Bang For Your Buck PPV Review: Extreme Rules 2013

“Extreme Rules” Match: Randy Orton vs. Big Show

“Serial Killer” Randy Orton is perhaps my favorite run ever, but ever since turning face after his split with Legacy, his in-ring and character work has been lacking a certain “looking like he gives a shit about it at all”.

This problem is exacerbated when you put him in a match with a guy like the Big Show. Show needs to be as safe as possible (because he can break people’s faces with a single punch). Orton has a huge weakness regarding certain aspects of face-dom (where you make your “playing to the crowd” gestures look less like you are begging and more like you are tapping into a potential energy source). This creates a situation where Orton — who is himself an ENORMOUS man — never really looks like he is in danger, and like he is begging the crowd to get behind him. Even in his hometown, it comes off as contrived.

AND THEN HE DID EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED HIM TO DO. As I said last night, my dream for this match was the following:

What Nick Wants to Happen: Randy Orton punts Big Show so hard that he and Show switch bodies Freaky Friday style. (Heel Orton > Face Orton w/ The Punt as the line of demarcation between the two)

I will not say I enjoyed this match just because of that. The entire time it felt like Orton was wrestling around Big Show not with him, which is never going to be something I’m excited to see. But it did prevent it from being the first match I gave a negative review to. So that counts for something.

Match: +/- 0

PPV Total: 2

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1 Comment

  1. […] those who missed the Extreme Rules PPV review, or forgot because I spent last month reviewing Payback for With Leather (sorry for the […]

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