Randy Orton is exactly the SummerSlam opponent Kofi Kingston needs right now.
Yes, Orton being thrown back into the main-event picture can feel like WWE just giving opportunities to the same old guys. Orton is a 13-time world champion and he was in the main event of WrestleMania five years ago and beat Bray Wyatt for the WWE championship two years ago. But putting Kingston across from him is the perfect time to let the Viper loose again in a meaningful way.
It allows one of your best talents to be more than the guy who RKOs people out of nowhere for the crowd pop and wrestles mid-card matches. It also gives Kingston a chance to face an opponent who can add much-needed legitimacy to his title reign.
Beating the unappreciated Dolph Ziggler and the terribly booked Samoa Joe just doesn’t cut it at this point. Orton, because of the RKO and WWE’s perceived favoritism to him, makes him a true threat to beat Kingston for the championship at SummerSlam. While it might not happen, it wouldn’t be a shock it he did.
The most important thing is the match has a decade-long backstory that WWE laid out beautifully for us on “SmackDown Live” last week. Orton admitted to holding Kingston back after their Raw match in 2009 and said the champ was not ready to hold the belt right now. It is a natural fit for Kingston to want to or need to beat someone like Orton, who has seemingly always been on top as Kingston was scratching and clawing.
Orton even staked claim to being responsible for sparking Kingston’s recent run to the top by injuring Ali (he didn’t go as far as to ask for a thank you like Chris Jericho would) and giving the now champ the chance to be in the Elimination Chamber match. Orton trashing Kingston’s New Day antics, old fake Jamaican accent and pancake-throwing ways is believable since the third-generation star only looks like he’s having fun when hurting someone.
It’s all layers and layers of story Kingston hasn’t had since beating Daniel Bryan for the title at WrestleMania 35.
This feud wasn’t sparked by an attack from behind like Ziggler and Joe. Last Tuesday was Orton looking Kingston square in the face and telling him you have me to thank for finally becoming WWE champion and I’m going to prove you’re not any different now than you were a decade ago.
That’s pretty powerful stuff compared to what we are used to from WWE. Kingston, like he did with Bryan, gives WWE a chance to tell some amazing stories. There is still one with Ali or maybe even Big E to be told in the future.
After some so-so feuds, it’s good to see WWE isn’t wasting this opportunity. While we may want to see new talent get a shot at a top-of-the card match, Orton is the right opponent for Kingston at SummerSlam.
