WWE Over the Limit, Seattle, WA
A request! I’ve said before, I wasn’t really watching wrestling around this time, tuning in every now and then, watching the Rumble and Mania, keeping tabs otherwise. It’s weird to look back on now but even though I really wasn’t watching, whatever it is in my dumb brain never could just break clean and let go, I never didn’t have a clue what was going on.
I’ve gone back and watched this feud over the years because (1) I’ve softened my stance on Orton considerably to where I actively like him, and (2) Christian just continues to be someone I appreciate more and more, right up until the present day, right now, in 2023. And they had a terrific chemistry. Have done a review for their Money in the Bank match a couple months after this — haha, actually that was over five years ago that I did that review, haha, I love the passing of time, haha.
(Requests open and tips always appreciated!)
Christian had, on May 1, beaten Alberto Del Rio in a ladder match for the world heavyweight championship — which had been vacated by the retiring Edge — at Extreme Rules, with the reign lasting “five” (it was two) days, until the following Smackdown that aired on May 6, when he lost to Orton. It was, after 12 years with the company and 17 in THIS BUSINESS, Christian’s first singles world title. He’d done everything else, basically, but he’d finally done this.
But it ended fast, of course. Orton and Christian are both babyfaces for the moment, but they are also Orton and Christian, and there’s an asshole lurking in both of them even at their kinder moments. With either guy as a babyface, a heel turn is never far off. And you can hear it in Christian’s promos between the loss and this rematch; he’s now playing a nice guy, very aggressively, really trying to hold on to that positive mindset of, like, “Golly, at 100 percent, I know I can beat Randy Orton! One rematch, please!”
Booker T breaks down the matchup here, with Christian being a “carpenter” and a “jack of all trades” who can get it done, but Orton having something special in his DNA that makes him as great as he is and has been. And there’s really no question that if you were looking at it with a legit sports lens, Orton would be a very strong betting favorite here.
Orton with a side headlock, as you expect a scientific start in this one, before it should inevitably get more heated. Shoulderblock from Orton, then back to a side headlock. Booker T starts talking about funny cars and hitting the nitrous oxide button. He is a genius commentator. Meanwhile, we also have Josh Mathews trying really hard to make his voice sound more gruff than it actually is.
Christian with a shoulderblock, then hops right up to the second rope and lands a dropkick for two. Right hand from Christian, off the ropes, Orton with a leapfrog that makes you realize what an athlete this dude is:
This reminds Booker T of Booker T. But despite grabbing another advantage there, Christian backdrops him out to the floor quickly and hits a dropkick through the ropes. Crowd is pretty well split here as the match goes back into the ring. Christian with a scoop slam and he grabs a chinlock, clamped on with purpose and something Orton has to defend against.
Out of that, dropkick again from Christian, and then another chinlock. Orton fights his way out, right hand, and a standing dropkick puts Christian down. Christian pops Orton coming in with a right hand and heads up top, but Orton nails him on the way there. They trade right hands with Christian in a compromised position, and Orton wins that fight. High ground doesn’t always win in wrestling.
Orton up with him now, and ALL the way up, SUPERPLEX! “Giant suplex” if you are Booker. Cover gets two. Uppercut from Orton, another, both drop Christian. Booker is rambling SO much that when he tries to kick it back to Josh, all Josh can do is chuckle and try to get the conversation back where he’s supposed to be taking it. I’ve realized over time that Booker is a throwback, and it’s not his wild, careening calls that are “bad,” it’s that the people he’s working with don’t have the wit to just roll with him.
Christian goes for the backslide in a world title match, gets two. Orton up with a couple right hands. Christian cardinal mistake, Orton with a boot, two clotheslines, but he runs into a spine on the pine from Christian for two!
Now they’re trading shots. “Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh, here we go! This right here, Josh, is what’s called MAN. ON. MAN.” Christian with the inverted DDT for two. Christian off the second rope for the dropkick again, but Orton catches the legs, and they trade pin attempts. Another uppercut from Orton, then a forearm over the upper back.
Angle Slam attempt from Orton, no-go, and Orton’s laid out over the second rope. Christian gets countered when he hops out to hit something, Orton tries to drag him up for the hanging DDT, and Christian counters that. It’s the human game of chess here. Flying headbutt from Christian gets two again!
Orton with an uppercut, that backcracker/neckbreaker deal gets two. Booker also wonders what the fuck that move is called. I don’t know. He doesn’t know. Josh called it “tremendous impact” and “effective.” Orton with his modified Garvin Stomp, but Christian trying for the Unprettier or whatever it was called by now, that gets blocked, and we wind up with Orton in that inverted Boston crab thing. Christian selling the agony of this big time and Orton’s upper body is all flexed up and clenching everything he can clench. Christian is able to reach the bottom rope, biting it to get through some of the pain.
But Orton has clear control now. Until Christian catches him with little kick in the corner and then fakes the leap off, with Orton ready to catch him in the RKO, as had finished their first match a few weeks back. Crowd bit as hoped, and Christian leaps off with a sunset flip for two. Frustration also setting in on Christian, because he really thought he’d caught Randy there in an exact, designed way.
Hanging DDT from Orton hits! Two count again, and now Randy showing just a little frustration. Notably, not nearly as dramatically as Christian did moments prior. Uh oh, Orton is going to that place. The Viper has coiled. And now he’s punching the mat to let his opponent know what’s coming. Stunningly, Christian tosses him away. “Somehow fought it off,” says Josh. I think it was the mat punching, honestly.
Christian now trying to go to a place, shouting “spear” repeatedly with “that look in his eyes.” But on the charge for the spear, Orton catches him with the powerslam for two.
Orton sets for a punt, but as he begins the approach, he stops. He doesn’t really want to do it, deep down. After the hesitation, he decides to go for it, and Christian has time to recover and counter with a spear. It gets another two count.
Christian going for the Unprettier, blocked, RKO blocked, Unprettier blocked, Christian lands on his feet on a back suplay attempt, RKO! Orton retains the title.
A terrific match in a particular style, babyface vs babyface, but with two guys who have the chance of going “bad” any time, then never do in the match. Christian is more focused than ever, this is him fully prepared, giving it the greatest effort he can, and in the end, Orton just beats him. Catches him with the RKO, outfoxes him that one final time, and wins again. Orton is, by however thin the margin, just better than even the best Christian. Back-and-forth, “well-scouted” from each man, but Randy’s just the crucial bit better.
Orton goes to leave, but comes back and wants to help Christian back up, with respect for a great match. Christian doesn’t hit him, but he does shove him away. Maybe in pure frustration, maybe in anger. Christian goes to leave, then comes back to Orton and shakes his hand. And he leaves. The respect is there, but Christian’s disappointment is palpable, and you can see that despair eating at him as he walks to the back. You can also see Orton seeing it. He’s not dumb. These are similar guys. He knows what’s happening.
Tape Machines Are Rolling 
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