#36: Edge vs. Randy Orton, WWE Backlash (6/14/2020).
Hello, readers! This week, I decided to theme my reviews around everyone's favorite time period: the COVID-19 Pandemic!
In all seriousness, I think we can all agree that the pandemic was a rough period for everybody, unless of course you're a COVID denier, which if you are, stop reading this and go fuck yourself.
There wasn't a ton of things going on to distract us from what was going on all over the world, but one thing that didn't stop is the one thing that never stops for anything: Professional Wrestling.
The greatest form of entertainment chugged along for years, providing people with an escape from the horrors of the world. Some of it was well done, and some of it was dead on arrival.
The first match this week is one that I think succeeded well despite the circumstances: the singles match between Edge and Randy Orton that was, for some reasons, advertised as "The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever." I'm sure someone in WWE's marketing department thought that was clever. It wasn't. This was never going to be that. But, was it good? I think it was excellent.
The story coming in is that Edge came back from retirement in January, and was targeted immediately by former partner Randy Orton. They had a Last Man Standing Match at WrestleMania 36 that a lot of people hated, but I really enjoyed. Edge won, but Orton questioned whether Edge could still go or not. So, he challenged him to a standard singles match, because he believes that Edge only won at WrestleMania because of the smoke and mirrors of a match without rules. But in a real wrestling match, could Edge actually do what he used to do?
They really went all out to make this feel special, as the intros are complete with an MSG mic and a Howard Finkel style intro. Charles Robinson is the referee, and he looks like he's straight from 1980s NWA. They're each given instructions on how to have a proper wrestling match.
They lock up, and Orton brings Edge to the mat. Orton smashes his face against the mat to follow up. Another lock up, and Orton takes the side headlock. Shoulder tackle by Orton, followed by arm drags from Edge. Orton blocks one and Edge lands on his neck. Edge takes the side headlock takedown now. Orton with a head scissors.
Edge escapes and goes for a side headlock and Orton moves. Edge is doubting himself. Can he have an actual wrestling match after nine years away? They run and dive over each other, and Orton trips Edge and sends him to the outside. Another lock up, and Orton pushes Edge into the corner. Strike to the midsection. Edge avoids a turnbuckle whip and baits Orton to the outside. Big boot to the face.
In the Ring, Edge pops off an arm drag, and he keylocks the arm. Orton tries to slam Edge, but he won't let go of the arm. Edge brings Orton back down using the arm, then takes the side headlock again. Orton stomps the foot to get free. Edge with a head scissors that sends Orton to the outside. Edge goes to the top rope, and Orton meets him with a series of right hands.
Orton tries to Suplex Edge to the outside, and Edge headbutts him away. Diving clothesline from the top from Edge drops Orton off the apron. Orton is busted open. Edge twists the left arm and smashes the shoulder into the apron. Hard shots to the back and head from Edge. Knees to the midsection against the ropes. Side Russian leg sweep next, and Edge transitions into a crossface. Orton gets his foot on the ropes.
Orton foes for an RKO. Edge counters and tries for the Cobra Clutch. Orton gets to the ropes. Backbreaker/neckbreaker from Orton. Edge holds his neck. On the outside, Orton pushes Edge neck first into the plexiglass barricade, then the apron, then the normal barricade, then the announcers table. He slams Edges back of the head into the steps, which causes more damage to the neck.
Edge gets sent face first into the table, then eats a back suplex onto it from Orton. Back in the ring, big stomp to the right hand by Orton, then the knee and foot, and the hand again. He rakes Edge's face into his boot. Sleeper hold next by Orton. Edge escapes, and Orton pushes him into the turnbuckle, which causes more neck damage.
Orton hits the Three Amigos, ala Eddie Guerrero, and Edge counters into one of his own. While both on their backs, they each land chops to the other. Chops in the corner by Edge, and a Dropkick by Orton. Orton pulls Edge into the turnbuckle chest first, and it hits him right on the jaw. Back in the Ring, Orton hits a nice Super Plex from the top rope.
Uppercut in the ropes by Orton. Both hit a crossbody at each other, and they're down. Edge kicks Orton away, but he fights back and gets him stuck on the top rope. He tries for the Draping DDT, but Edge responds with an Edgecution. A running knee strike by Edge, and another. Sliding elbow to the chest gets a 2 count. Flying crossbody from Edge gets 2.
Orton blocks a shoulder attack into a sliding pin. Edge kicks out and goes for a crossface. Angle Slam by Orton gets a nearfall. Orton tries for a dropkick, and Edge catches it into a powerbomb for 2. Hey, Swerve Strickland is in the audience! Orton backdrops Edge to the outside. Edge returns and walks into a draping DDT from Orton. Edge counters an RKO into a Killswitch attempt. Orton escapes and tries for the RKO, and Edge hits the Edgeamatic.
Edge stares at Orton in the corner and legit looks like he has googly eyes. Edge attempts the Spear and Orton avoids it. He tries for a powerslam and Edge ducks it. He pops off a Killswitch, and it gets a 2 count. AJ Francis is unfortunately in the crowd. Flapjack in the ropes by Orton. Orton hits the Pedigree, and Edge kicks out. Hey, Trick Williams is in the crowd!
Edge hits a Rock Bottom out of nowhere, and Orton kicks out. Edge tries for the Sharpshooter, and Orton kicks him off. Edge tries for a back slide. Edge kicks the left thigh to get the slide in, and Orton kicks out. Orton pops an uppercut. Orton tries a DDT in the ropes, and Edge pulls his neck down instead. Several roll up attempts by Edge. Orton hits the RKO literally out of nowhere and Edge kicks out.
Hated the replay on that. You can see Charles Robinson pull the hand away as Edge kicked out. Boooo. Orton gears up for the Punt, but Edge hits the Spear instead. And, Another. And Orton kicks out. Edge goes to jump off the middle rope and Orton catches him in an RKO. Edge kicks out. Anti Venom choke from Edge next, but Orton low blows him out of sight of the ref. Orton gets the Punt Kick perfectly to the head, and he wins.
Is this the Greatest Wrestling Match Ever? Nope. Is it a great wrestling match? Absolutely! My WWE fandom ended a few months before this, so I've seen very little main roster matches since. Truly, this is the best one I've seen since I stopped watching WWE actively. These guys just had a great, basic and bare bones wrestling match with a simple story of Edge trying to prove he could still have an actual match, and Orton outsmarting him along the way.
To make up for the ludicrous marketing of this match, both Edge and Orton crafted a spectacle that paid homage to wrestling figures of the past. That is, of course, why these two busted out the Angle Slam, the Three Amigos, the Rock Bottom, etc. And it worked for what they were trying to accomplish. This is a match that both should be proud of.