Randy Orton thanks John Cena, calls him ‘an inspiration’
Randy Orton took time to thank John Cena on following his final match this past weekend.
Notable by his absence at Saturday Night’s Event, Orton explained on social media that he wasn’t at the Washington D.C. event as he was promoting Riyadh Season in Saudi Arabia, where the company will hold the Royal Rumble next month.
“I broke into the wrestling business and grew up for the past 2 decades alongside @johncena I wrestled with or against him 100 times, at least. I would have enjoyed being there in DC for #wwe #snme and witness his emotional send off into retirement. But I know if ANYONE understands my absence, it’s John, because I was in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia #KSA promoting #riyadhseason and #royalrumble,” he said.
He further wrote that the two communicated ahead of his final match at Saturday Night’s Main Event. Orton called Cena an inspiration not only to fans, but also to Orton himself.
“The morning of his retirement we exchanged a few texts, and I was honored to speak with him on such a big day. I look forward to following John’s career in Hollywood AND beyond. Skys the limit with this guy. An inspiration not only to generations of fans, but to myself, who was lucky enough to learn firsthand from one of the most OVER wrestlers ever. Thanks for being so good to my family over the years and thanks for making the lockeroom a better place. Take care John, and I’ll see ya around.”
The two sparred many times for the WWE and World Heavyweight titles throughout the years, most prominently in 2009 and in 2014. Their final match together took place at Backlash, where Cena defeated Orton for the last time.
Bryan Rose is an editor from California that has been covering professional wrestling for well over a decade. He officially joined F4WOnline as an editor in 2017.