It takes brass to call your shot, but that’s exactly what Randy Orton and Edge did in the leadup to their confrontation at WWE Backlash on June 14. WWE marketed this match, weeks in advance, as the “Greatest Match Ever.”
Did Backlash’s main event live up to the moniker? No, but it would have been impossible under the circumstances. For one, the match took place at the WWE Performance Center, in front of a handful of NXT trainees instead of a paying audience. Professional wrestling feeds off a massive crowd’s reaction; wrestlers improvise, and that, in turn, affects the audience’s experience at home. There was very little of that interplay in this match, although WWE tried their best to replicate it–they turned up the sound on its few spectators to make them sound like an entire arena.
Second, the match was pre-taped, which meant that any botches or odd moments were edited out. We’re seeing the best scenario made possible by editing; any match that contends for the “Greatest Match Ever” title should be judged as a live performance, from bell to bell.
But this much can be said: the match between Randy Orton and Edge at WWE Backlash was an instant classic. It will stand, years from now, as a highlight of both men’s careers. It is, without question, the greatest wrestling match this writer has seen since the pandemic began. And if it took place live at Wrestlemania or Summerslam in front of 90,000 screaming fans, one could make a case for its greatness. We’ll never know for sure, unfortunately. So much of wrestling depends upon context and build, in addition to in-ring performance. We can only judge what we see.
Like all great wrestling feuds, the conflict between Edge and Orton is fictional but grounded in reality. The two men have a friendship and history that goes back nearly two decades, although they took radically different paths to attain their current, lofty stature. Edge was a wrestling superfan who pursued his dream, slowly transitioning himself from a tag team utility player into a multi-time world champion. Then suddenly, at the peak of his career, he was forced to retire for medical reasons. His 2020 return has been an unlikely surprise; no one, least of all Edge, would have thought this was possible.
Meanwhile, Randy Orton was born into wrestling; his grandfather, Bob Orton Sr., and his father, “Cowboy” Bob Orton Jr., guaranteed he would get a fair shot at stardom. But Orton has lived up to his reputation, consistently demonstrating an unnatural gift for his craft. His one drawback is that, too often, he coasts on his talent instead of pushing himself or taking risks; he’s admitted himself that he likes to bat 1.000. The worst that one could say of him is that he’s consistently great, rather than occasionally transcendent.
For the first several minutes of their 45-minute match at Backlash, Edge and Orton played into the audience’s expectations.The two men locked up, and Randy won a series of grappling exchanges. But notably, he didn’t follow through on any of them, even when he had the upper hand. He would get Edge in a vulnerable spot, and he would then back off, cackling. The narrative was clear: Orton, the Apex Predator, wanted to humiliate his opponent. He was toying with his prey before consuming him.
But Edge didn’t crack, and he employed an old strategy that he’s used since his tag team days: he targeted his opponent’s joints and limbs. He focused on Orton’s shoulders with a series of arm drags and submission holds. This is the sort of story that is only possible with veteran performers. Orton has suffered from shoulder problems for years. He’s dislocated them in matches, and he’s undergone surgery to correct them. Limb targeting is a legitimate strategy, but it’s one that feels personal. And slowly, the smirk slipped off Orton’s face. This wasn’t fun anymore.
The two men transitioned into punches and hard blows. Edge cracked Orton across his right brow, drawing blood–a rare sight on modern WWE programming. They battled outside the ring, but they never went for anything ultra-violent, like a spot on the Spanish announcer’s table or a chair shot when the referee was distracted.
They slowly built suspense rather than putting together a highlight reel. And when they finally began trading signature moves and finishing moves, their impact felt significant. A Flying Crossbody. An Olympic Slam. A Rock Bottom. A Pedigree. And finally, RKOs and Spears. In a nod to his past, Edge executed an Edge-o-matic for a near pinfall. He attempted to lock in an Edgecator, a modified Sharpshooter that hat-tipped his training in the Hart family Dungeon. It was nostalgia, done right.
Orton kicked out of two Spears. Edge had him locked in the Anti-Venom submission. And Orton, despite his loud claim that he could dominate Edge in a fair, 1-on-1 contest, went back on his word. He hit Edge with a low blow, punted him in the head for good measure, and scored the pinfall. Edge looked strong in defeat. Orton earned a tainted victory befitting his heel status. Like always, he played it safe instead of putting his reputation on the line. It was in character. It was despicable. And it was a perfect finish to a well-told story.
The WWE is committed to sports entertainment–that vague realm where silliness and fantasy can exist alongside serious, predetermined competition. But although the comedic skits may draw a casual audience in, it’s serious fights like this one–a scripted contest between two people with a grudge–that creates lifelong devotees. One could not ask for more.
If you want to dive deeper into the weird world of wrestling, check out GameSpot’s weekly podcast Wrestle Buddies. Each week, Mat Elfring and Chris E. Hayner talk about the fun side of wrestling, from silly gimmicks to their favorite PPVs. Also, they occasionally interview wrestlers. New episodes arrive every Thursday, and you can check it out on Spotify, Stitcher, and Apple Podcasts.