Randy Orton is heading to Friday Night SmackDown just one week before he steps into the ring to challenge John Cena for the Undisputed WWE Championship. WWE confirmed Orton’s appearance for the May 2 edition of SmackDown, which will take place live from Des Moines, Iowa.

With their long-standing rivalry reignited, Orton and Cena are set to clash once again at the upcoming Backlash Premium Live Event on Saturday, May 10. The match will be Cena’s first title defense since claiming his record 17th World Championship. Adding to the intensity of the encounter, Backlash will be held in Orton’s hometown of St. Louis.

While Cena is not currently advertised for this week’s SmackDown, tensions remain high following their most recent encounters. On last week's SmackDown, the two engaged in a heated confrontation that ended with Orton dropping Cena with a thunderous RKO. Just days earlier, Orton also took out the champion with his signature move during a face-off on Raw.

Also confirmed for this Friday’s broadcast is the in-ring return of Aleister Black. Black, who made his shocking WWE comeback on last week’s episode, will compete in his first match since October 2020. He is set to face The Miz in what promises to be a compelling showdown.

As the road to Backlash heats up, all eyes will be on Orton and what message he may send ahead of his high-stakes title opportunity.