Man... I was fantasy-booking about Orton costing Cena/Batista the tag titles tonight with an RKO to Cena, setting up Orton/Priceless vs Cena/Cryme Tyme later on and let Batista wander back to fighting Punk.

Rough luck.

It's a work. Unless Kevin has some added information, I find it terribly hard to believe that the only people reporting a motorcycle accident by a fairly high level D-List TV star is WWE.com.

Orton spilled the beans about how he's almost ready to come back, maybe this Sunday at SummerSlam, and conveinently WWE comes out with information about an injury that will keep him out.

Also, Kevin you are well versed in wrestling history. A motorcycle accident ended Magnum T.A.'s career but all it does is re-injure a weak collarbone on Orton? Doubtful.

Expect Punk to win clean Sunday followed by a sneak attack from RKO.

RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: Actually, Magnum T.A. was in a car accident.

What do you think the chances are that this is an eloborate work designed to increase the dramatic impact of possible SummerSlam return? That sounds like an Admale Original!

They need to elevate Regal as a top heel on Raw. That guy was on fire before getting suspended. A feud with Jamie Noble would be pointless.

Not good news at all, Raw has really missed the Legend Killer.

Jericho is the only entertaining heel on Raw, (Marella doesn't really count as unfortunately WWE sees him as more of a jobber)

However, as you say Kev, hopefully this will see Cena turn heel in the coming weeks. More likely to be big Dave though.

I wish Randy a speedy recovery.

Are you sure this "motorcycle accident" isn't some kind of an angle? They set it up so we don't expect Orton back for a long time, and then he makes a surprise run-in at Summerslam or on RAW the next day. We've seen them do this before.

Is this an angel or real. He could have failed another drug test!!!!!

Hi, I have a correction about your post. Orton was actually injured at One Night Stand, in July, not Night of Champions.

I was hoping to see Orton return to feud with Punk for the World Heavyweight Title. I don't know that Punk will retain his title for three more months, but hopefully he can and hopefully Orton will return to take the title.

Get better soon Randy.

RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: Thanks for catching that. I have corrected it.

RANDY ORTON IF YOU CAME BACK BEAT UP JOHN CENA. I HATE JOHN CENA. END HIS CAREER

There's been nothing mentioned in the St Louis area media (where Orton lives) about any accident.

Are you supposed to be an actual journalist or a WWE publicist?

As someone mentioned, why is this "story" only being reported on wrestling blogs and here? I mean Sandman getting arrested at Captain Lou's b-day party made national cable news (briefly). But this doesn't draw a sentence on the ticker?

If this turns out to be a hoax then just change your name to Stu Saks Jr., go collect your WWE royalty check and be done with it.

RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: I did say that there is a possibility that it is a work in a later post about Raw. Because I am an "actual journalist," the last thing I would want to do is say that someone suffering a serious injury is a hoax when I don't know that for sure. But there is reason to question it, which I did. The fact that no news outlet is reporting it is a red flag, as is the claim that Orton was thrown 300 feet.

No matter how this story turns out, you should keep this in mind. "Real" journalists (people who know nothing about wrestling) in the mainstream have been fooled by angles before, while almost every pro wrestling site or blog knew they were a work.

This is what I wrote in the later post:

"There are a number of people who believe the Randy Orton motorcycle accident and re-broken collarbone is a work. The thinking behind it is that if people think he is badly injured, it would be a huge surprise if he does a run-in at SummerSlam. Plus, faking an injury would get Orton a lot of heat. It is interesting that the first report on wwe.com said that Orton was thrown 30 feet off his motorcycle, but Michael Cole said last night that it was 300 feet, as did an updated story on wwe.com. That sounds like an exaggeration to me. I still don’t think the injury is a work, but I wouldn’t put it past WWE to do such an angle."

I was initially suspicious to begin with, when was the last time wwe.com broke a legitimate news story before other wrestling sites. When Cole said he was thrown 300 feet, I just rolled my eyes. You'd probably hit something before you went that far. The chances of going that far and only aggravating an existing injury are so slim, that logic (which quite frankly is generally lacking in the wrestling world) dictates that this is more than likely fiction. I haven't read anything that wasn't sourced to wwe.com about this "accident". If the WWE really wants to make wwe.com a legitimate news site, this is definitely not the way to start.

why does everyone think so highly of Orton? Am I missing something? He has a fine wrestlers body but he sucks on the mic and I don't think he's anything special in the ring. Sure, raw needs another heel but there has got to be someone else more deserving of the constant push he has received.

Thrown 300 feet?

What city did this allegedly happen in? Was there a police incident report? Did you contact any area hospitals? These are all basic fact-checking things journalists do before issuing reports. Saying "allegedly" isn't a substitute for fact-checking.

I only recently came across your blog and am not sure if this is supposed to be legitimate information or PWI-style regurgitation of story lines.

There's no way a journalist can't quickly get to the bottom of this. I mean did you also report "Vince McMahon was killed in a limo explosion?"

RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: First of all, thanks for smartening me up on how journalists do their job. Since I have a degree in journalism and have only been working for major metropolitan newspapers for about 24 years, I didn't know all that stuff about fact-checking and making phone calls.

Now let me smarten you up. You keep asking what this blog is -- whether it's "legitimate information" or "PWI-style." If you have read anything on this blog, then you already know the answer. It's obviously not a kayfabe blog.

It's also never been about being a news reporter. I look at myself as more of a columnist. There are plenty of sites out there that are news sites. They track down stories and try to be the first to break them. That was never my intention. I am here to react to news and give my opinion (as well as to conduct interviews with wrestling figures). I chose to take that approach because as an assistant sports editor at The Baltimore Sun (you know, doing real journalist stuff), I have a lot more responsibility than just writing a wrestling blog.The blog is something I do in addition to my other duties (which include managing reporters and making sure they do things like fact-check). I knew that I would not have the time to devote to chasing down stories on a regular basis, so I decided to go in another direction.

This is what I wrote in the very first entry on this blog:

"In Ring Posts, I will comment on the goings-on in WWE and TNA and even the local scene in Maryland. My take on wrestling television shows, pay-per-views and the latest news will be honest and analytical."

Two other things: I never used the word "allegedly." That's bad fact-checking on your part. And I never "issued a report." WWE issued a report -- hence the phrase "according to wwe.com" in the blog entry -- and I reacted to it.

Magnum was injured in a car crash, Not a motorcycle crash. :)

Let's keep in mind that shawn micheals faked a concussion for several weeks. He even fell out in the ring what's to randy from following in his shoes. On another note randy orton will be a hall of famed before he's done

ryan errol r u kidding me? Randy's not my favorite wrestler but I gotta give credit where credit is due! Orton is a beast in the ring when he gets in his element!!! I was doubtful of Orton, but now that he's gone u see the lack on the show. WWE needs Orton back big time.

there is a chance that micheal cole made a mistake, he is human like the rest of us.

Think about it people, if he was traveling at only 30 mph he wouldn't have the velocity to fly 300 feet. A baseball is thrown alot faster than 30 mph and it would need one heck of a trajectory to make it 300 feet. The altitude he would have had to be at to make it that far would have broken a lot more than just a collarbone. Either someone screwed up on the distance or (more than likely) it's a work.

@ Tito: Agreed. Cole may have made a mistake, it isn't difficult to accidentally said 300 feet when he really meant 30.

I don't think it's a work.

I really believe that Orton's going to SD! Remember at the draft, he said that Cena and the Game better hope they were drafted? He might go there to regain his title. I realize that he might end up going for the Heavweight Championship, but continuing his fued with HHH might be moer entertaining.

@ Tito: Agreed. Cole may have made a mistake, it isn't difficult to accidentally said 300 feet when he really meant 30.

I don't think it's a work.
---------------------
If that was the only hole in the story that would be OK. But if I'm not mistaken, the wwe.com story also was changed to 300 feet. It could very well end up being real, but with all the logical questions about the incident, not to mention knowing the history of wrestling, there is more than enough reason for people to be in doubt.

joe barber is right , it has changed on wwe.com

Ok guys and dolls,

For the most part, most of you are in agreement that it is a work. As far as Kevin Eck goes, don't kill the messenger, he didn't do anything wrong, he started the column off correctly with "according to wwe.com"

Not a single legitimate news site has carried ANY info on this supposed accident. No police reports, nada. We all know that when something legitimate happens to a wrestler, it makes national headlines ie. Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Brian Adams, Bruiser Brody and Kerry Von Erich.
This is a total work, and is insulting to our intelligence, but I guess there are still some people that "believe" in wrestling works and angles and storylines.
Those kinds of fans ARE good for business, but then again, so are us "students of the game".

does anybody notice how often orton gets away from suspension. isnt it extremly fishy that st lous police dont have a report on any motorcycle accidents in the area and he is out for 3 months how long is a suspension 3 months bingo!!! Orton did somthing to get a suspension and wwe is covering it up cause he is the future for the wwe apart from cena and kennedy and maybe a few others he is the key heel for the future.

BABAR : good point . Funny how most bury their heads in the sand on that "angle".

Randy from a human point of view your injury is a sad thing but when we consider what you put Cena through in the past and we all love Cena you probably desrve this.Apart from that I still think you are a great wrestler and you are HOTTT!!!!

I just want to add, if you want to know if injuries are ligit or not just go to wikipedia. I love Randy Orton so when he got injured in June I looked it up and low and behold the injury is ligitimate. As far as the accident, wikipedia says the same thing as Kevin Eck, according to wwe.com. So we may see more life on Raw soon. I sure hope so I really miss looking at his sexy behind!!