3 Ways John Cena’s absence is hurting WWE

John Cena turned heel at WWE Elimination Chamber 2025, and since then, the Franchise Player has not appeared in the company. The 16-time World Champion is set to lock horns with Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41, but the absence of Cena since his heel turn has been hurting this entire storyline.

Due to this, the Rhodes vs. Cena storyline and the entire momentum of the Stamford-based promotion heading toward 'Mania is damaging at some point. In this article, we will discuss three ways John Cena's absence hurts WWE on the road to this year's Showcase of Immortals.

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#3. Similar promos from Cody Rhodes since the Elimination Chamber surprise

One of the biggest drawbacks of John Cena's absence is Cody Rhodes having the same promo since post-Elimination Chamber PLE. The American Nightmare has appeared even during RAW on Netflix this week, where he had nothing new to say.

Due to John Cena's absence, Rhodes's similar promos somewhat derail fans' interest in the entire storyline of the Undisputed WWE Title. If Cena had appeared on the shows, Cody wouldn't have to do these promos solely. Instead, we would get either a physical altercation or a war of words between them.

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#2. It's lowering John Cena's heel turn excitement

The heel turn of John Cena has been marked as one of the biggest moments in the history of the company. However, despite this, the absence of the Franchise Player is somewhat lowering the excitement among fans for Cena's villainous turn.

The anticipation of the Cenation Leader's heel turn could have escalated to new heights if Cena had appeared on the show. However, his absence is having adverse effects on WWE's biggest moment in recent history.

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#1. WWE can't capitalize on John Cena's final run

The absence of John Cena from WWE right now is also hurting the company as the Sports Entertainment juggernaut has somewhat failed to capitalize on Cena's final run in the company at its fullest. In case the Franchise Player had been part of television regularly, the company could have had more big moments and digital views from his appearance.

Not only this, but John is also one of the biggest draws in ticket sales for World Wrestling Entertainment. Also, particularly after his heel turn, he could attract more fans to the venue. Meanwhile, not having Cena on TV right now is hurting Triple H-led promotion in this manner, too.