WWE Accused of Lazy Booking Ahead of John Cena vs. Randy Orton Backlash Match

Former WWE head writer Vince Russo is tearing into WWE’s creative team over what he sees as lazy booking leading up to John Cena vs. Randy Orton at WWE Backlash. On the BroDown podcast with Mac Davis, Russo called out Triple H and his team for making the Undisputed WWE Title match “so freaking telegraphed.”

Russo’s criticism comes after the May 9 episode of SmackDown, where Randy Orton once again laid out Cena with an RKO. The segment saw Cena cut a passionate promo about facing Orton one last time in St. Louis. Cena went on to say that Orton has been “lying to himself for years” and claimed that “the Viper is only in WWE thanks to his family.” He also added that Orton doesn’t show “Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect.”

Cena then went for the jugular, referencing Orton’s past drug test failure: “I will make Randy Orton, just like his 2006 drug test: a failure.” After delivering the line, Cena hit an Attitude Adjustment on a masked body double pretending to be Orton. The real Orton then slid into the ring and dropped Cena with a third RKO in as many weeks, standing tall with the Undisputed WWE Title to close the show.

Russo wasn’t impressed with the buildup, calling the storyline too predictable. “Orton hits Cena with three RKOs in three weeks, so what? You think Orton is gonna beat Cena? It’s so telegraphed, Mac. It’s like they don’t even try to throw you off,” he said.

Russo also questioned why fans would even bother tuning in to Backlash, given how the storyline has been laid out. “Just based on predictability, I don’t know why anybody would spend two minutes of their time watching that match,” he added. “There is no way Orton would ever win that freaking match.”

John Cena’s WWE run has been dubbed a retirement tour, and he’s carrying the Undisputed WWE Title after defeating Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41. With his career winding down, Cena made it clear on SmackDown that his upcoming match with Orton would be their last clash.

The match goes down later tonight at WWE Backlash in Orton’s hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, where Cena will defend the title in front of what is expected to be a hostile crowd.