WWE News and Updates 2016: What's Next for Randy Orton vs Bray Wyatt? Feud Goes Beyond Backlash 2016
Backlash 2016 was an event full of surprises—one of the best pay-per-views in recent memory, one that makes up for the frustrating SummerSlam 2016. A lot of superstars got what they needed from the bookers, especially those who really needed to break out.
Becky Lynch and AJ Styles each won titles to climb to the top of a small yet star-studded SmackDown roster. Heath Slater finally has a contract. Dolph Ziggler and The Miz made the Intercontinental Title great again. All was well, until Bray Wyatt happened.
Wyatt lost to Kane in a surprise bout when Orton was pulled out of the match earlier that night. The result was not only weird, but it endangers the progress of The Eater of Worlds and The Viper as well.
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Bad booking
Orton was kayfabe attacked and injured by Wyatt before the event, but The Viper was reportedly not cleared to compete anyway. He had not wrestled since his match against Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam, where Lesnar cut his head open.
That said, the whole fiasco should not have happened in the first place. Both men were desperate for a win, and pitting them against each other is detrimental. Orton needed to avenge himself from a brutal loss to Lesnar. Wyatt, meanwhile, had been irrelevant throughout his career.
The Eater of Worlds' creepy promos do not scare anyone anymore, as Wyatt suffered loss after loss at every single pay-per-view match. This time, he lost to Kane, who did not even need a push at this point.
Wyatt did win the match vs Orton by default since the latter could not enter the ring before a 10-count. However, a surprise opponent, Kane, was pitted against Wyatt. Near the end of the match, Orton emerged, landed the RKO on Wyatt, and Kane ended the match with a chokeslam.
Progress
The gimmick might have hit a rough patch, but it can still go on. Wyatt and Orton played a psychological game over the past few weeks on SmackDown Live, building up their feud toward Backlash. Thus, this might be just one chapter in a storied rivalry.
The lackluster results demand an altercation between the two on the next SmackDown, but Orton must recover from his injury in order for a real match to happen. Both guys do need a break from their predicaments in-ring. The feud is predicted to spill over to No Mercy in October.
