One person who was not in Washington for John Cena’s final match was his one-time fierce rival Randy Orton.

Orton was in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia doing promotional work for WWE and that’s why he was unable to attend Cena’s last match.

In a post on Instagram, Orton said that he grew up in the past two decades with Cena and the two shared the ring together at least 100 times throughout the years.

“I would have enjoyed being there in DC for #wwe #snme and witness his emotional send off into retirement,” Orton wrote. “But I know if ANYONE understands my absence, it’s John, because I was in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia #KSA promoting #riyadhseason and #royalrumble.”

Orton revealed that on the morning of December 13, he and Cena exchanged a few text messages and said he was honored to speak with him on the big day.

“I look forward to following John’s career in Hollywood AND beyond. Sky’s the limit with this guy. An inspiration not only to generations of fans, but to myself, who was lucky enough to learn firsthand from one of the most OVER wrestlers ever,” he continued. “Thanks for being so good to my family over the years and thanks for making the locker room a better place. Take care John, and I’ll see ya around.”