By Chris Newth, PWTorch contributor

WWE has slowly forged an exciting main event for WrestleMania 25 between its key heel, Randy Orton, and its veteran babyface star, Triple H. Over the course of a couple of months, the storyline spiked intrigue as the feud ramped up its momentum with both emotion and title prestige—although the title has admittedly been largely relegated to the background of this rivalry.

This week's events, although captivating and entertaining, lacked something. The reason is actually quite simple, and I'll get to that presently. First let's discuss exactly what went down:

Todd Grisham put a microphone in front of Randy Orton, which led to a promo about how he was anything but cowardly. In fact, Orton promised to break news on Raw by doing something that would make his previous attacks on Triple H's family pale in comparison.

That something turned out to be a three-on-one beat-down by the Legacy faction on Triple H. Orton and his cronies eventually handcuffed the Game to the top rope as they continued the assault. Orton then threatened to slug Triple H in the skull with a sledgehammer, which brought Stephanie McMahon to the ring. She pleaded with Orton, imploring him to put the weapon down. However, she soon found herself trapped.

Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase had her cornered, enabling Randy Orton to grab her through the second and top rope—the perfect set-up for his vicious DDT. After milking the moment as Triple H screamed for his wife, Orton brought Stephanie's head crashing to the mat, seemingly breaking Triple H from the inside. There was a long pause as the Game held his head down; he was clearly emotional as a wave of anger, frustration, and sadness came over him.

Orton rubbed salt in the proverbial wound by kissing Stephanie's lips as she unconsciously lay on the mat while Triple H helplessly watched. Orton used the opportunity to knock Triple H unconscious with the sledgehammer and close the show with both of them lying motionlessly in the ring.

So, what went wrong? The answer, in its simplest form, is repetition. WWE tried to use an attack on Stephanie by Randy Orton again after that type of event had already been used to ignite the Orton-Triple H feud in the first place. If Stephanie had been used more often, this week may have been more effective, but because of her lack of presence, this week made it seem like whenever she shows up, Orton will attack her. It was powerful the first time, and WWE intended to generate an increased emotional element this time. However, repetition may have tempered the strength of the segment as a whole.

The other problem with this week's events lied in Orton's promo. I want to get this line exact, so allow me to quote Legacy's leader. Orton: "And I'm the one that put my hands on Stephanie McMahon knowing full well who she was married to." Doesn't this fly in the face of the explanation that WWE has given viewers for months regarding Randy Orton's psychological condition? IED, or Intermittent Explosive Disorder, was described by Orton as a disorder that temporarily prevents him from knowingly doing anything; it puts him in a mindset where he lashes out violently and uncontrollably. One of the only reasons for his getting away with giving Stephanie an RKO was that he didn't know what he was doing; his condition allowed him to strike without being able to control himself. However, his promo this week seems to be either a writing error or a poor adlib that compromises the integrity of his character's ailment.

Overall, WWE didn't make a complete misstep per se, but their choice of events in the storyline could have been better configured to allow the rivalry to flourish to a new narrative level using fresh ideas akin to what happened last week with Triple H's use of the steel cage. On the bright side, the momentum pendulum has clearly swung in Orton's direction after weeks of being in Triple H's court, and that's what the storyline needed. Let's see if WWE can rebound Monday night on Raw and present a fully-fueled, intense, and compelling continuation to this storyline.



Comments? Suggestions? Thoughts on the storyline? Feel free to email me at newthtorch@hotmail.com

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