By Chris Newth, PWTorch contributor

Well, WrestleMania has now officially been relegated to the history books as WWE shifts its focus to their annual Backlash PPV, which generally consists of WrestleMania storyline backwash. However, follow-up is always a plus, and it would be far too convenient if all feuds ended so decisively every year on WWE's biggest night of the year. Backlash is indeed necessary.

The premise of this column is to fully discuss, dissect, analyze, and comment on one WWE feud in between each WWE pay-per-view. However, ideas about which storyline to cover next would be very helpful and happily appreciated. If you have a preference and would like to see a particular rivalry broken down each week on PWTorch.com, just shoot me an email at newthtorch@hotmail.com.

It might be impractical to focus on a small feud like an impending Santino-Khali program, but if the storyline has some weight, it would certainly be up for consideration. Because Backlash is quickly approaching, I'm looking ahead and will cover the next feud from Backlash to Judgment Day. There's a bevy of options to choose from: Cena-Edge, Swagger-Christian, the next CM Punk or Rey Mysterio or Evan Bourne rivalry, etc. I'd prefer to shift my attention to Smackdown or ECW since the Orton-Triple H storyline headlined Raw during the few months leading to WrestleMania, but any feud on any brand is eligible.

As for this article, let me just wrap up my discussion of Orton-Triple H. The rivalry started off with a bang, and WWE flavored the story with some decent action and some intense personal emotion. I've already noted the strengths and weaknesses of the feud in previous columns, so let me just review what has happened since WrestleMania. Randy Orton lost the big match, which did very little for anybody involved beyond solidifying Triple H as an even stronger babyface component on Raw.

And now the storyline has morphed into a Legacy versus all the McMahons plus Batista feud. The strangest part about all of this is how much Randy Orton's credibility has deteriorated over the past few weeks. Not only did he appear weak and cowardly during most of the weeks leading up to WrestleMania as he ran from a stalking Triple H. Not only did he lose his WM matchup against The Game and fail to obtain the WWE Title after some big talk. Not only had his faction members been beaten, battered, and embarrassed throughout the entirety of this rivalry. But now Randy Orton has been pitted against Triple H, Shane McMahon, and Batista in the scheduled Backlash main event.

Most viewers likely assume that Triple H can probably defeat Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase handily. They also know he can beat Randy Orton without much question. So with that perception in mind, this featured tag team match pitting Legacy against Triple H and Batista and Shane McMahon seems obscenely unbalanced. Triple H and Batista are main eventers, and Shane McMahon is the pugnacious McMahon who attempts crazy stunts on PPV that generally work well for him.

With all of this in context, Randy Orton is the undeniable underdog in this upcoming contest, at least in the minds of many viewers.

And it doesn't matter whether WWE starts pushing Rhodes and DiBiase before Backlash; there's no time left to frantically elevate them to main event status. Perception is grown over time, as are strong characters. Although Legacy has some really robust potential, nobody's going to see them as a threat in Backlash's main event when Triple H and Batista are standing on the opposite side of the ring. Hell, a three-on-two Handicap match would probably still favor the babyface side of the equation.

Let's face it. Orton's loss at WrestleMania certainly dented his effectiveness and undoubtedly shook his once red-hot momentum. And after WWE's grandest spectacle of the year, their star heel on Raw—and in the company as a whole—has been relegated to an unthreatening underdog who might be able to win the WWE Title at Backlash if he gets lucky.

As many people understand, the stronger the heel is, the stronger their babyface opponent is going to be. That's how it works in movies, and that's how it works in WWE. Why was batman elevated in The Dark Knight? Because the filmmakers created an evil force in the character of the Joker who was so monumentally powerful that he tested the hero on every level; the intensity of the opposition was so great that the hero nearly cracked and failed. But in the end, heroes grow stronger when they ultimately defeat a colossal threat.

In this case, hints were given regarding Orton's power as the biggest heel in WWE. On certain weeks, he was threatening, but most of the time, Triple H got the better of him. The Game was constantly outsmarting him, chasing him through the halls, and breaking into his home. Randy Orton was forced into playing defense, which doesn't add credibility to a heel character. In the end, Triple H got the victory, but he didn't look like he garnered a lot of power from the feud; he already had it, and he was facing somebody that viewers' knew he could beat.

At the moment, malicious forces (like Randy Orton) can merely get under Triple H's skin. To extend the superhero metaphor, Raw is safe from crime because no force can possibly overcome the giant babyface protectors on the show: Triple H, John Cena, Batista, and Shawn Michaels. WWE has always done a magnificent job cultivating powerful babyface characters. But in the perception of many fans, those good forces have no equal counterforce.

Heels have just not been able to obtain a high level of success, which means significant threats don't emerge and stakes aren't raised to a level beneficial to everyone. Strong heels—perhaps overly strong in their ability to win championships, to influence people around them, to make decisions on the show—need to be seen as characters who will ultimately strengthen the babyfaces around them. Randy Orton seemed to be on the verge of doing just that, but the proverbial carpet was quickly pulled out from under him, and his threat level has dissipated to dismal lows.



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

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