So I am currently watching Summerslam 2004, and have been watching PPV's chronoligally at work from 2002 onwards since I have a lot of free time here (government - go figure), and I couldn't help but notice one thing - Randy Orton was AMAZING! I remember being a big fan of his, but after watching now while knowing what he has become today, I realized how good he used to be.
I see there are many people who like Orton a lot, or dislike him a lot. So my question to you is: Which Randy Orton were you a fan of more, and which one is better in your opinion?
This is how I compare both:
2004 Randy Orton:
- 100 times more charismatic than the current Randy Orton
- Physique was actually nicer/better in 2004 - he was built bigger than he is now for some reason
- His move arsenal was a LOT better than today's as well as more diverse, and did a lot more moves
- Personality/swagger on the mic was incredibly good
- Was very over with the fans
- Young and cocky character was very successful and put him over
Current Randy Orton:
- Seems like he doesn't care on the Mic at times and is bored with his job
- Move arsenal is very limited and does exactly the same thing every match
- No more personality/swagger on the mic, and his smoker voice where he sounds stuffed up all the time makes it much worse to listen to
- Over with the girls, and not so much the men
- The "voices inside his head" and borderline crazy gimmick went a little over the top
- VERY stale character
In conclusion, the 2004 Randy Orton was not only extremely promising in that he could become a huge star (even bigger than he is today), but 2004 Randy was actually even better than today's Randy Orton in EVERY category I can think of. And to say "every younger form of a wrestler is better a la: Rock" holds no weight in this argument because Randy is in his "prime age" and hasn't been plagued by severe injuries.
Thoughts?