WWE SummerSlam 2016: Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Orton full match preview

Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Orton

It’s a match 15 years in the making. Well, it is if you ask Randy Orton. In a sit down interview setting up the SummerSlam match between Orton and Brock Lesnar, the Viper took some time to discuss how he and Brock came into the business together. He talked about their time in WWE developmental together. He discussed how they both debuted on TV together and rose quickly to the top winning titles on their respective brands. He explains how he lost respect for Lesnar for how he left WWE.

Brock’s take on all of that? He doesn’t give a sh*t.

Brock just cares about beating people up, winning, and getting paid. Anything else, is just extraneous details that he doesn’t concern himself with. He’ll win however he can (legal or not), and he’ll usually do it by suplexing his opponent into oblivion.

Paul Heyman calls Brock Lesnar the "Ninth Mayor of Suplex City." (I’m not entirely sure who the other eight are. Taz? Kurt Angle? Karl Gotch?) It’s a moniker well deserved because The Beast will wear down his opponents by delivering suplex after suplex after suplex. Two years ago at SummerSlam, he delivered 16 to John Cena in one match in route to winning the WWE world heavyweight title.

That’s not how Randy Orton works. Sure he can pick a person apart, stomping limb by limb. But when he goes for the kill, he strikes from out of nowhere #OuttaNowhere. His RKO finisher has been hit suddenly from all different positions. He hit one on Seth Rollins by reversing the Curb Stomp. He hit one on Evan Bourne when Bourne was mid Shooting Star Press. Don’t even think about springboarding off the ropes at the man. It’s just foolish at this point. The RKO is so out of nowhere that at this point it’s more surprising when he sets it up.

Despite being drafted to different brands and technically not being allowed to appear on the other’s show, Randy Orton set out to show Brock how sudden his finish can strike. When Paul Heyman was prattling on about how Brock was going to beat down Randy so extensively that Orton wouldn’t even be able to hit an RKO out of nowhere... well Randy Orton hit an RKO out of no where. He sneaked through the crowd, into the ring, and while Paul was droning on, The Viper nailed the Beast with an RKO so unexpected the camera didn’t catch it until the last second.

Brock decided to return the favor by rolling into SmackDown the next night to deliver his receipt. And to illustrate the contrast in styles between the men, he did it in a very Brock Lesnar way. He slowly made his way through the crowd so security easily saw him and was able to try to stop him (keyword: try). He walked into the ring while Orton knew he was there, hit an F5, and then slowly walked out. It showed it doesn’t need to be a surprise to be devastating.

Much more than any history that these men may have shared, this is a battle between the German suplex and RKO as much as it is between Brock Lesnar and Randy Orton. Does the surprise of the RKO matter as Brock Lesnar is staring right at Randy Orton about to bear down on the man for the attack? Will Randy have the speed for the quick strike after taking the suplexes that are inevitable? Whichever man can execute his style to the best of his ability will walk away with the win.

SummerSlam airs tonight at 7 EST on the WWE Network. And keep it here at CagesideSeats.com for all your SummerSlam coverage.