WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry has voiced concerns that Randy Orton is being underutilized, arguing that the 14-time world champion’s true value is as a heel. His comments, made on the show Inside the Ring, add a significant voice to a growing discussion regarding Orton’s current creative direction.
Henry stated his belief that Orton should revert to his more aggressive “Viper” persona rather than continue as a babyface champion. “Some people think he’s being underused right now, and I’m one of those people,” Henry said. “But I wouldn’t want Randy to be champion as good guy Randy. I want Randy in the role that’s tailor-made for him—coming in, punting people again, RKO’ing people’s grandmothers and kids, stomping everyone. Let Randy be Randy.”
To emphasize that being a heel is Orton’s inherent nature, Henry referenced the fable of the frog and the scorpion.
“He’s gotta shave his head too. You can’t trust the snake,” Henry explained. “You’ve heard that story about the frog and the scorpion? The toad’s sitting by the pond, minding his business, and the scorpion comes up and says, ‘Hey man, give me a ride to the other side.’ The toad says, ‘No way, you’re a scorpion. You’ll sting me and k–l me.’ The scorpion says, ‘Why would I do that? I need your help to get across.’ So the toad agrees, and halfway across, the scorpion stabs him full of poison. The toad says, ‘Why would you do that? Now we’re both gonna d-e.’ And the scorpion says, ‘You knew I was a scorpion when I got on your back.’ That’s Randy Orton. That’s who he is. Let that guy be himself, because he’s so good at it. Can you really say anyone was more definitively a better heel than Randy when he’s a heel?” (h/t Ringside News)
This perspective aligns with sentiments expressed recently by both Orton’s family and another WWE Hall of Famer. On September 25, 2025, Orton’s wife, Kim Orton, publicly agreed with an Instagram post that accused WWE of disrespecting him by omitting him from several major broadcasts. Ric Flair also stated that the company was “underutilizing” The Legend Killer.
The criticism of Orton’s role comes despite his continued presence on weekly television. Throughout September 2025, he has been featured in an ongoing storyline with Drew McIntyre on SmackDown.
Orton’s most recent premium live event match was at Night of Champions on June 28, 2025, where he lost to Cody Rhodes in the King of the Ring tournament finals. This followed a loss to John Cena at Backlash on May 10, 2025.