By Chris Newth, PWTorch contributor

We've now reached the final stages of the first phase of the Orton-Triple H main event storyline. Their rivalry has now been left to culminate at the 25th anniversary of WrestleMania. So, how did WWE do?

First let's evaluate what happened this week:

-A video package showed the standard promotional breakdown of the storyline.

-Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase cut a brief promo in the locker room to discuss how Randy Orton's upcoming WrestleMania Address will be big.

-And in the final segment of the show, Randy Orton cut an extensive promo before he was met by the opposition—Mr. McMahon, Shane McMahon, and Triple H.

In Orton's promo, he provided a detailed recap of his history with the Game, stretching all the way back to the Evolution days when Triple H unceremoniously turned on Orton after he had won the World Heavyweight Championship. Orton noted how his anger and frustration with Triple H stemmed from that event years ago. Okay, that's something people can buy. But then Orton said that ever since he's been planning some elaborate comeuppance after finding suitable henchmen so that he could defeat Triple H with numbers.

That was the first flaw in his well-delivered speech. If this were actually the case, Orton would have started the search for a faction sooner. One year after the incident? Maybe. Two years? WWE's stretching it. More than three years? It's just not believable. That isn't to say that Orton isn't willing to use the numbers he's obtained—namely Cody and Ted—to work against Triple H, but his search for the perfect Legacy members was not the result of a plan that reaches back years ago.

Orton then talked about how he won the Royal Rumble and chose to face Triple H for the WWE Title at WrestleMania. In and of itself, that statement is correct, but it's disingenuous. Anyone who can remember back to the start of this feud will recall that Orton wasn't interested in facing Triple H for any kind of revenge. In fact, he had to be convinced not to choose Edge's World Heavyweight Title. That was the awkward week where Triple H went from angrily pursuing Randy Orton to calmly coaxing Orton to agree to the WrestleMania matchup. Another bump in the congruity of this promo.

The other pretty big change was the 180 Orton pulled regarding his supposed mental condition, IED. At one point in the promo, Orton mentioned what I talked about last week in this column: he said that he knowingly attacked the McMahons and that IED had nothing to do with it. The denial covers the error, but it does so pretty sloppily.

However, outshining the multiple errors in Orton's promo lied the best aspect of all—the one that Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase alluded to earlier in the night when they noted how sweeping the change would be in WWE when Orton wins the WWE Title at WrestleMania. Orton also addressed this in his speech, claiming that when he wins the title at this Sunday's huge PPV event, WWE will experience a dramatic shift in power.

In total, this storyline's setup was strong, but it's week-to-week progress could have been crafted much more solidly. The constant aggression and success Triple H showed for most of their rivalry shut down a lot of Orton's heel power. However, the emotional element was delivered in full force, and the incorporation of the McMahons was handled very well. The storyline had its clear flaws as every rivalry does, but it remained entertaining and compelling on most weeks. Its weakest link lied in the tiny factual errors and changes that dented the integrity of the feud at certain points, as addressed above in Orton's promo this week. But overall, this storyline has laid a decent foundation onto which WWE can now continue with the Orton-Triple H saga post-Mania.

What would I do from here? Well, the WrestleMania bout is always an issue, especially considering this year's historic anniversary. Both men deserve to win, but there's probably a greater upside to an Orton victory. If he manages to walk out of Houston with the WWE Title, WWE can make some big changes that it may be pursuing, particularly regarding Orton's on-air character. Orton's influential force as a heel would be tremendous; the prospect of him as WWE's strongest heel coupled with his possession of the WWE Title is a promising one.

Also, Triple H has retained the title for a relatively long stretch of time, and he needs to lose it before he can add another title reign to his name down the line. It might work better for the both of them. If Triple H wins, he'd slightly enhance his position as one of, if not the top babyface in WWE. He's already solidified his in-ring reputation, so a win at WrestleMania, although beneficial to anyone, would help his character less than it would Orton's. And it's also imperative to consider the fact that a loss for Orton would hurt his steam as a heel considerably. If WWE wanted to continue Orton's feud against Triple H and the McMahon's post-WrestleMania, it might be in everyone's best interest to let the strongest heel on the WWE roster win the title and wield greater power.



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

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