John Cena Thanks Randy Orton, HHH Praises LA Knight and Jey Uso Wants McGregor in WWE

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Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

Cena Thanks Orton For Playing Important Role in Career

Ahead of Randy Orton’s highly anticipated in-ring return at Survivor Series on Saturday, longtime friend and rival John Cena paid tribute to The Viper on social media.

In a Thanksgiving post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Cena noted that he is thankful for all of the people who helped him along the way in his life and career, including Orton:

Cena and Orton essentially came up together in WWE, beginning their career in the OVW developmental territory. Included in his tweet was some video of Cena’s final match against Orton in OVW.

Orton and Cena both made their main roster debut in 2002, and since then they have gone on to become two of the most successful performers in the history of pro wrestling.

Cena is tied with Ric Flair for the most world title reigns of all time with 16, while Orton isn’t far behind with 14.

Both Orton and Cena had their fair share of great matches an rivalries over the years, but there is little doubt that they are among each other’s greatest opponents.

Cena recently ended his most recent stint with the company in order to return to his primary gig of acting in major Hollywood movies, and it just so happens to coincide with Orton’s return.

The Apex Predator has been out for a year and a half due to a back injury, but on Monday night’s episode of Raw, Cody Rhodes announced that Orton will be the fifth member of his WarGames team at Survivor Series.

Fans have been awaiting Orton’s return for quite some time, and his mere presence should ensure that their are plenty of eyes on Survivor Series, perhaps including Cena himself.

Triple H Praises Knight’s Work Ethic

LA Knight has quickly and unexpectedly established himself as one of WWE’s most popular Superstars, and WWE head of creative Triple H is taking notice of his ascent.

During an appearance this week on Greg & The Morning Buzz (h/t Steve Carrier of Ringside News), Triple H discussed the fact that Knight had to scratch and claw in order to get into his current position:

“I look at LA Knight right now. He’s been in this business for a long time … he kept grinding, kept grinding, kept grinding, and here is sort of running towards the end of his career and all of a sudden, he’s making it and becoming a big deal. Hopefully he can capitalize on that, and we can, but you never know, and you keep those doors open and you see what’s going to resonate. Nobody has perfect vision around the corner. You just keep grinding and doing what you do and hopefully success comes.”

For years, Knight plied his trade in several different companies, including TNA, NWA and many smaller, independent promotions.

He got his big break in 2021 when he signed with WWE, and after getting over as both a heel and babyface in NXT, he was called up to the main roster.

Vince McMahon had a different vision for Knight, though, as he renamed him Max Dupri and made him a manager. Knight was seemingly trending in the wrong direction, but he was saved when Triple H took over creative duties in the summer of 2022.

He returned to his LA Knight, received a push, and much like in NXT, he became hugely popular with the fans.

Knight became so beloved that he was given the opportunity to challenge Roman Reigns for the undisputed WWE Universal Championship this month.

Although Knight didn’t win, the fans still love him, and all signs point toward him continuing to be one of WWE’s top stars moving forward.

Jey Uso Would Like to See McGregor in WWE

Several athletes and celebrities from outside the world of wrestling have enjoyed success in WWE, and Jey Uso is interested in seeing one of UFC’s biggest stars cross over into sports entertainment.

In an interview with Carl Lamarre of Billboard.com, Uso was asked who he could see following in the footsteps of Logan Paul and Bad Bunny, and legendary UFC fighter Conor McGregor was his choice: “First one that comes to mind is Conor McGregor. He’s kinda been tip-toeing around us a little bit. He’s had interactions with a couple of us, but never fully got in here. I’d like to see what he’s about.”

McGregor is one of the most successful and popular UFC fighters of all time, accruing a 22-6 record, and having held the UFC featherweight and lightweight titles.

He has not fought in over two years since suffering a broken leg against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264, but he remains one of the most talked about athletes not only in UFC, but in any sport across the world.

McGregor would seemingly be a perfect fit in WWE since he is both a spectacular athlete and a charismatic figure.

A big reason for McGregor’s popularity over the years has been his antics in pre-fight press conferences, which never ceased to add more excitement and intrigue to his bouts.

McGregor has also had his fair share of things to say about WWE over the years, and he hasn’t hesitated to mix it up with WWE Superstars on social media.

While the Irishman has most poked fun at WWE and pro wrestling, he seems tailor made for the industry.

There is perhaps a greater chance now than ever before for McGregor to turn up in WWE at some point since WWE and UFC recently merged into a singular company called TKO.