John Cena reacts after Randy Orton attacks him on WWE RAW

Modified Apr 22, 2025 10:59 GMT

John Cena ate an RKO outta nowhere on WWE RAW [Image Credits: WWE — John Cena ate an RKO outta nowhere on WWE RAW! [Image via WWE's X]

WWE Superstar John Cena defeated Cody Rhodes to win the Undisputed WWE Championship on Night Two of WrestleMania 41. The 17-time World Champion delivered an in-ring promo on this week’s edition of RAW. However, the segment ended with Randy Orton landing an RKO on Cena. Now, The Franchise Player has reacted to The Viper’s sneak attack.

John Cena spoke to the WWE Universe on the red brand's show after 'Mania and said that he would just appear for 27 more dates before retiring from pro wrestling for good. The 47-year-old also said that he would take the Undisputed WWE Championship belt home with him.

Ending his promo, Cena asked the crowd to click his picture holding the title high. However, the cameras of fans also captured Randy Orton giving him an RKO out of nowhere. The Viper picked up the title and held it high before dumping it on a flattened Cena. Following this, The Greatest of All Time shared a cryptic picture on Instagram, showcasing a person with a clenched fist in front of a man guarding his crotch.

Check out his IG post HERE.

Like his other Instagram posts, this image didn’t carry any caption either. Notably, The Leader of The Cenation won his WrestleMania match against Cody Rhodes after landing a low blow on The American Nightmare. Thus, this post could mean that he wouldn’t hesitate to do the same to Randy Orton.

Randy Orton could face John Cena for the Undisputed WWE Championship at Backlash

A few weeks ahead of The Show of Shows, Randy Orton delivered an in-ring promo with The American Nightmare. The Viper noted that after Rhodes defeated John Cena at WrestleMania 41, he would challenge the 39-year-old for the Undisputed WWE Championship. However, Cody couldn’t overcome his 'Mania opponent owing to a timely interference by rapper Travis Scott.

The FE!N artist distracted Cody Rhodes and even pulled the match referee before he could finish counting to three when Cena was being pinned. Since John is now the champ, it explains why The Apex Predator targeted him on this week’s edition of RAW. Interestingly, the company’s next premium live event, Backlash, will be held in St. Louis.

The Missouri-based city is the home turf of Randy Orton. Thus, the odds of him being Cena’s first challenger are significantly high. This would give rise to yet another match in the epic rivalry between The Viper and The Greatest of All Time.

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It remains to be seen if The Apex Predator goes on to become John Cena’s first title challenger.

About the author

Ankit Singh is a WWE Features writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling. His educational background in psychology helps him gain insight into several storyline twists in pro wrestling. Ankit has been a fan of the industry since childhood; the on-screen action gives him an adrenaline rush and led him to pursue a career in content writing. He has nearly three years of experience in the industry, working for organizations like Essentially Sports and NB Media as a news writer, editor, and scriptwriter.

Ankit started following pro wrestling in high school. At the time, Edge (aka Cope) was making waves as part of his World Heavyweight Title feud with Alberto Del Rio. He grew up watching modern-day greats such as Sheamus, Randy Orton, and John Cena. The Shield was the top faction in WWE in 2012-13, and its breakup storyline made Ankit a lifelong fan of the sport. Orton and Seth Rollins are Ankit’s favorite wrestlers in the men’s division. He admires The Viper’s character work, in-ring skills, and longevity. Meanwhile, he looks up to The Visionary because the latter is a complete wrestler, in his opinion. Ankit likes Liv Morgan’s heel gimmick and promo skills in the women's division. He was also fond of AJ Lee’s presentation and microphone skills in the PG Era.

Besides pro wrestling, Ankit likes to watch anime, play video games, and discover new music.

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Edited by Yash Mittal