Before John Cena retires, he needs to face his greatest WWE challenger yet

John Cena, one of WWE's all-time greats, is nearing the end of his in-ring career. On November 4, the 46-year-old will face Solo Sikoa at Crown Jewel in his first televised one-on-one match in seven months.

Ahead of the event, Cena has repeatedly warned that he does not have long left in the ring. The wrestler-turned-actor's comments prompted talk online about which opponents he should face before hanging up his boots for good.

Including untelevised segments, John Cena has already worked with up-and-coming stars such as Austin Theory, Dominik Mysterio, and Montez Ford in 2023. Showcasing the future of WWE is important, of course, but so is the company's past. And Cena, a 16-time world champion, has more history than most in the Stamford-based promotion.

Between 2001 and 2017, Cena couldn't escape the sights of one particular rival – Randy Orton. The villainous Viper fought WWE's top fan favorite more than 100 times, dating back to their days in developmental. While fans occasionally grew tired of seeing the two men cross paths, everyone could appreciate how gifted the bitter enemies were at their craft.

The Viper has not wrestled since May 2022 due to a serious back injury. Doctors even advised the 14-time world champion never to wrestle again, but recent hints suggest he could return to the ring soon. If that is the case, a renewal of the Cena vs. Orton rivalry would make for must-watch television.

---

Randy Orton wanted to face John Cena at WrestleMania

In November 2019, Randy Orton shared an image of John Cena on the front of a magazine. The cover included the words, "Up for a challenge," prompting Orton to challenge his real-life friend to a match at WrestleMania 36:

"I'm on a flight to London and see this striking young man asking me a question. Why yes @johncena I am up for a challenge, are you? Let's say ohhhh I dunno, #Wrestlemania36 maybe? Or does Hollywood have you booked solid? #WM36"

The WrestleMania 36 match never came to fruition, with Cena facing Bray Wyatt and Orton taking on Edge instead.

To this day, the long-time rivals have never gone one-on-one at WWE's biggest event of the year. Their only previous WrestleMania match against each other came in a triple threat bout in 2008 at WrestleMania 24, but Triple H was also involved.

With Randy Orton reportedly on his way back and John Cena's career concluding, perhaps one more match is not out of the question.

Would you like to see John Cena vs. Randy Orton again? Let us know in the comments section below.