By Richard Gardner, Torch specialist

Sunday, the 25th of January 2009. Triple H was one of four men left in the ring at the end of the Royal Rumble. The other three were members of Legacy: Randy Orton along with Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes. Triple H, used to conquering unfavorable odds, dispatched the junior members of the group with ease. However, this gave Orton the opportunity to eliminate Triple H, and win his first Royal Rumble.

The crowd erupted, clearly pleased with the result. Fireworks exploded, as he stood on the top rope and pointed at the WrestleMania 25 logo hanging from the ceiling. Randy Orton had become the WWE's top babyface. There was one problem though: Orton was supposed to be a heel.

Over the last few months, Randy Orton has dominated WWE television, even during a time when he was not medically cleared to wrestle. We have seen him battle Kane, attack the unpopular John Cena, reject Kelly Kelly, insult Stephanie McMahon, outwit Manu and Sim Snuka, and stand up to Vince McMahon. Taking all of the above into consideration, is it any surprise that the fans have got behind him?

Unfortunately, as we have already seen with John Cena, if the fans are reacting in the opposite way that the creative team intends, WWE is unwilling to change direction. It seems like an eternity since Steve Austin was turned hero on the basis of the positive reaction he was getting from the fans. As a result of the positive reaction that Orton has been getting, the WWE did their best to make him their number one heel again on Monday night.

Raw began with Randy Orton in the ring with Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase, his lawyer, and his therapist. He claimed that his attack on Vince McMahon was the result of a condition known as Intermittent Explosive Disorder, and that the WWE were aware of this. The Randy Orton that stood up to the boss a week earlier was gone, replaced a cowardly heel who threatened the WWE with legal action if he did not get his own way. The worst was yet to come.

In the closing segment of Raw, Stephanie McMahon confronted Orton and his entourage in the ring. Orton hid behind his lawyer, who ended up being backed down by Stephanie. Next, Stephanie McMahon went nose to nose with Randy Orton, showing no fear of the man who is supposedly the WWE's top heel. Orton began demanding that Stephanie fire him so that he could take out an injunction to stop WrestleMania.

This led to the rest of the WWE roster appearing on the ramp, as Orton talked about how he was willing to force the cancellation of the most important wrestling event of the year. Stephanie, still showing no trepidation about confronting Orton and his stable, said that she had other plans. Still, the worst was yet to come.

Shane McMahon appeared on the ramp, looking as though Big Daddy V had been his gym buddy for the past year and a half. Despite not wrestling sine 2007, McMahon had no qualms about taking on all three members of Legacy. Twenty-four hours after winning the Royal Rumble, Randy Orton was selling for the Executive Vice President of WWE Global Media. As McMahon threw punches that wouldn't break an egg, Orton reacted as though he was suffering an assault from an angry Wladimir Klitschko. This was self-indulgent television at its absolute worst.

It's difficult to judge exactly what WWE was trying to achieve by booking the beat down of Randy Orton, one day removed from his Royal Rumble victory. The McMahons rarely wrestle, yet are presented as the real stars of the WWE, with angles booked to placate their egos. Randy Orton hasn't been made to look this weak since Vince McMahon mocked his loss of muscle on a live Raw broadcast several years ago.

The twenty-fifth WrestleMania will now be marketed on the basis of a wrestler, who was beaten up by a 39 year-old executive, challenging for the title. WWE has really shot themselves in the foot this time.

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