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John Cena vs. Randy Orton will happen for the 22nd time at WWE Backlash this Saturday in St. Louis, Missouri. Cena defends his Undisputed WWE Championship against Orton, who wants to inch closer to his rival's record. The Viper has 14 WWE World title reigns, while Cena is on his record 17th reign.
According to WWE.com, this upcoming match will be the 10th WWE World title match of their rivalry. The Cenation Leader is leading the all-time televised matchup at 13-7-1, but The Viper has the lead in title matches at 5-4.
Before their clash in Orton's hometown this Saturday, let's look at the three best and three worst matches between two of the greatest WWE Superstars in history.
#3 Worst: John Cena vs. Randy Orton on RAW - Dec. 14, 2009
This match is the only one not for a WWE World Championship on this list. It happened on the December 14, 2009 episode of Monday Night RAW. John Cena and Randy Orton battled it out for the honor of being named Superstar of the Year at the Slammys.
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It was their fifth one-on-one match of the year, so fans weren't so thrilled when it happened. They were fighting for something, but it might have been a better match if it had not been held in 2009. It wasn't special, and the lack of in-ring psychology really hurt the quality of the match.
In the end, it was the typical win by The Cenation Leader. He fought and came back against Orton, and of course, "Cena Wins Lol."
#3 Best: John Cena vs. Randy Orton at Breaking Point 2009
A contender for this spot was John Cena and Randy Orton's match at No Way Out 2008. That match ended in a disqualification win for Cena after Orton slapped referee Mike Chioda. It was an unusual ending but made sense for the type of character Randy was at the time.
The "I Quit" Match for the WWE Championship at Breaking Point was the second of five one-on-one matches between Cena and Orton in 2009. It had a predictable finish since Cena's gimmick is (or was) that he doesn't quit.
Despite the predictability of it, the two future Hall of Famers put on a show by having a really physical match. Orton beating a handcuffed Cena with a kendo stick stood out, as well as the way The Legend Killer said "I Quit" via a modified STF en route to losing his title.
#2 Worst: John Cena vs. Randy Orton at SummerSlam 2009
There was a lot of hype entering this match since it was the continuation of the feud between John Cena and Randy Orton that started two years before. Cena suffering a torn pectoral muscle put their feud on hold.
However, it didn't live up to the hype because of several false finishes, restarts, and interference. Mr. McMahon restarted the match twice after Orton intentionally got himself disqualified and counted out. The Legend Killer initially retained the WWE Championship, but a second referee convinced the main ref that Orton used the rope for leverage.
Cena was about to win by submission when a fan from the crowd assaulted the referee. After the fan, who turned out to be Brett DiBiase, was removed, Orton hit an RKO on his rival to remain the WWE Champion. The crowd never got into it because every false finish and restart killed whatever momentum they were building.
#2 Best: John Cena vs. Randy Orton at SummerSlam 2007
This match for the WWE Championship started it all between John Cena and Randy Orton. Cena was having a historic reign and Orton had finally found his comfort zone as The Legend Killer. It was also their first match at a big event, and both men delivered.
Fans weren't fatigued at this point, and it was a fresh matchup, which certainly helped the quality of it. Orton's in-ring psychology was on full display here, while Cena proved that fans who said he "can't wrestle" were wrong.
The two future legends had the crowd on their feet, with Orton surviving an STF and hitting an RKO on Cena, who kicked out at the last moment. The champ eventually hit the Attitude Adjustment to retain his title.
#1 Worst: John Cena vs. Randy Orton at Unforgiven 2007
The follow-up to their SummerSlam match at Unforgiven was the opposite. Randy Orton became unhinged after losing to John Cena, attacking Cena's father on an episode of RAW and punting him in the head.
Fans were expecting a great match, but it ended with Cena getting disqualified after failing to stop himself from hitting Orton while he was on the ropes. The referee had to ring the bell, prematurely ending it.
While Cena's actions made sense, it was the penultimate match of the night and was for the WWE Championship. They could have booked it on RAW rather than at a pay-per-view. They might have planned something big for the two, but Cena would tear his pec less than a month later in a match against Mr. Kennedy.
#1 Best: John Cena vs. Randy Orton at Bragging Rights 2009
At this point in time, fans were tired of seeing John Cena and Randy Orton face each other. They were playing hot potato with the WWE Championship, and an Anything Goes 60-Minute Iron Man match between the rivals probably didn't help expectations.
However, Cena and Orton delivered their best match to date. Every win was different, as the creativity of all those involved showed. They did it all during this match, from technical wrestling to physical brawling to interference and even cheating.
The rivals told a great story in an exhausting match, with Cena showing a lot of fighting spirit against Orton's nasty work as a despicable bad guy. With the match tied 5-5, the Master of the RKO went for the punt kick, but Cena countered and locked in the STF for almost a minute before the champ tapped out with four seconds left.
