Randy Orton vs. Jeff Hardy: Old School Pro Wrestling Done Right

Jeff Hardy will face off against Randy Orton at WWE Hell in a Cell on Sunday, September 16. The two men have been feuding since July and now that feud could possibly conclude inside Satan’s Structure.

But if this indeed the end, then many fans will likely be sorry to see it happen. This has been one of the more intense rivalries that WWE has produced in quite some time. For casual fans, it’s sadistic violence on a whole new level. For old school fans, it’s the perfect throwback to the rough and gritty days of professional wrestling.

This is what some would argue has been missing from WWE. The company delivers some of the best matches in the industry featuring some of the top talents working today. But sometimes those matches become a bit too formulaic and the storylines behind them are weak at best.

However Orton versus Hardy is propelled forward by raw emotion. On one side is The Viper, one of the most despicable heels in WWE history. He’s coldhearted, he’s vindictive and he’s merciless. Randy Orton attacks his prey indiscriminately and he doesn’t care how much damage he does, only that he does it.

Unlike other talents around him, Randy has no difficulty playing his part. He totally embraces his character and lives it to the fullest on camera. He’s not a popular heel like Kevin Owens, who seems to want the audience’s approval. Randy Orton wants fans to hate him because that’s what he’s supposed to do. He has no redeeming qualities and if any positive traits do exist, they’re outshined by his cruelty against the babyface he’s working.

In this case, the babyface happens to be one of the most popular of his generation. Picking a fight with Jeff Hardy is akin to picking a fight with Ricky Morton in the 1980’s. Morton had so much heart and was so beloved by NWA fans that anyone who touched him was an automatic heel. 

This is precisely what’s happening with Randy and Jeff. Randy Orton can baby out anyone on the WWE roster because when it comes time to do business, The Viper does it like no one else can. 

So when he targeted Jeff Hardy, he immediately drew the ire of WWE fans from all walks of life. Orton brutalized Hardy at Extreme Rules, setting the tone for what was to come. Randy was more vicious that he has been in quite some time and the WWE faithful hated him for it.

Hardy is seen as the embattled star, the man that didn’t ask for a war but who is now forced to fight. Jeff’s motives are pure. All he cares about is entertaining the crowd and making them leave happy. He’s everything a babyface should be and much more. In many ways, Jeff is still the same 25 year old trying to prove himself against The Undertaker on Monday Night Raw.

A star was born on that night, as Jeff rose to the occasion and forever cemented his reputation among WWE fans. Perhaps Jeff will always be seen as that hungry fighter, frozen in time alongside one of WWE’s icons. For those that saw it happen in real time, that memory has never left. It probably never will.

But standing across the ring from Jeff at Hell in a Cell is arguably WWE’s best heel right now. Randy Orton doesn’t care about Jeff’s reputation. He also doesn’t care about Hardy’s heart or passion for the business. The only thing Randy Orton cares about is decimating Jeff Hardy and leaving him for dead inside Hell in a Cell.

A key point for fans is the fact that Hardy and Orton’s showdown on September 16 does not involve a championship. No titles are on the line and the winner doesn’t get a title opportunity either. It’s not a gimmick match for the sake of having a gimmick match. This is about two guys with a score to settle and they will do so inside of a steel cage.

This is Professional Wrestling 101. The draw is the match, not the gimmick. The feud is the story, not what comes afterward. Orton and Hardy are not necessarily doing any of this to further their individual careers. This is happening because WWE indeed has a story to tell and what better characters to tell that story?

Orton and Hardy are keeping fans interested due to the intensity of the rivalry. While there may not be an obvious direction after it ends, there really doesn’t need to be. This one is not about the future, it’s about the here and now. When it comes to classic pro wrestling feuds, this one is as traditional as it gets.

But it’s working and of course it is. The basic formula for pro wrestling always works when executed properly. It’s not extremely hard to understand and it’s the easiest way to draw money in the business yet it doesn’t always happen. But it will happen for Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy at Hell in a Cell. It’s a feud that fans will not soon forget and the same should definitely be true of their match on September 16.