John Cena’s record-breaking 17th World Championship reign kicked off on Monday’s Raw with a familiar face crashing the celebration.
Cena opened the show with his first promo as Undisputed WWE Champion, declaring himself “the last real champion” and vowing to retire with the title. But before he could say much more, Randy Orton made a surprise appearance, flooring Cena with an RKO out of nowhere. Orton then posed with the title before placing it on the fallen champion.
WWE has yet to confirm a title match, but all signs point to Orton as Cena’s first challenger. The company’s next Premium Live Event, Backlash, takes place in Orton’s hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, at the Enterprise Center on Saturday, 10 May. Both men are currently advertised for the show.
Cena revealed during his promo that he has just 27 appearances left before he retires in December 2025. Cena won the Undisputed WWE Championship from Cody Rhodes in the main event of WrestleMania 41 night two, with help from rapper Travis Scott. Orton was also in action at the event, defeating TNA World Champion Joe Hendry in an open challenge match. Orton had originally been scheduled to face Kevin Owens, but the bout was scrapped due to Owens’ injury.
Cena and Orton, two icons of the Ruthless Aggression era, have a long history as rivals, facing each other in singles action 20 times in WWE, plus an additional two times in developmental. However, they haven’t gone one-on-one since 2017.
How Did Ric Flair React To John Cena Breaking His 16-Time World Champion Record?
Ric Flair reacted to John Cena becoming the first 17-time world champion at WrestleMania 41 by congratulating his “great friend” on becoming a 17-time champion and expressed that he thought that it was only a “matter of time” before Cena and Rhodes put on a classic match at WrestleMania.
In an interview ahead of Raw, John Cena issued a bold prediction regarding one star.