Yesterday, I wrote that Triple H's return to action on Monday Night RAW had me feeling a little less than furious.  On my way home from work today, whilst driving through traffic, I thought about what his return means for Randy Orton, and for the "vacated" WWE Heavyweight Championship.  Here are those thoughts...

I still dislike the fact that HHH has returned to television in this particular way.  To be frightfully honest, I expected HHH to do a run-in during an Orton/Batista championship match.  I hypothosized that HHH would interrupt the match and cost Batista his chance at the championship, thus creating a feud between Batista and Orton, which would leave Orton to either (a) face someone new and different, or (b) face Triple H and Batista in a Three-Way for his title.  With Batista needing surgery for a torn biceps, I guess that idea floats about as well as a lead balloon.  However, as fans we are now faced with yet another stale feud that has been done so many times before, and in my opinion (which you will hear quite often throughout this spiel), cannot be done any differently than it has already been done before.  For this program between HHH and Orton to be simply bad, it'd have to be revived with a defibrilator first.

Why am I so bent ouf of shape?  Well, let's do some backtracking, here:

It wasn't that long ago when Orton appeared fiendishly diabolical in his savage, calculated assault on members of the McMahon Family.  First, Randy takes out Vince McMahon.  Then, Shane McMahon, Stefffanie MchMahon, Shane McMahon, Stephanie again, Triple H, and then Shane for the final time.  In fact, Orton's dissection of the McMahon's was so well carried out, I believe we all figured that we'd never see any of them folks ever again.  I almost thought that the only time we'd see anyone get even with Orton would be after Aurora Rose faced Mae Young.

But, Triple H returns to television before that could even happen.

It seems the current trend on WWE television centers around ending long-standing feuds between several of the top-tier superstars.  For example: Edge has recently ended to epic rivalries: one with John Cena, the other with Jeff Hardy.  Even MVP has faced Matt Hardy a few times recently.  And believe it or not, Rey Mysterio has returned to a feud he was involved in with Chris Jericho from their days in WCW.  Having said that, we're not hard pressed to believe that another epic battle between HHH and Orton wasn't possible in the near future.  But that doesn't mean I, or the other fans, have to like it.

As much as I'd like to believe that we'd all like to see HHH v. Orton VIII, and as much as some of us would like to see HHH cave Orton's skull in with that sledgehammer, I feel it's very unnecessary for any of us to paste half-hearted smiles on our faces and unenthusiastically applaud another match between these two.  It's been done before, and there are very few things one can do to make this match not like the forty billion other matches they've had before now.

It's one thing to have HHH return to get some well-deserved revenge on Orton; I mean, it is logical and it was predictable.  However, having Orton, who is arguably the best thing on RAW right now, lumber through another match or promo where he has to uncharacteristically sell everything HHH throws at him, does nothing to catapult him to the next level.  And ideally, this match between the two should solidify Orton as THE man to beat if you want the WWE Title. As long as Orton has to pander to the likes of Batista and HHH, he'll never get to that level.  And I think my personal beef with this match-up has more to do with the fact that it happened so soon...two and a half months after Orton punted HHH's head into oblivion.  For a man that strikes with a force as sudden and deadly as a viper, it seems Orton has trouble keeping people out of business unless they're old.

Part 2 coming soon...