With a new WWE Champion set to be crowned, No Mercy is, in the words of Mr. McMahon, "guaran-damn-teed" to be a history-making event. However, there's one way to make No Mercy even more historic: Award the WWE Championship to Randy Orton outright.

There will be a WWE Championship Match this Sunday at No Mercy. But the Legend Killer deserves to be the defending champion in that match, not just a challenger. The WWE Champion is supposed to stand out, be at the top of his class of Superstars. By taking out John Cena, Orton is now in a class by himself. He has done what no other Superstar could do: He put Cena on the shelf for six months to a year and essentially ended the now-former Champ's year-long WWE Championship reign -- the longest in 19 years. For that, Orton should be crowned WWE Champion.

Orton has proven that he is championship material, and thrives on making history. It wasn't a fluke when he became the youngest World Heavyweight Champion in WWE history in 2004. And awarding the title to Orton wouldn't be unprecedented. Then-Raw GM Eric Bischoff awarded the World Heavyweight Championship to Triple H in 2002. But Orton would have a more legitimate claim to the WWE Championship than The Game had to the World Heavyweight Title five years ago.

At the time of Cena's injury, the Legend Killer was the No. 1 contender to the WWE Championship. He was Cena's most persistent challenger and was one of only two Superstars to own a victory over the former champion at a WWE pay-per-view event over the past year. (Orton defeated Cena at Unforgiven, albeit by disqualification.) The Legend Killer dissected Cena mentally and physically like no one else and seemed primed to take the WWE Championship away from him in their scheduled Last Standing Match at No Mercy.

Now, with Cena's injury, Orton can truly say he is the "last man standing" in their long, personal, grudge-filled war. As a reward, it's time to let the Legend Killer's legendary reign as WWE Champion begin this Sunday in the Windy City.

Tell us what you think. Should Orton be awarded the WWE Championship? VOTE NOW ...

COUNTERPOINT: Why Orton should be barred from No Mercy and any WWE Championship Match ... Read it here.

Pick up Orton's Skull t-shirt at WWEShop...