John Cena, for the first time in his career, Backlash, being billed as their last face-off before Cena's retirement.

In what's supposed to be one of the biggest matches of the last Cena run, some fans are left wondering why a match of this magnitude, in a feud that's spanned over two decades, is ending for good at Backlash as opposed to the first two-night SummerSlam this August. However, this match potentially sets up Cena's next feud, another classic John Cena opponent in his career, and someone who fans thought they'd never see back in a WWE ring until things changed in 2023: CM Punk.

John Cena vs. Randy Orton Is Too Good for Backlash

A Feud That's 25 Years Old Should Have a Larger Sendoff

Since they both debuted in WWE almost 25 years ago, John Cena and Randy Orton have remained in each other's crosshairs, having a total of 21 matches over their careers, including nine for either the WWE Championship or the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. In all of these matches, Orton has remained the heel, the Legend Killer, the Bane to Cena's Batman, except for this build, as Cena aligned himself with The Rock and Travis Scott at Elimination Chamber to eventually win his record-breaking 17th WWE Championship.

With such a wrestling pedigree and rich history between John Cena and Randy Orton, this match feels more appropriate for the main event of this year's SummerSlam, as the event has its first two-night outing in New Jersey. Although WWE has attempted to try and make all live events feel as big as the "Big Four" shows, this match feels extra special, and could have been saved for August, and allowed for a larger build, and only one real reason for an earlier match at Backlash would be to provide CM Punk the opportunity to challenge John Cena one last time.

John Cena Will Likely Face CM Punk at SummerSlam

Punk Is Out for Blood From Both Cena and The Rock

One of the biggest moments in recent WWE history was the return of CM Punk, the veteran Superstar and one of John Cena's greatest rivals, who returned after an almost 10-year absence to begin his quest back to the top of the WWE landscape. Immediately following Cena's heel turn at Elimination Chamber, CM Punk gave an imioned and uncensored promo calling out both The Rock and John Cena, telling him that once he dispatched Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, he'd be coming for Cena.

CM Punk is no stranger to John Cena in the ring, having 15 previous matches going back to 2009, with the 2011 Money in the Bank match giving wrestling fans one of the greatest visual moments of all time: CM Punk climbing over the barrier with the WWE Championship while blowing Vince McMahon a kiss on his way out. If there was ever an opportunity to give fans one final John Cena vs. CM Punk moment, as well as a match that became a dream match for almost ten years, it would be at August's SummerSlam, and unquestionably as the main event of Night Two.

Did WWE Waste the Final Cena vs. Orton Match?

If the Plan Is For Cena vs. Punk, the Answer Is No

John Cena officially retires in December after a career spanning over two decades, and with his retirement comes the official beginning of the end for some of the last remaining Superstars from the Ruthless Aggression Era. Cena faces Randy Orton for the last time on Saturday night, and for what feels like the biggest final match of each of their careers, it's easy to feel like the opportunity is wasted by not being at a major live event.

Backlash may not seem like the right option for their final match, but WWE rarely wastes a moment like this in the Triple H Era, and if nothing else, John Cena and Randy Orton are going to deliver in a major way, as Bane and Batman squaring off never misses, either. The opportunity to have CM Punk end his feud, and potentially John Cena's 17th WWE Championship reign, is a much larger moment for fans to experience one last time, and the build for this could be extraordinary, especially if The Rock is (finally, hopefully) involved in the build up to SummerSlam.