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John Cena has done what was once unthinkable.
The 16-time world champion and longtime WWE babyface, who is on his year-long retirement tour, has finally turned heel by siding with The Rock and rapper Travis Scott to double-cross Cody Rhodes in front of a stunned crowd at Rogers Centre to end the Elimination Chamber PLE on Saturday.
The trio was loudly booed and showered in chants of “You sold out!” to Cena, who will be a true heel for the first time in his 23-year career in WWE in a moment that will be compared to Hulk Hogan’s heel turn to join the nWo at WCW’s Bash at the Beach in 1996.
Scott, whose presence felt Dennis Rodman-like, even slapped Rhodes at one point.
SPEECHLESS. 💔JOHN CENA just viciously TURNED on CODY RHODES at #WWEChamber! pic.twitter.com/jSyaCud7Wz— WWE (@WWE) March 2, 2025
Cena, 47, won the men’s Elimination Chamber match by making CM Punk pass out on the STF to punch his ticket to WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas on April 19-20 for a match with Rhodes, the Undisputed WWE champion.
He remained in the ring as Rhodes came out to give Rock his answer to whether he would be the one selling his sole to “The Final Boss” and be given unlimited riches and fame.
Rhodes, WWE’s top babyface, told The Rock to “go f–k himself” because his soul belongs to the ring and the fans.
Cena, who has been a real-life mentor to Rhodes, then shook Rhodes’ hand and gave him a hug in what appeared to be a celebration of his rejection of The Rock.
Instead, the camera showed Cena’s face turn stern and sour while he looked at Rock.
The Final Boss then made the slit-his-throat motion and Cena then low-blowed Rhodes with kick. It was the same motion Rock used when he appeared at Bad Blood last October.
A vicious beatdown ensued, and Cena punched Rhodes with the gold Rolex Rhodes wish gifted by chief content officer Triple H and WWE CEO Nick Khan after his championship match against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40 last year.
The Rock eventually whipped Rhodes with a custom weight belt that had the date of his father Dusty Rhodes’ death on it and rubbed his blood on it. Rock acknowledged during the post-show press conference that Scott’s presence will likely lead to the rapper getting into a WWE ring at some point.
It tied Rock’s graciousness to Rhodes at Raw’s Netflix premiere and the character shift in Cena after his Royal Rumble loss.
WWE will need to give a believable reason for Cena turning heel because he is nearly as famous in Hollywood as The Rock.
It could be the fact Cena hasn’t won a single match in April 2018 and running out of time to win world title No. 17.
Either way, WWE has completely fliped the dynamic and added some spice to Cena and Rhodes’ match at WrestleMania.
