John Cena Retains Undisputed WWE Title in Chaotic Match at Backlash – John Cena remains the Undisputed WWE Champion after surviving a brutal and chaotic clash with Randy Orton in the main event of WWE Backlash: St. Louis.
Billed as “One Last Time,” the high-stakes match delivered a dramatic conclusion to the long-standing rivalry between Cena and Orton—marking their first singles meeting since 2017. The bout was laced with multiple referee bumps, shocking interference, and no shortage of carnage.
The finish came after R-Truth ran in to stop Orton from delivering a punt kick to Cena. Orton dropped R-Truth with an RKO, but that allowed Cena to capitalize. The champion hit Orton with a low blow, followed by a vicious shot with the Undisputed WWE Title belt. That was enough to knock Orton out cold and allow Cena to score the pinfall victory.
The match saw its first ref bump when Chad Patton was thrown into the steel steps at ringside. A second official later took a shot from the Undisputed WWE Title during the chaos. Outside the ring, Orton hit Cena with two Attitude Adjustments—first through the announce table and then through another table set up at ringside.
As tensions escalated, SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis came to ringside and was met with an RKO from Orton. The Viper didn’t stop there—laying out producers Hurricane Helms and Jamie Noble with RKOs as well.
Both men traded signature moves throughout, with Cena landing multiple Attitude Adjustments and Orton dishing out several RKOs in return. Despite the punishment, Cena found a way to retain, marking his first successful defense since dethroning Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41 Sunday.
If this was indeed the final singles match between John Cena and Randy Orton, Cena closes the book on their legendary feud with a 14-7-2 advantage in head-to-head contests.
John Cena Retains Undisputed WWE Title in Chaotic Match at Backlash
