Randy Orton Reveals Why He Was Chosen To Be Edge's First Opponent Following Return

TheSportster

By Alex Hoegler

Published Aug 25, 2020

WWE had a good reason to make Orton Edge's first opponent following the latter's return to the ring.

WWE Hall of Famer Edge made an unforgettable return at the Royal Rumble 2020 pay-per-view, taking part in his first match since retiring nine years ago.

On the following day's episode of Monday Night Raw, Randy Orton appeared and teased a Rated-RKO reunion with Edge. However, the Viper spoiled the mood by viciously attacking Edge with a steel chair, which kept him off of television for a brief period.

This set up a Last Man Standing match at WrestleMania 36, with the Rated-R Superstar emerging victorious in a thrilling back-and-forth affair.

There was no shortage of intriguing options to choose from when it came to Edge's first feud and opponent following his return. So why did WWE choose his former tag team partner?

In an interview with Stephanie Chase of Digital Spy, Orton explained that he was picked as Edge's opponent because the latter needed somebody that could work safely with him in the ring; the 46-year-old Edge had to initially retire in 2011 due to a serious neck injury.

"It's a dance, there's an art to it, but it's also a brutal contest between two individuals," Orton said. "There's a line where you can kick a guy so hard in the stomach that it looks like you killed him and with the right selling technique it looks like you killed them. But you don't have to really kick him in the stomach. There's an art to it.

"Edge knew I wasn't one of those guys that was going to kick him in the stomach, if that makes sense. Maybe I should be using his neck as the body part reference. But he had the neck surgery and he knew that I would do what I had to do to work around the possibility that his neck might not be ready for ring action."

Not only that, but Orton revealed that Edge was the wrestler who showed him how to be a safe performer. More specifically, Orton said Edge taught him "how to prioritise when you're in the ring," and "to have a good match but to stay safe."

Less than three months after their WrestleMania showdown, Orton and Edge had a rematch at Backlash. The bout, hyped as "The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever," saw Orton defeat Edge via pinfall to even the score.

Edge unfortunately suffered a torn triceps injury during the match, keeping him out of action long-term. It's widely expected that the two will take part in a third match when Edge returns.

Orton Was The Perfect Choice

The Edge-Orton feud has been nothing short of brilliant thus far. The two superstars put on a pair of thrilling matches, and the next one shouldn't disappoint in the slightest. Orton was the perfect opponent for Edge following the latter's return. And the program between these two helped Orton enjoy a major surge to the top of the main event scene again. We cannot wait to see what happens next time these two come face-to-face in the ring.

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