Post by The Senator on Jan 30, 2007 0:34:12 GMT -5
Ok, I think I do need to go on a mini-RKO rant here.
Orton is a goofy showoff. One of the places it shows the most is in his finisher. The RKO is one of the least credible finishers in WWE. But it doesn't have to be. The Ace Crusher has been, since Johnny Ace invented the move, a staple of modern wrestling, with the Stunner, Twist of Fate, and Diamond Cutter being perhaps the three most famous variants on the move. Orton's RKO could be up there with those two. Unfortunatly, he would rather look flashy than make his finisher look the way it should. The first mistake comes with the lengthy setups that he's increasingly used as of late. An Ace Crusher is best used as an "out of nowhere" move, typifyed by DDP's variant. Orton slithers along the mat, slowly rising up with the opponent...as if they can't tell that someone is standing right next to them. Next, perhaps the most obvious flaw in the RKO is the huge floaty leap that Randall executes to start the move. That's a big no-no, as it kills the move entirely. First, the hangtime gives the opponent time to think up a counter on the fly, make a cup of coffee(only Benoit can pull this off), take a deep breath, and then counter the move. With the Diamond Cutter or the Stunner, the opponent is not given the opportunity to stand up and straighten their back, as to avoid falling with the move. The RKO could be simply and easily countered by anyone who can resist the downward pull. The hangtime also defeats the quick impact that other variants have, making it look slow and weak, unless someone takes it *just* right. One last main point is that the move doesn't fit a heel of Orton's style and size very well. He likes to take an opponent down to the mat and break them down(and put the audience to sleep). The 3.0 backbreaker could work better, since it has impact, and could be set up with a standing sleeper. The gutwrench neckbreaker works on most opponents, and fits his size better. The rear naked choke might not have any more cred with him, but perhaps a scissored cobra clutch...nah, too complex...perhaps a dragon sleeper could fit Orton better.
Finally, TNT does the move, the gimmick, and the promos better.
Orton is a goofy showoff. One of the places it shows the most is in his finisher. The RKO is one of the least credible finishers in WWE. But it doesn't have to be. The Ace Crusher has been, since Johnny Ace invented the move, a staple of modern wrestling, with the Stunner, Twist of Fate, and Diamond Cutter being perhaps the three most famous variants on the move. Orton's RKO could be up there with those two. Unfortunatly, he would rather look flashy than make his finisher look the way it should. The first mistake comes with the lengthy setups that he's increasingly used as of late. An Ace Crusher is best used as an "out of nowhere" move, typifyed by DDP's variant. Orton slithers along the mat, slowly rising up with the opponent...as if they can't tell that someone is standing right next to them. Next, perhaps the most obvious flaw in the RKO is the huge floaty leap that Randall executes to start the move. That's a big no-no, as it kills the move entirely. First, the hangtime gives the opponent time to think up a counter on the fly, make a cup of coffee(only Benoit can pull this off), take a deep breath, and then counter the move. With the Diamond Cutter or the Stunner, the opponent is not given the opportunity to stand up and straighten their back, as to avoid falling with the move. The RKO could be simply and easily countered by anyone who can resist the downward pull. The hangtime also defeats the quick impact that other variants have, making it look slow and weak, unless someone takes it *just* right. One last main point is that the move doesn't fit a heel of Orton's style and size very well. He likes to take an opponent down to the mat and break them down(and put the audience to sleep). The 3.0 backbreaker could work better, since it has impact, and could be set up with a standing sleeper. The gutwrench neckbreaker works on most opponents, and fits his size better. The rear naked choke might not have any more cred with him, but perhaps a scissored cobra clutch...nah, too complex...perhaps a dragon sleeper could fit Orton better.
Finally, TNT does the move, the gimmick, and the promos better.