John Cena vs. Randy Orton: Looking back at the five best matches in their storied rivalry before WWE Backlash

There is no shortage of legendary rivalries in the lengthy history of professional wrestling. Not all of those rivalries are created equally, and the quality of many of them is directly associated with the time in a fan’s life in which they took place. The history between John Cena and Randy Orton, who meet for Cena’s undisputed WWE championship in the main event of WWE Backlash on Saturday, fits firmly into that category.

Cena and Orton have met in many big matches over the years, but not all of those matches are of the same quality. In fact, Cena and Orton have met in downright disappointing matches, including a very bad match at SummerSlam 2009.

However, the Orton/Cena rivalry is revered by many, and there are plenty of matches that explain why. Let’s take a look at the five best matches between these legendary superstars.

Paul Heyman defends Solo Sikoa’s arc after Roman Reigns feud: Shouldn’t ‘winning and losing’ mean something?

Shakiel Mahjouri

5. No Way Out 2008

This is a match that many are split on. There are some issues, including the match happening at the event at all. Cena won the Royal Rumble in January and chose to cash in his title shot against Orton at No Way Out in February instead of at WrestleMania. That was a controversial choice by WWE, and still doesn’t make much sense outside of a clunky way to get to Orton vs. Cena vs. Triple H at WrestleMania.

What elevates this match to the top five for me is how into the match the crowd was. By the end of 2009, fans were tired of seeing Cena wrestle Orton, but at No Way Out, the Las Vegas crowd was ravenous throughout. In the end, Orton would hit the referee to intentionally get disqualified and retain his title, leading to a match at Raw the following night with Triple H as special guest referee to set up the WrestleMania triple threat match.

4. Bragging Rights 2009 — 60-minute iron man match

This match was the culmination of a stretch that saw Cena and Orton face each other four times on pay-per-view between August 23 and October 25. The two men had traded the title back and forth a few times, with Orton holding the belt coming into Bragging Rights, so they blew off the situation with a 60-minute iron man match. The match also carried the stipulation that Cena would be moved to SmackDown if he lost the match.

Iron man matches can be tricky to pull off as they require a pacing that allows for conservation of energy while still providing constant drama. Cena’s in-ring skills have been underrated at times, but his strengths aren’t in producing a 60-minute classic along the lines of legendary iron man meetings like Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart at WrestleMania XII. The match overperformed expectations because they smartly paced the match to take advantage of the “anything goes” stipulation, allowing for brawling and interference to take place throughout the match rather than relying on pure move-for-move wrestling. Many place this match as arguably the best between the pair, but I believe Cena and Orton delivered better matches over the years, and this bout suffered from stretches where the crowd disconnected from the action before Cena won the title.

3. Hell in a Cell 2014 — Hell in a Cell match

Cena and Orton had met in a Hell in a Cell match during their run of matches in 2009, but that match was disappointing. Knowing that, there were low expectations heading into a rematch five years later. Instead of the match falling flat again, Orton and Cena adjusted by amping up the intensity. The 2009 match was slow paced with most big moments revolving around the ring steps. In 2014, they brought more of the big spots fans expect from a Hell in a Cell match.

This was a No. 1 contender match to face Brock Lesnar, and the crowd was fully hooked over the final stretch. A series of believable near falls got the fans to buy in, leading to Cena hitting an Attitude Adjustment from the middle rope through a table to get the win. Success on this night came from a lively crowd and the wrestlers overperforming low expectations.

2. Breaking Point 2009 — ‘I Quit’ match

The crown jewel of the 2009 series of matches between Orton and Cena is their “I Quit” match at Breaking Point. This was the ideal stipulation for the two men, as neither is high-spot oriented in ways that raise their TLC or Hell in a Cell matches to this level. Where both excel is in brawls that rely on dramatic moments, and Breaking Point delivered plenty of that drama.

There’s a formula to Cena matches, and that can wear on anyone — and was a key part of why he faced such resistance from fans over the years. That formula exists in the match, with Cena making a super heroic comeback after being punished by the heel. But the ride to get to that moment was filled with big moments, such as Cena being handcuffed to the ring post and hit repeatedly with a kendo stick. Breaking Point 2009 is the best gimmick match Cena and Orton ever had.

1. SummerSlam 2007

This was the first singles pay-per-view match between Orton and Cena, and it stands out as their best because it was two “young” (Cena was 30, Orton was 27) wrestlers, fresh to the rivalry and without needing to lean on any stipulations like the three matches ranked directly below. The crowd was not completely burned out on either man or the rivalry as a whole, and like other matches on the list, things are boosted by the fans reacting well throughout.

Both men were at the top of their game for this match, and even Cena’s normal flaws, such as not being a strong seller, were not on display on this night. The final stretch of the match was red hot, with Orton hitting an RKO to have the match won, only for a fierce Cena rally to turn things around. SummerSlam 2007 was a bad event, especially for the 20th edition of a WWE flagship event, but Cena vs. Orton stands out as one of the night’s few memorable matches.