WWE Planning Historic Rivalry for John Cena After WrestleMania 41

WWE may have inadvertently revealed plans for John Cena’s first championship defense should he defeat Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41. The company recently announced Backlash 2025, which will take place on May 10 at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

During the initial hours after the announcement, the Backlash premium live event WWE page featured John Cena and Randy Orton as the promotional superstars. This brief listing appears to indicate both competitors are planned for the event.

The promotional pairing suggests Randy Orton could be Cena’s first challenger if Cena defeats Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania. St. Louis is Orton’s hometown, making this potential championship match particularly significant.

This marketing decision represents another hint that Cena might win his record-breaking 17th world championship at WrestleMania 41. WWE has also scheduled Cena to appear on the April 25 edition of SmackDown at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.

Cena turned heel at the 2025 Elimination Chamber after winning the Men’s Chamber Match. He aligned with The Rock after Rhodes refused to join forces with “The Final Boss.”

The confrontation between Cena and Rhodes escalated when Cena attacked The American Nightmare, leaving him bloodied in the ring. This shocking heel turn dramatically altered Cena’s trajectory heading into WrestleMania.

A potential Cena-Orton match would resurrect one of WWE’s most storied rivalries. The two competitors have faced each other numerous times throughout their careers, but this encounter would mark their first match with Cena as the heel and Orton as the fan favorite.

Cena will challenge Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 41. Backlash is scheduled to take place approximately one month after WrestleMania, serving as the first premium live event following WWE’s showcase of immortals.