Tommy Platinum

Before we begin, I'm not just talking about the way he's booked here. Yes we all know he is badly booked and is basically Triple H's bitch every time they feud, which seems to be every year, and he never looks credible as WWE Champion. However, I'm not talking about booking here, I'm talking about his character, his mic skills, his ring skills, basically Orton himself and his abilities.

So... during the Age of Orton everybody was saying what an epic heel Orton was, and this continued through the build to Wrestlemania, with Orton doing non-PG things such as attacking women and punting old men to stand out in this PG era. I among others have been praising his mic skills and some of his matches over the last few years, but it seems now that he really has just become boring. His "viper" character is played out and has become repetitive. He seemingly always cuts the same promos, and most importantly, he rarely if ever produces anything notable in the ring. Yes he is always booked against the same guys and this doesn't help, but its more to do with his wrestling style. The whole viper gimmick gives him an excuse to work at a snail's pace. The commentators call it "calculating" and "methodical", I call it boring. He's waaayy too slow nowadays, and it definitely takes away from his matches.

Between his repetitive promos, his stale character and his sluggish ring work... is Orton...BORING AS HELL?

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TheUnforgivableOne

I like Orton, but he was probably my favorite until the gimmick change, the cocky asshole Orton was the best.

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Tommy Platinum

Couldn't agree more. He was a natural in that role, because by all accounts he really is a cock. He was brilliant as the arrogant dick who didn't take anything seriously but at the same time said some ridiculously offensive things. I miss the cocky Orton smile, as he had a face you wanted to punch. The cold, calculating, vicious viper Orton was entertaining at first, but it's been proved that the gimmick never had too much longetivity I'd say. He was far more entertaining as the cocky dick.

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Sir Nicky Talent

Well, he's been playing the same character his whole career, even if it's seen as a different gimmick. He's sneaky, he's agressive, and he's angry. It's hard to renew yourself when you can't adapt a personality to a gimmick.

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TheUnforgivableOne

I loved when he turned heel again. The feud with Taker was one of the most entertaining things of 2005, and I felt that he was very entertaining in the lead-up to WM22 with the "He's in hell" thing.

Now, however, I find him boring, bland, and uninteresting. You could say that the "Viper" was the worst thing to ever happen to his career. (Other than trashing the hotel rooms, of course.)

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Tommy Platinum

I'd say the cocky asshole gimmick and the remorseless, sadistic "viper" gimmick are two very different things, so he's hardly been playing the same character his whole career.

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Crest Fall

I think the whole sadistic VIPER~! makes him look like more like a serial rapist than the sickfuck they're trying to cram down our throats. I didn't really care for him as a cocky wrestler either though, so I don't particularly mind the Viper gimmick. It's the booking I hate. Firstly, because he's wrestling the same mofos every week, and secondly, he has little room to be entertaining. I get that he's calculating and METHODICAL~! but that's no excuse for making him boring as fuck.

I do like how he wrestles nowadays though. I know a lot of people crap on his headlocks and whatnot, but he makes them look really good. His stomps and knee drops are sick as well.

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The Brain

I actually still enjoy the serious, sociopath version of Orton. I just feel like the gimmick is being limited a bit by booking. Before his angle with the McMahons started, people were complaining about how boring he was. When that angle started up, people were raving about how fucking awesome Raw was because of that angle. When the angle died, people started calling him boring again. It's not a coincidence, imo.

As far as his ring style, I enjoy that as well when he doesn't go overboard on the CHINLOCK OF DOOM~! I like the methodical style, as it brings some built in psychology to any match. No matter who he's facing, you know he wants to incapacitate them to the point that he can just dissect them at his leisure. Some people find that boring, though, and I can see why. I find it entertaining when it's done right, and with the right opponent.

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Y 2 Jake

The only time Orton hasn't bored me was for about 6 months in late 2003 to mid 2004. He's basically the same as he's always been as a heel. He's slow and methodical, just like Undertaker used to be. But without the size or gimmick to pull it off.

Orton always has good matches, but he hardly ever has great ones. Which is terrible for somebody who's been pushed as hard as he has over the years.

He's pedestrain.

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Bigpapa42

Orton's current character is the kind of character that seems limited by the PG product. It just seems like he could be doing a lot more sadistic, heartless stuff than the occasional punt. It also doesn't help that he's not booked particularly strong - it takes a bit away from the character in my mind.

His slow approach in the ring is gradually coming to annoy me as well. He seems to move like a 300-pounder from the 80s.

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