Randy Orton’s Absence Will Weaken Thin WWE Roster

By seanmeyers @sdmeyers1 on November 4, 2014

Monday’s Raw ended with The Authority, led by Seth Rollins, decimating Randy Orton. Rollins brutally curb stomped Orton twice, once on the announcer’s table and once on the steps.

As a result, Orton will likely be written out of storylines for the next several weeks, which will coincide with his reported filming schedule for an upcoming WWE film. This comes at an inopportune time for WWE, as its roster depth has been considerably compromised over the past several months.

Over the past six months, WWE has lost the services of an array of top stars, including Daniel Bryan, Roman Reigns, Bad News Barrett, Batista, Chris Jericho and Rob Van Dam. Meanwhile, the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Brock Lensar, has not appeared in over a month and may not compete again until January’s Royal Rumble event.

Many of the other part-time stars could also return around that time as WWE begins its road to WrestleMania. But for the next few months, the roster will severely lack proven veterans.

As usual, John Cena will continue to serve as the face of the company, but Orton’s void will not be easily filled. For the past several years, the viper has been WWE’s workhorse, competing in top matches on nearly every Raw and Smackdown.

Orton’s absence could be a blessing in disguise in the long run, though, as other talented competitors may finally get their chance to grab the spotlight. Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose continue to climb the proverbial totem pole, while Bray Wyatt’s re-emergence will give a major boost to WWE programming.

Ultimately, however, it appears as though Rusev could be the biggest beneficiary, as he appears destined to replace Orton as one of the top villains in WWE. With Rollins leading the way for Team Authority at the Survivor Series later this month, Rusev could join the team and rival Rollins as the biggest threat to Team Cena. Rusev’s United States Championship victory proves that he is ready to go to the next level, and the Bulgarian brute could find himself in the main event picture very soon.

Moreover, the frequently underutilized Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler could finally be in line for a push, as he’s recently engaged in a storyline against The Authority. Sheamus, desperately in need of a new direction for his character, could be another candidate to see an increased role in the upcoming months. Also, the returning Ryback could once again reach the cusp of main-event caliber if he continues down his current path.

The absence of Orton could cause a trickle-down effect through the entire roster, though, as more television time could be afforded to lower mid-card performers like Cesaro and Tyson Kidd, as well as Luke Harper and Erick Rowan, both of whom appear slated to become singles competitors.

Unquestionably, the loss of Orton will diminish the WWE main-event landscape over the next several weeks or months. Orton has been one of the company’s hottest stars as of late, so the timing makes this even more unfortunately for him and WWE.

His absence could potentially have a positive long-term effect, though, as an array of superstars may finally get their shot to become the next WWE breakout star.

Sean Meyers is a professional wrestling writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter and “Like” him on Facebook.