Championships are a controversial thing in the WWE and in pro wrestling in general. Many commentators and even industry veterans believe they are just "props", meant to be used to further a story and nothing more. Many others, however, believe that the respect and prestige associated with being a "champion" are at the core of the business of pro wrestling, even if there is no actual competition in it. In the end, the controversy usually settles on a middle ground, where fans are excited to see championship matches because they involve the most relevant and popular Superstars in the industry.
However, John Cena's latest promo from Monday Night RAW from Glasgow, Scotland, just gave the WWE Championship a whole new layer of relevance. By boldly declaring that, if he wins his title match against Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41, he will retire and bring the physical belt home with him, thus culling the storied legacy of the WWE Championship, Cena made what was an already exciting main event something that wrestling fans simply cannot miss.
The Legacy of the WWE Championship
Will Sixty Years of History End at WrestleMania 41?
The original "world championship" (meaning the highest-ranking title in a professional wrestling company) of the promotion now known as WWE was established on April 25, 1963, as the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship, as a consequence of Vince McMahon senior breaking ties with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) following a dispute over the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. The inaugural WWWF champion was Buddy Rogers, and the longest-reigning champion (a record that still holds today) was Bruno Sammartino, the Italian immigrant who captured the heart of the North Eastern crowds in Madison Square Garden for 2,803 days.
The title was rebranded as the WWF World Heavyweight Championship in 1979, following the company's change of name, and then WWE Championship in 2002. Since then, the title has undergone many changes due to unifications and brand splits. The most notable recent introduction was the WWW UIniversal Championship, created in July of 2016 to give Raw a world title after a brand split (Smackdown had the WWE Championship). In 2022, at WrestleMania 38, Roman Reigns defeated Brock Lesnar to unify the two belts, creating the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, which is the title currently held by Cody Rhodes.
While the history of WWE's main championship may be confusing, at times, one thing is sure: that title is held by the top wrestler in the top company in the world. At a time when WWE is going to great lengths to spotlight its long and prestigious history, thus, it makes sense how Cena added even bigger stakes to his contest with Rhodes by making it a battle not for the future of the company, but for its past.
John Cena Wants to Ruin Wrestling
Heel Cena Goes for the Heart of the Fans
When this Cena heel run is over (probably with a redemption story to allow John to retire as a good guy), we will be having a lot of fun analyzing every moment of it as a great lesson in the art of pro wrestling. This is only the second time that "bad" Cena has spoken to an audience, but he has already gone in a completely different direction compared to his incredible promo in Brussels from the previous week. While the first promo was pure egotism, rewriting Cena's history as a victim of the WWE audience, the second one made the audience the target.
Cena explained that, during his long career, he studied the WWE universe, learning what they loved most, so he could take it all away one day, when he could finally consume his revenge. It sounds like an over-the-top movie villain plot, but that's exactly what makes it so good. Cena used his most maligned "accomplishment", introducing the "spinner belt" WWE Championship, surely the most hated design of a WWE Championship belt ever, as a clue of what the audience cares most about: the legacy of the world title. And now that the time has come, he will take that away, forever, by retiring with that championship and forcing the WWE to create a brand new "toy belt".
It's a dastardly plan that is a lot more devious than it sounds. This isn't just about going home with the physical belt. Those are replaced all the time. Cena plans to retire the actual WWE Champion lineage that began with Buddy Rogers in 1963 (and, for what it matters, the Universal Championship lineage that began in 2016). If Cena retires without relinquishing the title, for the first time ever, the WWE would be forced to create a brand-new championship without being able to connect it to its previous history. Cena would really become, as he said, "the last real champion."
John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes Is the Most Important WrestleMania Main Event Ever
The Stakes Have Never Been Higher
The history of WrestleMania is ripe with unforgettable main events. From spectacular matches to moments that defined the company's direction going forward, it's easy to say that the WrestleMania main event is the most important moment in the year for pro wrestling. However, over the past 41 years, the stakes have never been higher. While it's unlikely that we will truly witness the end of the WWE Championship's legacy, the best way to enjoy pro wrestling is to suspend disbelief and get immersed in its story. Right now, John Cena's threat just put the entire history of the company at stake. There is nothing more important than that.
Hogan slamming Andre in 1987, Stone Cold and Bret Hart's double turn in 1997 (yes, it wasn't the actual main event, but it should have been), Daniel Bryan in 2014, Roman Reigns' consecration in 2022, Cody finishing the story in 2024, these were all historical moments in their own right, but their importance lies in what they meant for the future of the company. John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes marks the first time that two Superstars will be fighting for the past. The future may shift and change, the triumphant man or woman at the end of WrestleMania may fade away quickly due to bad booking, injury, or something else. The past, on the other hand, is always there, granitic, untouchable, and a fundamental part of WWE's vision in the Triple H era.
John Cena's heel turn already made his WrestleMania match against Cody Rhodes something unique and worth caring about. Considering it's also Cena's last 'Mania ever, it was hard to make the stakes even higher, but that's exactly what happened. It was also hard to top the excitement for last year's main event, but the WWE surprised us once again. On Sunday, April 20, 2025, these two men will stand on the grandest stage of all. They will fight for the past, for the future, and more importantly, to entertain us by giving us the most important match in WrestleMania history.
