A Nightmare haunts the champion? 5 Possible finishes for John Cena vs. Randy Orton at WWE Backlash 2025

Randy Orton gets the first crack at new Undisputed WWE Champion John Cena when the two face off at Backlash 2025. The pairing was done for a few reasons.

One big issue is that the PLE takes place in Orton's hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. The other is that The Viper shares a long and complicated history with Cena.

Since the new champ won the title through nefarious means, he may resort to those tactics again to keep his championship. He also wronged many people on the way to his heel turn. The next five outcomes are possible when Cena faces Orton at WWE Backlash 2025.

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#5. Someone interferes to help Cena win

Travis Scott marred the main event of WrestleMania 41 when he came to the ring to face Cody Rhodes. The distraction helped Cena win the title, and the musician was also present for Cena's historic heel turn.

It feels like something fishy will influence the outcome at Backlash, and having someone help the champ win feels like a strong possibility.

It would be crazy to think that the Rock will appear at Backlash after no-showing WrestleMania 41. However, The Final Boss or Cena could collect another soul in St. Louis and add another minion to their side.

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#4. Randy Orton wins the Undisputed WWE title

Could Randy Orton make history of his own at Backlash? (Image Credit: WWE.com).

Of all the active male WWE stars, Randy Orton is the closest to matching and/or breaking John Cena's 17 World Championship wins. He currently sits at 14 reigns but doesn't have many years ahead of him.

The Viper's body has endured a lot of damage over the last five years—so much so that he's returned bigger and bigger after each ailment.

That extra muscle has to put extra strain on his body and its prior injuries. Since he's the closest to matching Cena, The Viper could walk out of his hometown with his 15th World title victory.

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#3. John Cena wins clean at Backlash

Will it be one-and-done for John Cena as Undisputed WWE Champion? (Image Credit: WWE.com)

The most straightforward finish could be a clean win at Backlash for John Cena. He just won the title, albeit through nefarious means.

There are many other stories to tell before he loses the belt. For that reason alone, officials could book the champ to go over his longtime rival cleanly.

This decision would also keep the outcome between the rivals instead of relying on a celebrity or board member's interference. It would also be a definitive statement, and Orton can survive losing clean at this point in his career.

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#2. Cody Rhodes's revenge helps Randy Orton win

The biggest albatross around the Undisputed WWE Championship is the absence of Cody Rhodes. The American Nightmare carried the company as its face after beating Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40.

Cena beat him for the title, albeit by nefarious means. Not only did Travis Scott ruin the match, but Cena also cheated numerous times to claim his 17th title.

Since so much was made of the record-breaking 17th title win, Rhodes could return to end Cena's reign before it can get going. Interfering would help his friend but also stick it to the man who didn't defeat him cleanly for a historic win.

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#1. Cena cheats to win

If no one shows up to influence the outcome between Randy Orton and John Cena at Backlash, there's a strong chance of the champ blatantly cheating to retain his belt.

Cena has embraced his heel turn, mocking the fans while also trying to blindside foes in the ring. He's not above cheating again, and one need only look at how Roman Reigns kept the title for four years to get an idea of what The Franchise Player might do.

Depending on the length of their feud, Cena could cheat to defeat his longtime rival. That would give The Viper grounds for a rematch at Saturday Night's Main Event or Money in the Bank.