Why Did John Cena Not Need To Qualify For WWE Elimination Chamber 2025?
John Cena, Drew McIntyre, and CM Punk are the first three names who have been entered into the 2025 men’s Elimination Chamber match into the men’s match. All three of these wrestlers are former WWE World Champions and certainly future WWE Hall of Famers. However, there is one key difference in how each of them was inserted into the match. Unlike McIntyre and Punk who had to qualify, Cena announced that he was entering the match automatically.
This is certainly a questionable decision even with many considering John Cena to be the greatest of all time. The reason for this is it goes against his character, as a big part of his persona is hustle, and this is the opposite of that. It can be argued that because it’s Cena’s last year in the WWE, he should be given these opportunities as a last chance. However, that still isn’t a valid reason as other legends such as CM Punk, who is likely going to be retiring within the next few years as well, still had to qualify for the Elimination Chamber.
This decision has certainly played a part in why fans have not been very happy about John Cena’s retirement tour so far. Many were expecting Cena to have a full-time run in 2025 as it is his last year in the WWE, though that simply hasn’t been the case. Despite already being halfway through February, Cena has only made two appearances and had one match. With him already announcing his entry into the 2025 Elimination Chamber match, it can be assumed that he will not be showing up until that PPV which is set to take place in March.
John Cena was able to announce his entry into the Elimination Chamber match without qualifying simply because of who he is. He confirmed this at the 2025 Royal Rumble press conference, as he explained that he deserved the spot after how much he has given to the WWE. Although Cena is a fan favorite, this certainly hasn’t resembled the past 20 years of his career, which was the reason why fans fell in love with him in the first place. Many are speculating that Cena will win the men’s Elimination Chamber and challenge for a world title at Wrestle Mania 41, though that is yet to be seen as the competition will be very stacked.
