John Cena vs Randy Orton: Top 5 best singles matches
This coming Tuesday on SmackDown Live, WWE champion John Cena and Randy Orton will do battle after Orton pinned Cena in tag team action this past week. But it will be far from the first time they have faced off, however, as their bad blood dates back to nearly a decade ago.
The former Ohio Valley Wrestling standouts initially went one-on-one in early 2007, and since then, they have had nearly two dozen singles matches against each other. Their upcoming encounter on SmackDown will actually mark the first time they have had a match on the blue brand, interestingly enough.
They may never have had the strongest in-ring chemistry as opponents, but they have produced their fair share of entertaining matches. Before they rekindle their rivalry, let's look back at their five best bouts from over the years.
#5 Hell in a Cell 2009
At Breaking Point 2009, John Cena beat Randy Orton in a less-than-stellar “I Quit” match to win his premiere WWE Championship in nearly two years, but Orton was willing to do whatever it took to get the gold back. And if it meant going to hell and back to do so, then so be it.
Cena and Orton stepped inside Hell in a Cell in October 2009 and battled valiantly over the company's most prestigious prize. The match took place in the middle of the show, sandwiched in between two other HIAC matches, but it was arguably the best of the bunch.
They traded finishers back and forth in an effort to take home the title, but neither were successful. It wasn't until Orton connected with a sadistic punt kick on Cena that he was deemed the victor and the new champion.