- Oliver Browning, US Sports Writer
- Published: 9:29, 2 Mar 2025
- Updated: 9:30, 2 Mar 2025
John Cena has done the unthinkable.
The 16-time world champion and longtime face of WWE, who is on a year-long farewell tour in 2025, has finally turned heel.
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Cena stunned the WWE world by aligning with The Rock at Elimination ChamberCredit: X: @WWE
He aligned with his former rival, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, to double-cross Cody Rhodes in front of a stunned crowd at the Elimination Chamber event on Saturday night.
The stunning moment came after Cena won inside the chamber to punch his ticket to WrestleMania 41 and set up a match against the Undisputed WWE Champion.
While it initially looked like the two faces of the company would square off at the event in Las Vegas, that won’t be the case, thanks to the historic heel turn.
As Rhodes took to the ring to congratulate Cena on winning inside the chamber, The Rock and and rap star Travis Scott interrupted their meeting.
‘The Final Boss’ demanded an answer to his recent offer of taking Rhodes’ soul and turning him into ‘his champion’ – but was quickly rebuffed.
As Cena embraced Rhodes for making that decision, he received a signal from The Rock, and seconds later, booted the champion below the belt.
He then carried out a devastating attack, and left Rhodes in a bloody, crumpled heap as the WWE Universe watched on.
Cena said nothing as his turn unfolded, instead using the mic as a weapon to batter the champion, before stepping out of the ring.
He was also silent after the show went off the air, too, delivering the perfect heel press conference to all those hoping for some answers about his behavior.
In a backstage video shared by WWE, a stone-faced Cena is seen walking into a room full of reporters, before simply picking up the microphone and dropping it on the table.
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A stone-faced Cena was set to hold a press conference after Elimination ChamberCredit: X: @WWE
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But instead of addressing his actions, he just picked up the micCredit: X: @WWE
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He then dropped it on the tableCredit: X: @WWE
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Cena then walked out the room, ending his press conference without saying a wordCredit: X: @WWE
He then walked back out of the room, wrapping his media duties within 15 seconds.
It was another perfect heel move from WWE’s newest bad guy, and means fans will have to wait for an explanation from the man himself.
While the exact circumstances around Cena’s turn remain unclear for now, he did tease last month that he would do whatever was necessary to ensure he headlines WrestleMania in his final year.
Speaking after the Royal Rumble, the 16-time world champion said being on the show is ‘best for business’.
“I am going to the Elimination Chamber to win, and I’m going to main event my final appearance in WrestleMania, and win a 17th championship, because that’s what’s best for business,” he said.
“And I say that because it is not best for my ego, it is not best for my business. I have built my existence here off of hard work, loyalty to this company, and respect for all of its branches.”
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Cena initially embraced Rhodes after winning the Elimination ChamberCredit: Getty
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But as The Rock watched on, he turned on Rhodes and caught him with a low blowCredit: Getty
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He then had a ‘mic drop’ moment in his press conferenceCredit: Getty
Surreal. pic.twitter.com/rdbjKa5ACs
— WWE (@WWE) March 2, 2025\n\n\n”,”width”:550,”height”:550,”provider”:”twitter”,”attribs”:{“data-tweetid”:”1896058956398649586″}} data-provider=twitter data-widget-name=embed data-widget-id=embed-9bffef51>
One month on, and Cena has made that vision a reality.
He held off five other challengers inside the Eliminiation Chamber to win and set up a match with Rhodes, and his shock heel turn adds another layer to what was already set to be a great spectacle.
