Randy Orton to be forced to face 13-time WWE champion at Backlash instead of John Cena? Potential explored

John Cena was previously tied with Ric Flair as the 16-time world champions. [Images Source: WWE.com] — John Cena was previously tied with Ric Flair as a 16-time world champion. [Images Source: WWE.com]

Randy Orton executed an RKO on John Cena on the latest episode of Monday Night RAW. This led fans to speculate that The Apex Predator would be The Franchise Player's next challenger, but that might not be the case.

Both Cody Rhodes and John Cena are advertised for tonight's episode of WWE SmackDown. On the show, The American Nightmare can ask The Champ for a rematch. The Leader of Cenation could agree, but with one condition. The former Undisputed WWE Champion would have to defeat Randy Orton in a singles match.

John Cena is next advertised for the go-home episode of WWE SmackDown ahead of Backlash 2025. On that episode, Cena could bring in a twist to the singles match and make that a number one contender's match for Backlash, willing to grant a championship match to whoever wins it.

Randy Orton is already advertised for Backlash 2025. However, instead of John Cena, who has only 26 appearances left, The Legend Killer might face Rhodes in a number one contender's match at Backlash.

Cody Rhodes may win the match and face John Cena in a rematch at Money in the Bank since both stalwarts are advertised for the premium live event.

John Cena sent a message to Randy Orton following the attack on WWE RAW

The sneak attack on The Leader of the Cenation shifted the power dynamics within seconds. John Cena was claiming himself to be the last real champion when The Apex Predator showed the WWE Universe otherwise.

Following the attack, The Franchise Player sent a cryptic message to Orton through his X account.

"Some days we’re the dog, some days we’re the hydrant. Just don’t spend too many days being nothing."

It remains to be seen how the situation between John Cena and Cody Rhodes progresses on tonight's SmackDown.

About the author

Shuvangi Sen Chaudhury is a pro wrestling journalist at Sporstkeeda, covering the biggest trends in the world of WWE and sports entertainment. She did her bachelor's at Royal Holloway, University of London, and has been an avid fan of various sports since childhood.

Shuvangi has over four years of experience creating content for football, cricket, and pro wrestling. She has worked for prominent news outlets like The Inquisitr and EssentiallySports. Focused on making her work reliable and accurate, Shuvangi sources information for her articles from credible sources like Cagematch and ProfightDB.

Shuvangi’s current favorite pro wrestler is Seth Rollins. She admires The Visionary for his remarkable reign with the World Heavyweight Championship between May 2023 and April 2024. She believes Rollins made the title relevant after its reintroduction by consistently defending it against a diverse set of opponents.

If allowed to rework a WWE storyline, Shuvangi would have featured Roman Reigns on weekly TV in a more prominent role leading up to his main event matches at WrestleMania XL. She believes The Tribal Chief was overshadowed by The Rock in The Bloodline-Cody Rhodes saga.

When not covering pro wrestling, Shuvangi loves to watch Formula One and cricket. She wants to try her hand at writing F1 content in the future.

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Edited by Arsh Das