Vince McMahon was one of the brightest minds in the history of professional wrestling. His dedication to the company and an itch to be number one led WWE to newer heights during the Attitude Era. Since then, Vince has tried to culminate blockbuster rivalries making unique booking decisions. Arguably one of the most coiled-up rivalries was between The Cenation Leader and The Apex Predator.
Randy Orton and John Cena have been two of the most highly decorated superstars in the history of WWE. The premier athletes have crossed paths several times over the decades and have a rivalry tough to top. Together, these wrestlers were Ohio Valley Wrestling’s top prospects for WWE and turned out to be enormous success stories. It’s undeniable that Orton and Cena’s matches turned into ticket office draws no matter their performances.
As their careers progressed, the two developed an even fierce rivalry which saw no stopping as Cena and Orton proved to be vicious for each other. Their feud had so much to deliver that fans cannot remember how brutal segments and matches they had over the years. The duo has gotten through almost everything from John Cena’s father taking a brutal punt kick to an unforgettable I Quit match between the two titans.
Fans also believe that Orton’s 2009 run is one of the best heel runs ever. The Apex Predator took no prisoners as he unleashed his demonic side in front of the WWE Universe. Just a year before his massive heel run, Orton dominated the scene with the WWE Championship walking into WrestleMania 24. The Cenation Leader on the other hand was on a super run as he shocked the world with his Royal Rumble 2008 return.
Vince McMahon decided to give the fans a match that will be talked about forever on Monday Night RAW in 2008 involving Orton and Cena. In a one-time wonder, Cena and Orton joined forces to compete in a massive 17-on-2 Handicap Elimination Match against practically the entire Raw roster.
Vince McMahon devised one of the most unique endings to the historic handicap match
It was a common joke in the WWE that for a period, the only wrestlers the company cared about were Triple H, Randy Orton, and John Cena. On the Road to WrestleMania 24, Cena and Orton put that notion to the test by teaming up against the whole of the Raw roster in a handicap match.
In a weird conclusion, Cena and Orton defeated almost the entire RAW roster via Disqualification. The duo worked effortlessly together and had great in-ring chemistry which helped them several superstars during the initial portion of the match. As the RAW roster wasn’t able to hold back the duo, they attacked Orton and Cena which led to a disqualification win for the rivals.
Talking about the iconic match, Snitsky revealed how it was a nightmare to plan the match. Snitsky was involved in the match and was one of the 17 men on RAW’s side. During an interview, he stated “I just remember the nightmare of trying to set it up. With that many guys involved, it’s almost like a Royal Rumble.” Snitsky further stated how every wrestler had their parts to do and it was a bit confusing to operate a match of such magnitude easily.
To gain momentum for their triple-threat match, Triple H attacked them both after the bout. The idea that Orton and Cena could defeat the Raw roster was, theoretically, absurd. Fans still cherish the moment and talk about how Vince tried to make Cena and Orton the top stars of the company and gave everything to push the fierce rivals.
Triple H, Randy Orton, and John Cena led a thrilling Road to WrestleMania 24
At the 2008 Royal Rumble, Cena shocked the world with his unexpected comeback by defeating Triple H to win the 30-man match. A month later, he challenged Orton for the WWE championship, and the two faced off at No Way Out 2008. Cena used his WrestleMania opportunity at No Way Out which saw another weird finish to their bout.
Orton purposefully slapped the referee in the face during the last moments of the match to get himself disqualified. Orton ended up losing the bout but keeping the belt as he lost the match via disqualification and not by pinfall or submission. Along with the disqualification finish, Triple H closed the show with a dominant Elimination Chamber match victory which guaranteed him a title shot at WrestleMania.
In one of the most grueling feuds heading to WrestleMania, a triple threat match for the WWE Championship featured in the main card of the show. The Apex Predator proved to be worthy of retaining the title and defeated Cena and Triple H at the event in a brutal showdown.