At WrestleMania last night, John Cena defeated Cody Rhodes to become a record-breaking 17-time world champion. Was it the best match on the card? Did WWE drop the ball on how Rhodes was booked? These are among the many questions being asked by fans.
Another is, what's next for Cena? He's previously said he'll take the title home with him and, talking to Pat McAfee today, reiterated his plan to be the last Undisputed WWE Champion.
However, he'll have to hold on to the title for the rest of 2025 as Cena's last match is still expected to take place in December (where he'll surely end his career as a babyface, despite this recent heel turn).
"I’m just going to shut it down. That’s all. Here’s the thing. There’s going to be a show. Everybody’s replaceable. There’s always another show. I’m going to make wrestling start over. That championship is coming home with me, and I will be the last undisputed WWE champion, period. They’re going to have to make a new title. They’re going to have to start the over again. Whoever is that first champion, whether it’s Cody Rhodes, whether it’s Dirty Dom, whether it’s Logan Paul, whether it’s Bron Breaker, it doesn’t matter. They’ll be the first one."
"Bruno, Hogan, Austin, Rock, HBK, Taker, Game, Every name you can imagine, CM Punk, that comes home with me because that’s what I’ve earned, and that’s what I want to do. I want to write history, and I’m going to put my stamp on the business by taking that piece of the business home with me. We all talk about this new era, and we talk about how the business is changing. Well, I’m taking the last piece of tradition in the business home with me, and you guys can figure out how to settle the dust when I’m gone."
"I’m not saying that there’s never going to be another show. Of course, there is. You guys will be here next year without me. You’ll be here the year after without me. I don’t care. I’m cool. I’m cool in closing this chapter of my life. It’s one piece I’m taking home with me, and that’s so you guys can figure out how you want to do it from here on out because you’re not the same folks I came in with, period."
On the one hand, Cena retiring with the title feels fitting. Then again, will he not want to do the honours on the way out by dropping the championship to a rising star? Some feel CM Punk should dethrone him, ushering in a new Summer of Punk.
We'll have to wait and see what happens, but tonight's episode of RAW promises to be a must-watch as Cena has promised to address fans during what should be the biggest edition of the show on Netflix to date...