Is Randy Orton the new favorite to break Ric Flair's World Title record?
To be the man, you have to beat the man. Well, Randy Orton could very well be the man by the time his tenure in WWE comes to an end. The Viper signed a new five-year contract extension with the company this week. By the time this deal comes to an end, Orton will have been with the WWE for well over 20 years.
The Apex Predator won his first WWE Championship in 2004 and has racked up 13 World Titles since then. He ranks 4th on the all-time list:
1) Ric Flair - 16 (Tie)
2) John Cena - 16 (Tie)
3) Triple H - 14
4) Randy Orton - 13
5) Hulk Hogan - 12
For the longest time, it seemed like a forgone conclusion that John Cena would eventually eclipse the Nature Boy's record. His last title win came at the Royal Rumble in 2017 when he knocked off AJ Styles. He lost it just two weeks later to Bray Wyatt at Elimination Chamber, who then lost it at WrestleMania to (guess who) Randy Orton.
Since then, Cena has slowly transitioned into a part-time player. In fact, we haven't seen him a whole lot this year. The Champ has appeared just once on TV since donning his Doctor of Thuganomics gear at WrestleMania 35.
While he's gone on the record saying that he'll never really retire from the WWE, Cena told Good Housekeeping last month:
"As a 42-year-old, going to be 43 in April ... I already know that I’m a little lighter, I’m a little slower, I’m not as strong, so all of the physical signs are like, 'I’m here, I’m here, I’m here,'” he says. "I can't lie to myself and say those things aren’t happening. They are. And either I accommodate my performance, or just say, ‘Hey, it’s time to do something different."
Finding something different to do has not been hard for Cena. Much like his old rival Dwayne Johnson, his movie career is taking off. Playing with Fire comes out this weekend and it's the first of six major films starring John Cena that will hit theaters in the next two years. Those films include installments in major franchises like The Fast and Furious and The Suicide Squad.
He's also written a children's book and is heavily involved in charity work. Cena's latest endeavor is working to help raise $1 million for FitOps, an organization that helps veterans achieve personal trainer certification, thus creating a career path after their service.
Needless to say, Cena has a full plate. Who knows how many more matches he has left in him, let alone the free time necessary for a meaningful 17th WWE Title run. Orton, on the other hand, is still a full-time performer and has all the time in the world to rack up four more World Championships.
The Viper is a guaranteed Hall of Famer and is always a threat to win a Championship, even if the victories have slowed down in recent years. His win over Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania 33 was his lone WWE Championship win in the past five years.
The Legend Killer is going to have to pick up the pace over the next five years if he wants to become the ultimate legend himself. If I was a betting man though, I'd say he's more likely to do it than Cena at this point in their respective careers. Of course, there is always the other option.
Charlotte will win 17 Women's Championships
With 10 Championship wins in her first 4 years on the main roster, it's pretty clear what the plan is down the road. The reason why John Cena never broke the record and why Randy Orton might not, maybe because WWE wants a Flair to be the one to do it.
Charlotte Flair is a lot more than just Ric Flair's daughter. She is a bona fide star in her own right and one of the most gifted athletes in the WWE. The character of Charlotte Flair is one built off of her father's legacy, but Ashley Fliehr has earned everything she's accomplished. I have no doubt (barring unforeseen circumstances) that she will break her father's record.
The one thing I would like to see in the process though are more meaningful title reigns. Her last 4 Championship wins have served as very little more than to just pad her resume. Dating back to August of last year, Charlotte has spent less than 43 days as the SmackDown Women's Champion, this again, despite winning the title 4 times.
What do you think? Will anyone break Ric Flair's record. If so, who's going to do it?