When was the last time John Cena faced Randy Orton in WWE?

On the most recent episode of WWE RAW, Randy Orton surprised John Cena with an RKO. When Cena was giving a speech, The Viper came from behind and took out the Undisputed WWE Champion.

The two have had one of the longest-running rivalries in WWE history. Between their first encounter in 2005 and their last match, the legends have faced each other a total of 22 times. Their final singles clash came on February 7, 2017, during an episode of SmackDown Live. Now, it looks like history is about to repeat itself.

By 2017, John Cena was the WWE Champion, and Orton had just won the Royal Rumble, setting the stage for a high-stakes main event. The match took place in Seattle, Washington, living up to expectations. The action was intense, with both superstars giving it their all. Bray Wyatt, who was aligned with The Viper at the time, provided support at ringside.

John Cena fought back, delivering his signature moves, including a sudden 5 Knuckle Shuffle and Attitude Adjustment, but Orton managed to kick out. After a top-rope DDT and an RKO, it looked like he had won the match—until The Cenation Leader kicked out again.

While they were in the STF, Wyatt interfered. The brawl led to Luke Harper running in and attacking Wyatt. In the final moments, Cena hit a second Attitude Adjustment on The Apex Predator to pick up the win.

Interestingly, they never had a one-on-one match at Mania. In terms of winning, John Cena leads with 13 wins over Randy Orton, including DQ victories. Now, with the latest turn of events, it looks like the WWE Universe will experience nostalgia with both of them going against each other again.

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How did John Cena respond after The Viper's attack?

On the RAW after WrestleMania 41, John Cena celebrated his huge win over Cody Rhodes to become the Undisputed WWE Champion. During his in-ring promo, Cena emotionally revealed that he plans to retire soon, with only 27 more appearances left in his WWE career.

Just as he asked the fans to snap a final photo of him holding the title high, The Apex Predator struck with a sudden RKO out of nowhere, leaving The Champ laid out in the ring. Orton then picked up the championship, raised it above his head, and tossed it onto Cena’s body, sending a clear message.

In response to the attack, The Cenation Leader posted a cryptic image on Instagram—a screencap of Jean-Claude Van Damme's character in the 1988 film Bloodsport hitting his opponent with a low blow. Fans quickly connected the dots, remembering Cena’s controversial low blow on Cody Rhodes at the main event.

The post might be Cena hinting he’s ready to do whatever it takes if Orton steps up to challenge him. With WWE Backlash on the horizon, many are wondering if John Cena vs. Randy Orton for the title could be the next big showdown.