John Cena and Randy Orton have fought off ten times in WWE pay-per-view or premium live events. It’s quite certain that we will witness their epic rivalry at least once more on one of WWE’s major events, based on what we witnessed on the Monday Night Raw episode following WrestleMania 41.
Orton’s hometown of St. Louis will host WWE Backlash on May 10. When Orton appeared on the PLE poster with his trademark vipers, I knew something big was in the works. After the G.O.A.T.’s historic victory over Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41, I had no idea he would be the one to put Cena to the test next.
Hello, old friend. pic.twitter.com/tTSD8zCLTL
— Randy Orton (@RandyOrton) April 22, 2025
After the new champion delivered another brilliant promo, Orton sneaked up behind Cena on Raw and delivered an RKO. While the Viper set things up, Orton also sent Cena another message on social media, this time with a photo of the incident. This goes beyond the nostalgic element.
It’s a prelude to a huge clash that will probably result in backlash. After defeating Rhodes, Cena recently became a 17-time world champion. Orton is the only well-known opponent who would be suitable to face him on his final tour.
At WrestleMania 41, Cena defeated Rhodes to win the title for the seventeenth time. When he appeared on Raw, he scolded the audience and said that no one else was left to confront him. Orton then arrived and launched an assault. Not just Cena and Orton are impacted by this moment; WWE fans who have watched these icons since the middle of the 2000s find it particularly poignant.
Triple H’s management of veteran talent has been extremely advantageous to Orton. He has given them time off when necessary, which appears to have kept them content and enabled them to perform and appear at the top of their game.
Orton appeared as though he had been cut out of the side of a mountain when he arrived at WrestleMania 41 for his spontaneous matchup with Joe Hendry. He appears to be in the best physical condition of his final years, which can only help him win this potentially historic resurgence of his feud with Cena.
This video does a good job of narrating the history of the Cena-Orton rivalry if you need one. Rhodes wasn’t on Raw on Monday, in case you were wondering. He does, however, frequently appear in Clash of Clans commercials alongside other WWE Superstars. WrestleMania 41 was heavily sponsored by the mobile game.
RANDY ORTON RKOS JOHN CENA #RawAfterMania pic.twitter.com/BdtYfrHQSj
— Netflix (@netflix) April 22, 2025
We wouldn’t be surprised if Rhodes made a comeback later this year to assist Orton in overthrowing Cena. You’re probably missing out if you don’t follow WWE Superstars on social media. The stars of this generation know how important it is to continue the narrative on the internet, both during and after programming.
For Backlash, Cena and Orton are headed for a collision. Orton’s RKO, his X post, and the Raw setup raise a few questions, even though nothing is official yet. This Cena-Orton chapter may be the spring storyline WWE relies on now that Rhodes is out of the picture, and the fans are already committed.
