3 Things that will happen if Randy Orton dethrones John Cena at Backlash 2025

John Cena shocked the world by becoming a record-breaking 17-time WWE Champion after defeating Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas.

Backlash 2025 will follow WrestleMania as the next Premium Live Event on the Stamford-based promotion’s calendar. WWE has officially confirmed that John Cena will defend his title against his arch-rival, Randy Orton, at the PLE on May 10.

Although the Last Real Champion is an odd favourite to retain his title against Orton, if The Apex Predator can pull the trigger and defeat Cena, it would mark a historic title change.

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This article looks at three things that might happen if Randy Orton defeats John Cena at Backlash 2025:

#3. John Cena would ruin wrestling for fans

During the buildup to his WrestleMania match against Cody Rhodes, The Cenation Leader vowed to ruin professional wrestling.

Cena could keep up to his promise by delivering yet another lackluster performance, ultimately losing and later revealing that he shattered all the hopes fans had with his “retirement tour,” killing professional wrestling by tarnishing fans’ expectations.

#2. The Rock could return

The Final Boss played an important role in John Cena’s heel turn. The Cenation Leader turned heel after Cody Rhodes rejected The Rock’s lure to sell his soul at the 2025 Elimination Chamber. Cena, alongside Travis Scott and The Rock, attacked The American Nightmare and left him bloodied in the ring.

Since then, The Great One hasn’t made any appearances on WWE television. If somehow Randy Orton manages to beat Cena at Backlash 2025, The Final Boss could return to punish The Apex Predator. It would further lay the foundation for Cody Rhodes' comeback to assist his mentor.

#1. Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes could take place

Since Cody Rhodes became the Stamford-based promotion’s top star, Randy Orton has been an odd favorite as his dream opponents among fans.

Both superstars even share a significant history. The Orton-Rhodes saga could be a blockbuster hit if booked correctly.

The Apex Predator winning the WWE Championship by defeating Cena at 2025 Backlash would open doors for a dream feud. Rhodes could initiate a rivalry with his mentor, Randy Orton.

About the author

Nayan is a WWE News and Features writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling. After completing his bachelor's degree in Mass Communication from Poddar International, he began working as a YouTube script writer. Nayan then transitioned to Pinkvilla as a combat sports writer. He gained valuable experience there before finally coming under the banner of Sportskeeda.

Within 1.5 years, Nayan has written over 1,000 articles, interviewed MFN promotion owners, and conducted a Twitter campaign that gained over 50k retweets and more. He puts fact-checking and mindful journalism above everything by applying a three-check method, where he tries to verify reports from reliable sources and cross-check whether other major publications have covered them.

Looking back at his association with pro wrestling, Nayan recalls being hooked on the sport after watching Shawn Michael vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania 24. Since then, the product has been an inseparable part of his life.

Apart from The Heartbreak Kid being Nayan's favorite wrestler for his confidence and charisma, he is also a fan of Brock Lesnar due to The Beast's "work speaks louder than words" attitude.

Nayan can be found performing mixed martial arts and reading true crime in his free time.

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Edited by Neda Ali