Has Orton created a monster?
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Randy Orton may have created a monster when he attacked John Cena's father. And unfortunately for Raw GM William Regal, he was the one who had to pay a heavy price.
Our fans at the Nationwide Arena fell silent as officials tended to Regal. They had just seen Cena unleash a week of frustration in the form of the STFU on the Raw GM after he had announced that the WWE Champion would face Orton in a rematch for the title in two weeks at Unforgiven. Regal had given Orton the night off out of concern for the potential volatile situation that would erupt if the two were under the same roof at the same time. (WATCH)
Orton still appeared on Raw, but via satellite. As cocky and unrepentant and cold as ever, he took delight in, but not responsibility for, leaving John Cena's father with a severe concussion. John Cena, he said, was to blame for his father's condition. He put his father in harm's way when he refused to give him a rematch after their battle at SummerSlam.
"The fact of the matter is John Cena brought this upon himself," Orton said. "Cena, your dad's face was kicked off because of you. His blood is on your hands. You could have prevented all this if you had just given me what I rightfully deserved: a rematch for the WWE Title. … Well, John, I wonder if you want a match with me now. I have a feeling you do."
If those comments weren't disgusting enough, Orton may have driven the WWE Champion over the edge when he told him, "I hope your father never forgives you for what happened last week."
Regal had hoped that Raw would have proceeded peacefully, but Orton's words were too much for Cena to bear. As Cena stomped to the ring, Regal urged him not to do anything he'd regret. Maybe Regal looked into Cena's eyes and saw his immediate future. Maybe the wily Brit saw Cena and realized that the WWE Champion didn't see him at all and that he saw only one person -- Randy Orton.
Seven days of white-hot rage seemed to pour out of Cena when he brutalized Regal. Several WWE officials were needed to pull Cena off Regal. The veins in Cena's neck bulged as a primeval roar rained out his lungs and Regal's face turned purple.
Cena had had a week to relive the horror of Orton pulling his father out of his ringside seat and charging at him with a running kick. Cena looked at his father's black eye for seven days and saw Orton. He had had a week to seethe and imagine what he would do to Orton the first time he was within striking distance of the Legend Killer. Maybe he was frustrated that Regal had denied him the opportunity to extract some revenge by giving Orton the night off.
Or maybe Orton struck a very raw nerve when he said Cena was to blame for his father's plight. It would be understandable if Cena was grappling with his own misplaced guilt. Maybe he feels that he left his father vulnerable, and that he shouldn't have had him in a front row seat at ringside.
One thing is definite: Our fans and all of the Raw locker room saw a side of The Champ they had never seen before. By attacking Regal, he seemed to send a message to Orton -- the rules are out the window between us. I can be as ruthless and as cold as you are. I, too, am capable of hurting people. And I am willing to put my career on the line to get my vengeance.
This rivalry is now about more than the WWE Championship to Cena. Orton has made this conflict personal, a place no foe has ever gone before with The Champ. He better watch his back. It looks like The Champ will show no quit and no surrender until he has ended the career of the Legend Killer. William Regal found that out the hard way.
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