Three years ago, at Summerslam, Randy Orton ended the late Chris Benoit's World title run, and ended up turning emergency face the very next night, cast out of Evolution because its founder/leader, Triple H, didn't like that Orton beat him to the title. The Cerebral Assassin would win his 10th title the next month, and since losing it to Batista at Wrestlemania 21, has not had another championship.

Summerslam is fast approaching again, and again Orton & Helmsley figure to be players. Only this time, in their case, the roles will be reversed come Unforgiven '07 in September in Memphis. Playing the part of Benoit as defending champion this time is John Cena. It's all but a given that Orton will make lightning strike twice in the same PPV, and win the WWE title. It's of course a question of when, not if, HHH follows Orton to the throne.

This time, though, Orton's taken his "Legend Killer" gimmick to the nth level. Shawn Michaels is on the DL (knee, worked concussion). Rob Van Dam is in limbo. On the last two Raws, including tonight, Orton has added Hall of Famers Dusty Rhodes & Sgt. Slaughter to his list of victims, and also helped Carlito win a non-title match over Cena. The latter I have a problem with.

The interference was just too obvious to ignore, but Cena ended up doing the job in the main event. It may make his detractors happy, but I'd have preferred to see Carlito win on his own. The correct call, IMPO, should've been Cena via DQ. Orton refused to leave the ringside area after beating Slaughter, choosing to sit near the desk to "scout" Cena.

With a heel administration running Raw, Orton can do whatever he wants. However, I am taking this opportunity to present an alternative plan leading to Summerslam. If Brian Gewirtz and the writers don't follow this, it's because they don't have clue one about original thinking.

The first step is next week. Orton & Carlito are booked in a tag match vs. Cena and, say, Cody Rhodes, since Bobby Lashley is questionable after tonight. Have Linda McMahon make a rare appearance and overrule acting GM Jon Coachman and declare Orton out of the main event, suspended until Summerslam due to his post-match actions vs. Dusty and Slaughter the last two weeks, and his interference in tonight's main event. Carlito instead gets a rematch vs. Cena for the title, with the winner to face Orton at Summerslam. Cena, of course, gets the win back.

The following two weeks, have Orton cut promos "via satellite", taunting Cena. Cena responds live at the arena.

The third and final step, of course, is the title match.

Meanwhile, at Summerslam, Triple H will begin to build himself back into title contention by beginning a feud with King Booker. I don't see HHH getting the title until Wrestlemania 24 next March. Why? Because they don't want to be too predictable. I'd have Cena vs. Orton at Unforgiven, with Randy going over again to end that feud. Cody Rhodes will be the bridge between Orton & HHH.

WWE booking can be predictable way too often, especially when you draw close to the major PPV's. The same matchups, in more varieties than Baskin Robbins has flavors. Complacency has a way of pulling the WWE down in ways that ratings can't. It's time to shake the cobwebs of complacency and start doing something daring. It's one thing to have Randy Orton be the champion, it's another to present him as an example of rewarding society's ills.