Video flashback: John Cena vs. Randy Orton in OVW
WWE megastars John Cena and Randy Orton have wrestled each other numerous times on pay-per-view the past several years, but here’s one match between them that you probably haven’t seen.
It’s a televised match from Ohio Valley Wrestling – which was WWE’s developmental territory at the time – in 2002. I came across the video on YouTube recently and thought this would be the perfect time to post it since The Ring Posts 25 – with Cena and Orton at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively – just went up a few days ago.
Unlike their WWE rivalry, Orton is the babyface here and Cena – then known as The Prototype – is the heel. It’s pretty amazing to see Orton, then just a 22-year-old kid, as a pandering pretty boy, and Cena, then 25, as a cocky villain.
Enjoy.
Comments
Haha, Orton from the top rope with a cross body. Guarantee you won't be seeing that anytime soon. Also, loving how crap both orton and cena's hair was.
Posted by: Nick Jolley | August 23, 2010 10:00 AM
GREAT video Kevin, thank you !
Posted by: Gregory Asch | August 23, 2010 10:46 AM
Is it me or is Cena trying to sound like the rock? And Orton sounds like the future Cena. Nice hair boys. lol
Posted by: angrybuddha, Melbourne | August 23, 2010 12:00 PM
Vintage Cena! Vintage Orton!
Where's Michael Cole when you need him?
Posted by: jvwalt | August 23, 2010 12:12 PM
My God, Cena is wearing tights!
Posted by: scotty_danger | August 23, 2010 1:23 PM
How young they both look and how different they appear from their WWE characters.
Posted by: Michelle | August 23, 2010 2:53 PM
I miss seeing Jim Cornette on TV.
Nice post Kevin.
Posted by: Bill | August 23, 2010 3:18 PM
I love Cornette on commentary - Porky the Buffet Slayer!!!
Posted by: Alex | August 23, 2010 3:33 PM
Wow, I like heel Cena! Actually, I like Cena overall, I am just very tired of how's he's been booked the last several years.
Hey Kevin, speaking of promising rookies, would you consider posting your predictions for who wins NXT Season 2? I think the final show is next week, not tomorrow, but I'd like to see your guesses and reasoning for who the last two will be and who should win...
Posted by: Jules B. | August 23, 2010 5:10 PM
I usually like Cornette, but he made the Macho Man sound like Vin Scully in this video...
Posted by: eee | August 23, 2010 6:43 PM
That was fun!
The Prototype? I love it!
Cornette is great! He really helped make that match a lot more interesting than it prbab;y was at the time.
Posted by: AMC | August 23, 2010 7:45 PM
Another wrestler they mention is Leviathan who happened to be Batista - see link
Posted by: Peter | August 23, 2010 8:58 PM
"My God, Cena is wearing tights!"
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Yes; he looks like he has dressed for an athletic contest. His attire is far more appropriate than those stupid jean cutoffs he later took to wearing. Also, the Protoplex looks pretty good, better than the FU/Attitude Adjustment.
Posted by: Christopher | August 23, 2010 9:48 PM
It's interesting to see the earlier days for both of them. You can definitely see Cena's always had that sort of goofy, nerdy side to some of his promos by riffing on The Matrix and Star Trek back then, and it's also amusing that Orton went with the Army comment considering how Cena's character is these days.
Posted by: James V. | August 23, 2010 10:57 PM
To those commenting on Cena wearing tights: he wore tights early on when he appeared on WWE TV, most notably during his first two matches where he gave Kurt Angle (both times) a real run for his money. It wasn't until later when they turned him into a heel rapper and put him in the jeans shorts.
Posted by: 99percenter | August 24, 2010 5:19 PM
"My God, Cena is wearing tights!"
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Yes; he looks like he has dressed for an athletic contest. His attire is far more appropriate than those stupid jean cutoffs he later took to wearing. *Also, the Protoplex looks pretty good, better than the FU/Attitude Adjustment.*
Posted by: Christopher | August 23, 2010 9:48 PM
RESPONSE! - The protoplex is the spin out powerbomb Cena's been doing almost every week for his entire WWE career!
Posted by: Andy C | August 29, 2010 8:47 AM
"The protoplex is the spin out powerbomb Cena's been doing almost every week for his entire WWE career!"
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I have watched the video again, and although I agree that the manner in which Cena lifted and cradled Orton is the same, he dropped Orton to his side, as opposed to falling forward with him as currently does almost every week.
Posted by: Christopher | August 29, 2010 4:09 PM
Great nostalgic video! Thanks!!!
Hey Kev, do you have any info on Cena's manager in this match (with the BS briefcase)?
He seemed to have a pretty big role in OVW for Cena.
RESPONSE FROM KE: Kenny Bolin was the top heel manager in OWV for quite a while.
Posted by: KnightKIJ | August 31, 2010 7:10 AM