative began to book Ted and Cody scheming how to screw Orton, and this time the crowd didn't accept the young guns going over the veteran, and cheered Orton fully. Thus, Orton became face.

In my opinion, this accident was for the better. Orton is a popular WWE Champion, and Cody now has a memorable gimmick.

For Ted, however...

 

[IJ]

Yeah, I see this reason also, I think he's acting just as serious as he used to, and it was an accident in my eyes.

 

[optikk sucks]

Yeah, I see this reason also, I think he's acting just as serious as he used to, and it was an accident in my eyes.

He's completely neutered as a face. How can you say that he's acting just as seriously? He tried to kill Cena. Now's he's all smiles. Completely different Orton.

I would say that he was eventually gonna turn face anyway. He was getting some mixed pops early last year. They were stupid to put him against Sheamus if they didnt wanna turn him face.WWE probably just went with it.

 

[IJ]

He's completely neutered as a face. How can you say that he's acting just as seriously? He tried to kill Cena. Now's he's all smiles. Completely different Orton.

I would say that he was eventually gonna turn face anyway. He was getting some mixed pops early last year. They were stupid to put him against Sheamus if they didnt wanna turn him face.WWE probably just went with it.

I mean his tone of voice and stuff. When he was talking with R Truth about how Cena has no friends...?

 

[21 - 1]

The cutoff fooled me into thinking this was going to be an hilarious thread containing pictures of Randy Orton's 'accidental face'.

 

[Smoogle]

It's funny at the time of Orton being a Heel literally anyone he went against that was kind of a fresh face would instantly get a massive crowd reaction and pop and instead at the end the fans were like fuck it they won't turn anyone who faces him a success so lets just cheer for him

 

[DesolationRow]

In that feud, strictly speaking, Kofi was the heel. He started it off, he attacked Orton out of nowhere, broke his newly bought car.

I could've sworn Randy Orton practically tried to maim Kofi earlier in that evening by throwing him off the stage--merely for making it a one-on-one contest in the Iron Man Match between Orton and Cena the previous night after Kofi chased DiBiase and Rhodes away with a chair (which followed Cody blaming Kofi backstage for losing to Team Smackdown because Big Show happened to Chokeslam Kofi when Big Show turned on Team Raw).

Orton was definitely the heel in that feud. It was his last feud as a heel.

As far as whether or not the Orton face turn was an accident or not, I think we have to remember the dirtsheet reports circulating in early January. The writers knew they wanted to have the Legacy blowoff to happen at Wrestlemania, which had been obvious for months beforehand. But there was strong disagreement whether to go ahead with Plan A and have DiBiase be turned face against Orton (and probably Rhodes), or go with Plan B due to the fans clearly cheering for Orton much of the time in the previous year anyway despite being a heel, and turn Orton face. There was an argument that raged for a week or so within WWE creative, with many people split on the issue.

Well, judging by the very next few weeks, they made their choice and it was to turn Orton face. Everything--from having Orton have a mini-feud with fellow heel Sheamus, to Legacy blundering in costing Orton the match against Sheamus at the Royal Rumble, to DiBiase turning on Orton at Elimination Chamber, to DiBiase and Rhodes scheming to turn on Orton only for Orton to be aware of the plan and attack them instead during the Raw the night after Elimination Chamber to the Legacy duo beating Orton up while Sheamus beat up Triple H, therefore equating face Triple H and newly-turned Orton with one another against "the young guns" as Michael Cole called them, i.e. hungry heels--from January 11 through Wrestlemania was designed to turn Orton face. It perhaps started as an accident as an idea, due to the fans going with Orton, but the turn itself was meticulously crafted and planned sometime in early winter.

 

[Evo]

I wouldn't call Orton's face turn accidental, but I certainly would call it unfortunate.

WWE stepped on quite a few people to make it happen, and it hasn't helped Orton at all. WWE attempted to fix what wasn't broken, and it was a poor, poor decision.

 

[Gingermadman]

Haha. I remember thinking ''This could make Cody Rhodes into a Main Event star, immediately.''

That is pretty much what would of happened. Same with the reaction Kofi got in the first couple weeks with Orton.

So instead of two new faces in the main event, we get another awful Orton face run.