What Does John Cena Turning Heel Mean for WWE WrestleMania 41?
The entire landscape of the WWE changed after Elimination Chamber 2025. The Rock wanted Cody Rhodes’ soul but walked away with John Cena’s instead. Fans are calling it the greatest and most shocking heel turn of all time, as no one ever expected Cena to turn on the people. It has now created a very weird dynamic for WrestleMania 41, as the stakes just got bigger, and there is even more unpredictability heading into the Showcase of the Immortals. Cena vs. Rhodes is set as the main event of WrestleMania 41, as John was able to win the men’s Elimination Chamber match.
John Cena is currently on his retirement tour, which means that WrestleMania 41 will be the last one he competes in. However, with this heel turn and aligning himself with The Rock, could there be a massive shift with John delaying his retirement? It would certainly be the biggest heel move that Cena could make, as the fans who have already paid to watch him wrestle were under the assumption that it would be the last time. This is likely not going to be the case, though, as despite Cena turning heel in the WWE, he has been adamant about not lying to the fans about his retirement.
There was also speculation of John Cena potentially losing the men’s Elimination Chamber and facing Logan Paul at WrestleMania 41, though now it seems like the WWE will be finding a different opponent for Logan. CM Punk was also considered the favorite to win the Elimination Chamber match and face Rhodes, but he has now been removed from any world title plans. Punk has been heavily involved with Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns, which could lead to a triple-threat match. However, he has also been feuding with Paul as of recently and that could be a money-making rivalry heading into WrestleMania.
John Cena aligning himself with The Rock has also opened up the possibility of Dwayne having a match at WrestleMania 41. Cena vs. Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship is the marquee match for this year’s Mania, but there are numerous names, including The Rock’s cousin Roman Reigns, who will likely be willing to back Cody up. There have also been rumors about Stone Cold Steve Austin returning to the WWE, and similarly to Night One of WrestleMania 40, that could lead to a tag team match between four of the biggest superstars in wrestling history. John Cena aligning himself with The Rock ahead of his match with Cody Rhodes has opened up many new potential storylines, and it has certainly made the Road to WrestleMania much more intriguing.
