Randy Orton: A Superstar Left Awestruck by John Cena’s Final Plans
Randy Orton, a call synonymous with WWE greatness, currently found himself in an sudden position—feeling greater like a fan than a fellow superstar—at some point of a candid communique with John Cena. This revealing exchange among two of WWE’s maximum iconic figures happened on the Money within the Bank event, where Cena shocked the sector via saying his upcoming retirement tour in 2025. Orton’s choice to face Cena one last time was met with a reaction that left him questioning his personal popularity within the wrestling international.
John Cena, a 16-time international champion, has constantly been acknowledged for his paintings ethic and dedication to the craft. His declaration that he will be competing for the very last time at the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania in 2025 despatched shockwaves thru the WWE Universe. Fans have been nonetheless processing the information when Orton shared his enjoy of catching up with Cena backstage at Money within the Bank.
Orton, speaking to Cody Rhodes on the podcast “What Do You Wanna Talk About?” recounted the short but meaningful communication he had with Cena. According to Orton, he become unaware of Cena’s retirement plans and had casually advised that they face off one more time. However, Cena’s response was each humbling and unexpected.
“Funny story,” Orton began. “I saw John before he went in there and did his retirement speech. I hadn’t seen him in a while. We caught up in like ten minutes. Towards the end of the conversation, I was like, ‘Hey, what do think?’ I had no idea he was…what did he say, between 30 and 40 dates? This Mania is his last Mania. I had no idea. For all I knew, he was going to be around, like me, for as long as his body will permit him to.”
Orton went on to express his admiration for Cena’s ability to balance his wrestling career with his successful ventures in Hollywood, a path Orton himself acknowledged he could not follow due to other priorities. But it was Cena’s response to Orton’s suggestion of one more match that left the Viper feeling like a mere fan.
“I said, ‘What do you think?’ He said, ‘Randy, I’ve never pitched anything. I always do my best with whatever they give me.’ I’m like, that’s me. I’ve never had a pitch. I’ve never set myself up to be let down.”
Orton admitted that when he brought up the idea of another match, Cena shut it down almost immediately, saying, “If creative comes up with it, maybe we’ll do it.” This straightforward answer left Orton feeling like he had overstepped his bounds, a rare feeling for someone of his stature.
“I felt kind of like a mark,” Orton confessed. “‘You want to do one more?’ He shut it down right away and said, ‘If creative comes up with it, maybe we’ll do it.’ I said, ‘What’s your speech about?’ ‘Wait and see.’ Typical John. Watch the show to see what I have to say.”
Despite the disappointment, Orton couldn’t help but reflect on the legacy he shares with Cena. Their rivalry, once criticized for being overexposed, has aged like fine wine in the eyes of the fans. Orton expressed his desire to reignite that rivalry, not just for his sake, but for the WWE Universe who would undoubtedly relish the nostalgia.
“I would love to work with the man and have a couple of TVs or more to set it up and really make something special of it. No matter how much we faced each other back in the day, almost to the point where people were sick of it, when people look back and think of it, ‘Orton and Cena was this amazing rivalry.’”
Orton remains hopeful that their paths will cross in the ring one final time, but he acknowledges that it will only happen if it occurs naturally. “I guess, according to John, we’re just going to let, if it organically happens, it’ll happen. I think it’ll happen. I think it’s in the cards.”
When Did Randy Orton Last Face John Cena?
Randy Orton and John Cena have locked horns over three hundred times at some point of their illustrious WWE careers. However, they have got most effective confronted every different in TV and pay-in step with-view singles matches on 23 occasions. Their closing great stumble upon passed off on February 7, 2017, at some stage in an episode of SmackDown. In that match, Cena emerged positive, although the bout become marred through interference from Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper.
Despite their storied history, the chance of one very last clash between these two legends hangs in the balance. For now, Orton—and the WWE Universe—must wait to see if the stars will align for one last epic showdown.
