John Cena was one of the favorites to win the 2025 Men's Royal Rumble match. However, while Cena lasted until the final two, he would shockingly lose when Jey Uso eliminated him to win the match. While this is obviously a big win for Uso, it is clear Cena wanted to win in his final Rumble appearance.
A seemingly dejected Cena congratulated Jey after the match, hugged him, and wished him well. It was a nice moment with the legend, but the 16-time WWE World Champion was not happy after this performance. He might have come up short at the Royal Rumble, but there is still a way for him to be in a World Title match at WrestleMania 41.
Cena knew this, and during the after-show press conference, John let the world know his plan. Unlike his previous press appearances, Cena decided not to take any questions, but rather, he wanted to make a statement. John claimed that he will enter the Elimination Chamber match and win it.
This would, quite clearly, give John Cena the ability to challenge for a World Championship.
Cena feels that he has given the WWE decades of his life, and due to that, he deserves to take this spot in the chamber. Not just that, he claims that he was used to being a gimmick after his last WM main event a decade ago. He was the opening match, sat in the crowd, made a random appearance, was in the middle of the card, you name it.
He did it all because it was "best for business." However, John Cena claims now what's "best for business" is for him to be in the main event of WrestleMania 41 and win his 17th WWE World Championship.
DESPERATE MEN DO DESPERATE THINGS
John Cena tried to play this off as a focused man trying to end his career the way he wants. To be fair, that makes sense in theory. However, Cena has main evented WrestleMania several times. He has won a record-tying 16 World Championships.
Technically speaking, he might be tied with Ric Flair for the most all-time. Yet Flair won only one WWE Championship. The rest were either NWA or WCW World Titles. This means Cena already owns the record for the most WWE World Championships.
Therefore, the idea that Cena "must" win another World Championship and "must" main event another WrestleMania to end his career is laughable. Sure, it is a nice story for the man. It's like the baseball legend in his last game, last at bat, hitting a homerun to win the World Series. The story is clearly a big deal.
The question is, can one claim that it is necessary that Cena win that 17th World Title?
THE FACE THAT NOW RUNS THE PLACE
No one will question that Cody Rhodes is the poster boy for the WWE today. He is the WWE's Undisputed Universal Champion or simply the WWE Undisputed World Champion, depending on how WWE chooses to recognize it this week. There is no question that he is now "the face that runs the place."
This was Cena's position for over a decade. He held down the "top guy" role in WWE longer than anyone, including the likes of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, The Rock, and even Hulk Hogan. However, his run on top had to end eventually and it finally did as WWE started to see a massive number of new guys who could be the top star in WWE.
Yet it was the man who left and returned that would truly capture this role for the current generation over others. John Cena likely sees a lot of himself in Cody Rhodes, but Rhodes technically finished a major part of his story at WrestleMania 40. Cena wants to officially end his story on the highest note possible.
*Cue the horns*
Jey Uso might have won the Men's Rumble, but most believe he will challenge Gunther for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. If he does, the two will likely main event Night #1 of WrestleMania. Thereby leaving the Night #2 spot open for Cody Rhodes vs John Cena.
The only catch is, well, Cena has to win the elimination chamber match. Due to who will likely be in it, that will be easier said than done.
HAS CENA BECOME THE THING HE ONCE FOUGHT AGAINST?
You saw what happened only a year ago when The Rock tried to insert himself into the WrestleMania plans of that year. While WWE is handling things smarter than they did last year, Cena is just like The Rock in this situation. The only difference is that he is not stealing a title match from someone who earned it.
However, the idea is still the same here. Sure, it might be Cena's last WrestleMania and all, but does that mean he should get a title match and even the main event spot at that? Sure, he still has to earn the right to be in it but what if John Cena still cannot get it done in the chamber?
Cena has not won a match of any kind in WWE for years now, so to think he can just randomly win a match over the company's top stars seems like a lot. This is the same man who lost to Solo Sikoa and Austin Theory in recent matches. How is that man suddenly going to get to the top of the card again?
It would feel a bit cheap to believe that a younger version of Cena during those loses suddenly now, at the end of his career, can beat the top stars in WWE. While we suspend our belief a lot in professional wrestling, WWE themselves have made note of this exact issue
COULD THIS LEAD TO A JOHN CENA TURN TO THE DARKSIDE?
Most feel that this would be the perfect time to turn Cena heel. He is already making moves that appear professional but are entirely based on his own ego. He claims that "John Cena" needs to be in the main event because it is "best for business." Yet that is not true anymore.
John Cena wants to be in the main event of WrestleMania, challenging for a 17th World Title because it is best for "John Cena." There is no other way around it. Will fans suddenly side with a man who has been polarizing for over a decade over a babyface champion who held our hearts in his hands for the past few years?
It is unlikely, even if we all respect Cena. This is John's final year, and the story possibilities are endless. However, the stories that can be told with Cena as a "villain" are too intriguing for WWE to ignore.
They have the perfect opportunity to begin that concept this year. One has to ask, then, why not do it before Cena is gone? If they do not, the fans will do it for them...most likely. Considering we've wanted to see Cena as the legitimate, storyline bad guy for many years now.
We're out of time to wait on this villain turn, so WWE has to do it now or it'll never happen. Leaving us with many "what-ifs" to discuss.