[5.0] "I don't know if they don't want to take any risks with Cena after his early return from injury, or if they want to save tons of energy for Wrestlemania, but the match here is very lukewarm and has little entertainment value. There are occasional short sequences of moves that suggest there could be more to come, but these are repeatedly thwarted by self-imposed long rest holds and holding moves. And the finish is downright stupid. Although the crowd is really into this match, they are certainly denying fifty or sixty percent of the available horsepower."
[6.0] "It was the usual Orton vs. Cena match that we have seen many times in their careers. The fans were into the match with loud reactions for a lot of the nearfalls and big moments. They even popped big for guys beating obvious countouts. The finish was controversial since it was Orton blatantly getting disqualified to avoid getting beat by Cena and losing the title. It wasn't a surprise that they would go with a cheap finish since this was only No Way Out and not WrestleMania."
[5.0] "I get the point of the story, but its amusing to me these two had World title matches about 4 to 5 months apart and both were DQs. This one is a little more understandable in the story, but it is still annoying because its basically the whole story here. Orton will do anything to not lose the title to Cena, and it portrays him a little too cowardly than I would like. The match itself is fine but again, with the story, they don't really have to go all out."
[7.0] "A match that is really well worked that I think the finish makes people be a little more down on it than it is. Randy is trying to beat Cena as much as he can but Cena will fight til the end. Randy when the going gets hard tries to get counted out but Cena takes the figbt to Orton and this is Orton's first blunder. Orton breaks the count with Cena at 9 and you can see it in Orton's face that I just messed it up for me to get counted out. Orton almost taps out to the STFU but narrowly escapes. Orton rolling to the outside wants Chioda to count him out claiming he's hurt. Cena calls his bluff but takes an RKO to the outside. Chioda calls his bluff and doesn't like getting made a fool of. Cena breaks the count getting back in and this when Orton knows he is done for. Orton resorts to his last tactic to keep his title and that is slapping Chioda. Chioda DQs Randy which is dumb in a lot of ways but Chioda is a prideful man so I get it. Randy got under his skin. Cena gets the last laugh though by putting the STFU on Randy post match and Chioda is no where to break it up as he left, leaving Randy to suffer in pain all to himself. A hidden match that is worth a watch. ***1/2"
[6.0] "A fairly decent match with a hot crowd, but nonetheless suffers from a laborious pace and a dumb ending (despite it being iconic). Still don't know why Cena cashed in his Rumble win at No Way Out."
[7.0] "[3.5*] Incredibly, the DQ actually helped a lot in this match, as Randy Orton not only knows how to work with John Cena very well. Unlike their last PPV encounter, which ended in a DQ in a clumsy way, this one was actually funny. In a last gasp of foul play, Randy Orton, who had already low-blowed John Cena (without the referee seeing) and hit an RKO outside the ring, slapped Cena when he saw his rival return, just to end the match."
[8.0] "This is how a DQ finish can be good. When it makes sense within the match psychology and overall story. Crowd is just as hot for both guys as they were for their 2 PPV matches before Cena's injury."
[8.0] "This how you book a disqualification in a match. Randy looked like a smart heel. Incredible. The match is your typical Randy Cena encounter with an extra bit of fan fair, thanks to Cena's return, rumble win, first ppv singles match and a month away from Mania 24. Plus the constant fear of thinking Cena might win the title again. I take back what I said on the No Mercy match review, that it was the only time "let's go Randy" was chanted because it was loud and clear here. The men rooting for Randy while the kids and girls cheering for Cena. The unc in the front row was the happiest to see Randy retain, probably more that Randy. 8/10 for how smartly booked this match was. Randy asking for the ref to count him out, only to RKO-ing Cena on the floor. And of course, slapping the ref for a dq. Something tells me this finish is bound to be repeated at Backlash in this."
[7.0] "this match seemed like a typical orton vs cena other then orton tries anyway to just keep the belt which makes this match fun, count out both on cena or himself then getting himself DQd just to keep the belt the crowd is red hot as well"
[8.0] "Easily one of the better normal singles matches that Cena and Orton have had against each other with good in ring action and psychology and the DQ ending with Orton slapping the ref in the face was a bit clever too."
[7.0] "Actually enjoyed this match to be honest and the finish was great a heel using pure logic to retain the championsip is so simple but was a great finish and i tend to hate DQ finishes"
[7.0] "Really interesting match more than anything else. Definitely engaging, even with a bog standard in-ring performance, as Orton's psychological work is off the charts (particularly love how he works for that passive loss only for it to come so easy at the end) and Cena's face in the face of crowd antagonism performance is perfect."
[6.0] "A decent match and once again the fans' mixed reaction to Cena played a huge part in this. The work wasn't anything special - Cena did his usual stuff, Orton was showing his great body language and everything was smooth, but nothing new from them, while the finish was clever with Randy executing it perfectly."
[7.0] "This match is mostly known for when Randy slapped the referee to get himself disqualified, but this was actually a pretty good match. The crowd was very hot and the in ring action was decent for these two. If youve seen one of their matches youve seen them all, only differences are the length and finish."
[5.0] "The best thing about this match was the crowd. They were electric the entire match and never stopped. This was clearly the match they wanted to see most on the whole show. The bout itself started rather predictably. The first half is pretty standard Cena and Orton material. Around the half way mark, it REALLY starts to pick up a lot better, though. They start to get more creative in their moves and storytelling. I was just about to settle on giving this 6 points...and then the finish hits. Orton slaps the ref for a DQ. Really? That's the best we can come up with, guys? Can you more obviously lay it out there that this was nothing but a filler match to get us to Wrestlemania? The slap to the ref was almost like a metaphorical slap to the fans. I can totally understand why the DQ finish was needed, and it fits Orton's character, but was there no better way we could have done it? A low blow? Orton pulling the ref into one of Cena's moves? Was this really the best the creative could come up with? Overall, it's still a decent enough match, but the first half and the finish are not great. It has glimmers of greatness, but not enough to warrant a higher rating from me."
[9.0] "Wow, what an overlooked and underappreciated match this is. This has got to be one of their strongest matches together. It's full of great character work and storytelling. What stood out to me the most is how both men feel 100% authentic in who they present themselves as being - they are very natural in their characters and do so much in terms of their body language that really sets them apart. There is a real attention to detail in the little things with this match, and every move is applied for maximum effect. I really love when both men get carried away brawling on the outside only to race back in at the 9 count. Orton's face is full of frustration, while Cena just smiles at him. It's a fantastic detail that sets up the finish very well - Orton is initially determined to get a legitimate victory over Cena, but balks at the idea later in the match once his confidence is lost. Orton's heel work is really strong in this match, and he sells it all perfectly with very convincing facials. I especially like that neither man ever feels over-the-top or cheesy in a way that we often see these days when wrestlers attempt a similar form of storytelling. I wouldn't go as far as to call it understated, but it certainly doesn't feel quite so hammy and melodramatic. I can understand why the finish is divisive, but I think the context makes it work. Usually DQs are simply cop outs and the result of lazy booking, but in this case the entire story of the match leads up to it, and it feels earned. I really enjoy Orton's desperation just beforehand, too - particularly when he lures Cena in and catches him with a sudden RKO on the floor. I would have liked to see this go longer since it felt like it was really heating up by the time that it ended, but I suppose that would have taken away from the effectiveness of the finish, so I understand why they didn't go that route. Very underrated match that perfectly achieved exactly what was intended."
[6.0] "There was nothing to hate and nothing to love in this match. Like the usual John Cena vs. Randy Orton match, it takes a little bit for it to get interesting. This was Cena's first pay-per-view match since returning to WWE at the 08' Rumble. Orton targeted the shoulder. The fact Cena was getting a WWE World Championship match before WrestleMania was odd and the WrestleMania match would eventually go on to involve these two men at Triple H, but in the moment, fans are probably asking themselves why Cena's a part of this match at all. The finish of the match saved this match from being below average at all. The pop Orton got for winning puts this match at a 6. This match was originally going to get 5 stars out of 10o but after rating their Summerslam 07' match 5 stars, this match was definitely better by a little bit. Orton faked the injury that he had been selling for a few minutes before this spot even happened (so there was a good amount of setup to make it believable), and right as Chioda is about to throw the match out, Orton kicks Cena and hits a quick RKO on the outside. The sudden slap to Chioda, the ensuing pop, and Orton's smile after it happened was an entertaining moment that warranted a whole star in itself. All matches start off at 5 stars for me and based on how the match goes the rating can go up or down."
[9.0] "Holy fuck an underrated one, didn't expect much but I'm surprised, Cena was super motivated, his explosiveness was the best part the match, it's the classic Orton formula but it worked for this one (like a lot of other matches because I think Orton's style is the over hated style in wrestling history) I don't know why, maybe because of the great camera work, but I found Orton's Garvin Stomps extra vicious. Unlike the last match, I didn't mind the finish because this one lasted longer and made sense. And also unlike only the last one, the post match is excellent with Cena destroying Orton with the STFU (without his father thankfully). [****1/2]"
[7.0] "Went and watched this after seeing a clip of the finish on YouTube and yeah, solid work from both guys and I have to admit I like the finish though I can see why its divisive. Its a cop out but it does suit Randys character and the story of the match and it worked for me."
[4.0] "They had a match, it was okay. Randy attempted to get counted out but snuck an RKO on Cena. Cena beat the count so Randy slapped the ref for a DQ because he didn't want to fight a man who he had just RKO'd on the floor. Lame finish and Cena hit an FU on Randy after the decision. I was surprised by the amount of crowd heat and it definitely improved the match."
[4.0] "The crowd was electric for this bout I'll give it that, but I think the psychology was off for this one. They played it up on the video package as Cena trying to get revenge on Orton for injuring him and forcing him to vacate the belt. How does he get his revenge? Simple, basic wrestling. Furthermore, Orton doesn't want to beat Cena, he just wants to retain his belt... so why does he try to beat the 10 count one time, and then tells the referee to count him out the second time? At least the DQ finish makes sense this time. I really wanted to like this match but I couldnt. It was barely passable."
[8.0] "From what I remember this match was good, great finish by Orton slapping referee Chioda. Cena flips out of that DQ and STF on Orton. This is their best 1 on 1 match until Breaking Point 2009."
[6.0] "It was a fine match between Orton and Cena, they have chemistry that is certain. I just wish that the match wouldn't have ended the way it did."
[9.0] "I never get why to this day they didn? t do this at Wrestlemania. Is it just Triple H being an egotistical knob? Probably. This in 2022 is a match that has been done to death but their early matches feel so fresh, even now. They had some great matches around this time as well. This one is one of those great matches. Orton was fantastic in this match. Offensively he does all the Orton tropes but there is more purpose to them. He punches his way into control early in the match, even punching the surgical repaired pectoral muscle - awesome heel move - and unleashing nasty stomps on the ankle and chest. Even his headlock looked deadly. Orton is great when on point and he was on point in this match. Cena did what Cena does and perfectly fit his performance to his opponent? s work. His selling was perfect. He sold everything like death, the aforementioned headlock especially. His brief comebacks were full of fuel and had the crowd cheering all the way when he was exploding. Even the ones who were booing him previously. The finish was a work of genius. Orton feels the pain from the applied STF and decides to wuss out, asking Chioda to count him out and when that doesn? t work when Cena interrupts the plan, he slaps the ref and causes the DQ. I loved that. That is great character work, perfectly implemented with teases and protects the match result a while longer. Epic match. ****1/2"
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