Veteran NFL writer and Pat McAfee Show contributor Mark Kaboly lists his Top 5 favorite John Cena vs. Randy Orton matches that spanned over the past 20 years. Cena will put his Undisputed WWE Championship on the line at WWE Backlash on May 10 at 7 ET/4 PT inside the Enterprise Center in St. Louis shown on Peacock in the U.S. and Netflix internationally.
THE SETUP
It is like Peyton Manning against Tom Brady one last time. Or Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird, or one more Ali/Frazier bout. Two of the most decorated Superstars of all time will meet for “One Last Time” in The Viper’s hometown of St. Louis for the Undisputed WWE Championship at WWE Backlash. The 17-time World Champion Cena and the 14-time World Champion Orton have had some legendary matches over their storied careers but haven’t stepped into the ring together for a singles match for what will be 3,014 days. The two have met 21 times, with nine of those being title matches. Cena is 13-7-1 against Orton, with RKO having a 5-4 advantage when the championship was on the line. With Cena in the midst of his retirement tour and the match being now tagged as “One Last Time,” it’s surely the final time that we will see the future WWE Hall of Famers in the ring together. It’s Cena vs. Orton “One Last Time.” There is no need to explain in detail why it is a big deal.
1
“WWE BRAGGING RIGHTS” (Oct. 25, 2009, Mellon Arena, Pittsburgh): It might not be everybody’s favorite, but it is mine. I am usually not a fan of anything resembling a 60-Minute Match, but a fourth straight PLE Heavyweight Championship bout over a span of two months between the two Superstars seemed like a fitting conclusion to this version of the rivalry. The “Anything Goes WWE Iron Man Match” gave it a different twist, along with the stipulation that if Cena was defeated by Orton then Cena would have to leave Raw. Despite an hour in the ring together that resulted in 11 falls, each one was unique, which is not easy to do. There was some chicanery with Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr. interfering, and Kofi Kingston coming to Cena’s aid. There was a double pin, Cena pinning Orton outside the ring, the referee getting knocked out, which kept the 13,000 fans in attendance engaged. Cena won the match with an STF as Orton tapped out with five seconds remaining, thus ending the nearly two-year rivalry.
2
WWE BREAKING POINT” (Sept. 13, 2009, Bell Centre, Montreal): You have to love an “I Quit” Match pitting two rivals against each other. To get a Superstar to utter the words “I Quit,” something special has to happen. Orton put on a vile display of terror inside the ring and looked like a deranged villain in the process. Orton and Cena both were five-time World Champions at this clash, so they were already being viewed as the present and the future of the company. Playing off an RKO that was administered to Cena on Raw the previous week, Orton targeted Cena with a monitor, followed by a draping DDT, followed by a steel steps assault and a stomp. There was the Kendo stick to the ribs when Cena was cuffed to the ring and the chair shots. Orton was unhinged, and Cena sold the blows like the champ he would become. The unique finish of using the chain of cuff to gain leverage for the STF forced Orton to quit. It was a special match.
3
“SUMMERSLAM 2007” (Aug. 26, 2007, Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford): SummerSlam 2007 was the first match of real importance in the WWE between the two, and they gave a peek into the future of the company with the main event masterpiece. Orton showed off his talent while Cena, getting some backlash from the fans despite being a good guy, created a unique atmosphere. Cena won the match to retain the title, but to me, that was secondary. To be able to compete at one of the biggest PLEs of the year and begin one of the best rivalries the company has seen makes this match Mt. Rushmore worthy.
4
4. “WWE NO WAY OUT” (Feb.17, 2008, Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas): The champion Orton was on top of the class, and everybody wanted a piece of him. Cena was coming off a pec injury and was a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble and wasted no time saying he planned to face Orton. It set the stage for the PLE that didn’t quite go as Cena planned. With Orton being a classic heel, he was able to play that role to perfection and get disqualified to retain his title and leave Cena feeling empty. The crowd was really hot for this match, which gave it an edge. What it will be remembered for most is Orton slapping referee Mike Chioda across the face to force the DQ to retain his title. The look of satisfaction on Orton’s face when he got disqualified made the match as he pulled one over on Cena. The overall in-ring action was solid, and the conclusion was unique. The match set up a run of six high-end matches between the two over the next 22 months.
5
5. “WWE HELL IN THE CELL” (Oct. 4, 2009, Prudential Center, Newark): It was Cena’s first bout inside the WWE Hell in the Cell structure while Orton previously took on The Undertaker on his home court. There were plenty of matchups between Cena and Orton in 2009. With Cena holding the Heavyweight Championship, this match is sometimes lost in the shuffle, considering that it was sandwiched in between the WWE Iron Man Match and the “I Quit” Match. The belt changed hands two times prior, with Orton getting it back at Hell in the Cell. It was a very physical match with the stipulation of locking the cell and the winner being named by pinfall or submission only. The match didn’t use the Cell like we’ve been accustomed to, but it was more used as a device to keep Orton from running away. It was a slow match but effective between two stars in their prime. I just liked it then and still do now.
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