Quick Takes on Randy Orton Resurgence in WWE, AEW's MJF, Bray Wyatt Return, More

Since coming out of the WWE Backlash pay-per-view earlier in June, there has been a ton to talk about and analyze, for better or for worse. That includes what the future holds for the Raw and SmackDown brands heading into Extreme Rules in July.

Randy Orton's major victory over Edge in the "Greatest Wrestling Match Ever" has been a hot topic of discussion among fans, specifically in regard to where it will take him next. Now that Christian has been added to the long list of legends he's put out to pasture, it's a matter of time before he sets his sights on regaining the WWE Championship.

Also making waves on Raw recently is Angel Garza, whom Vince McMahon apparently sees as the next Eddie Guerrero, per Alex McCarthy of Talk Sport. While it's more likely he carves out his own path to superstardom rather than directly follow in the footsteps of the Hall of Famer, the comparison can only mean big things for the former NXT cruiserweight champion in WWE.

Unlike Garza, All Elite Wrestling's MJF has been struggling to find a sense of direction lately. He's gone undefeated in singles competition over the past year but has yet to be afforded any opportunities at championship gold, which needs to change sooner rather than later.

How AEW should book MJF going forward will be addressed in this installment of Quick Takes, along with Orton's pursuit of Raw's top title, Bray Wyatt's return on SmackDown, Dolph Ziggler and Mustafa Ali moving from SmackDown to Raw and Garza's ceiling for success.

It's no secret that Randy Orton has been doing some of the best work of his career in 2020. As beloved of a babyface as he was going into the year, betraying Edge the night after the Royal Rumble was where he turned a corner and embraced his sinister side for the first time in forever.

Despite falling short against Edge at WrestleMania 36, he bounced back in a big way by challenging The Rated-R Superstar to the "Greatest Wrestling Match Ever" at Backlash and winning decisively. He followed that up on the next night's Raw by beating Christian in an unsanctioned matchup with a punt kick to the head, which caused Christian to be stretchered out of the building.

Unless Captain Charisma is miraculously cleared to compete, it appears as if Orton's rivalry with the former tag team champions is over for the time being. WWE has already announced that Ric Flair will be back on Raw this coming week to crown Orton the greatest of all time, but beyond that, nothing else is known regarding what WWE has in mind for Orton as SummerSlam approaches.

Targeting the WWE Championship would seem to be the next logical step for him.

Orton has been absent from the title picture since losing to Kofi Kingston a year ago. However, his recent work has undoubtedly earned him the opportunity to at least contend for the gold.

Considering champion Drew McIntyre doesn't have any obvious challengers after beating Bobby Lashley at Backlash, McIntyre vs. Orton could well be what WWE builds to for Extreme Rules.

Note that The Viper regaining the WWE title isn't at all imperative, especially since McIntyre has been booked so well in the role since WrestleMania 36. Orton's past few reigns as champ haven't been anything special, and there's no indication that another reign would be much different.

If nothing else, Orton vs. McIntyre would be an exciting attraction on pay-per-view and would serve as the payoff to their unfinished business from before the Royal Rumble.

If Vince McMahon comparing Angel Garza to Eddie Guerrero is any indication, it's clear the company has big plans for the 27-year-old.

It was a little more than one year ago that Garza signed with WWE following stints on the Mexican independent wrestling scene and in Impact. He made an immediate impression in the NXT Breakout Tournament before going on to win the NXT Cruiserweight Championship that December.

His reign was cut short by his call-up to the main roster at the onset of 2020. He has yet to hold gold on Raw, but the Raw Tag Team Championship could soon be in his grasp if he and Andrade can put their differences aside and form a cohesive unit under the tutelage of Zelina Vega.

It should go without saying that nobody is the next anybody in wrestling. Rather, Garza shares a ton of traits with Guerrero and might be the closest thing fans have to the former WWE champion on today's roster.

In the ring, he's second to none, but the charisma he constantly exudes is befitting of a Superstar. Together with his look and ability to play both a face and a heel exceptionally well, it's obvious why he's a McMahon favorite.

Garza has fared well in WWE so far, but once he flies solo and gets to really let loose, expect nothing less than greatness from him.

Ask anyone who the first non-Elite/former WWE star will be to win the AEW World Championship, and there's a good chance MJF will lead that list.

He has been one of the many bright spots of AEW programming since its launch in 2019, both on Dynamite and pay-per-view. As enjoyable as most of his matches are, on the microphone is when he really shines.

It helps that he has been kept undefeated in singles competition this entire time, scoring important victories over the likes of Cody and "Hangman" Adam Page. He's also in possession of the Dynamite Diamond Ring, but that's about as close as he's gotten to holding championship gold.

For all intents and purposes, there is zero reason why he shouldn't be contending for the AEW World Championship. Although Brian Cage earned his title by winning the Casino ladder match at Double or Nothing, MJF has been building momentum for more than a year and should be next in line to get a shot at the strap.

Thankfully, with all the hints that have been dropped lately, it appears AEW is building to him to face Jon Moxley for the title in the not-too-distant future. All Out would be the perfect place for the bout to happen, but in the meantime, he should be stacking up wins against elite competition and not continuing to beat Jungle Boy as frequently as he has been.

MJF and Jungle Boy work well together, but it's evident that AEW doesn't know what to do with the former ahead of All Out. Teasing tension with Wardlow should be out of the question, but a brief feud with someone such as Matt Hardy or Darby Allin is definitely doable.

Mustafa Ali and Dolph Ziggler were officially selected by SmackDown in the 2019 WWE draft in October and have experienced a minimal amount of success since then.

Ali, in particular, has been criminally wasted this year, having not wrestled a single televised match in 2020. He was last seen tagging with Shorty G in late 2019, usually in a losing effort.

His first full year on SmackDown was solid on the whole, as he had the chance to impress against everyone from Daniel Bryan to Shinsuke Nakamura. It was believed at one point that he could have been the blue brand's "hacker" because of how he's been gone for so long, but his rumored move to Monday nights means we will never know for sure.

The change of scenery will be nice for him on Raw, assuming he's actually used, but his fortunes won't be any different until WWE starts to feature him more prominently.

Ziggler's reported transition from SmackDown to Raw will mean even less because of how he has been a non-player in WWE for so many years now. To his credit, his recent rivalry with Otis was excellent, and he has held tag team and singles gold on multiple occasions since 2015, but it couldn't be any more apparent that his days as a top talent in the company are over.

He can be positioned as a midcard act on Raw and possibly enter the United States Championship picture at some point, but it's highly unlikely he will amount to more than that.

If these SmackDown stars' shifts to Monday nights is WWE's way of making up for AJ Styles' return to SmackDown, it's safe to say that red brand got a raw deal.

The latest installment of Bray Wyatt's Firefly Fun House on Friday's SmackDown seemed to indicate that he will be bringing back as his Eater of Worlds persona as more than just a one-off to wage war with Braun Strowman at Extreme Rules.

It's an exciting idea on paper, but from a booking standpoint, it puts both Wyatt and Strowman in a precarious position.

When Wyatt originally challenged Strowman for the Universal Championship at Money in the Bank and lost, fans assumed he would eventually earn another shot as The Fiend. That could and should still be the plan for SummerSlam, but by no means should Wyatt lose another high-profile pay-per-view match to the champion at Extreme Rules, regardless of which character he portrays.

It's great if the plan is for The Fiend to take that title off The Monster Among Men, but how WWE gets to that point is the question. Losing at Extreme Rules, even if he's doing the gimmick he started out with, would damage Wyatt's momentum and eliminate the possibility of Stowman vs. Fiend happening at the Biggest Part of the Summer.

Since it will be Extreme Rules, WWE could have them meet in a Last Man Standing match and have it end in a draw, but that would be too formulaic. Wyatt winning the title early is also an option, but then there wouldn't be any reason for The Fiend to fight Strowman at the subsequent show.

At the very least, it will be fun to see Wyatt return to his roots as The New Face of Fear, if only briefly, and remind viewers what made that persona so fantastic in the first place.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.