4 things Cody Rhodes has done in WWE that John Cena hasn't

Cody Rhodes and John Cena are taking their rivalry to the next level after the latter turned heel at WWE Elimination Chamber. They will face each other for the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 41 next month.

Cena surprised the WWE Universe by siding with The Rock and brutalizing The American Nightmare after winning the 2025 Men’s Elimination Chamber Match. He has since cut a couple of phenomenal promos to get his new heel character ahead.

While John Cena is one of the most decorated superstars in WWE history, he has failed to achieve a few things. Meanwhile, it’s surprising that Cody Rhodes has done some things in the company that even Cena hasn’t.

Check out the four things Cody Rhodes has done in the company that John Cena has failed to do.

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#4. Cody Rhodes has won back-to-back WWE Royal Rumbles

John Cena has two Royal Rumble wins to his name. He won the 2008 Royal Rumble when his stocks were on the rise and headlined WrestleMania.

Cena also won the 2013 Royal Rumble at a time when his popularity was at its peak and won the WWE Championship from The Rock at The Show of Shows.

Meanwhile, Cody Rhodes has one-upped The Greatest of All Time by winning two consecutive Royal Rumble Matches. He did so in 2023 and 2024, following his massive return to the company.

While The American Nightmare failed to win the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship from Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39, he finished his story by dethroning the OTC at WrestleMania 40.

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#3. Won the Intercontinental Championship

Fans can reel off the list of accolades Cena has won in the Stamford-based promotion. However, he has never won the Intercontinental Championship in his career.

Cena’s trophy case includes the WWE Championship, World Heavyweight Championship, United States Championship, and Tag Team Championship.

On the other hand, Cody Rhodes has won the Intercontinental Championship twice in his career. He first won it in 2011 and had a decent run with it. His second reign came in 2012 and lasted nearly three weeks.

It is almost a reality now that The Greatest of All Time could retire without becoming a Grand Slam Champion in the company. That would surely break the hearts of many of his fans.

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#2. Headline two consecutive nights of WrestleMania

John Cena headlined his first WrestleMania in 2006, where he defeated Triple H for the WWE Championship. He defended the title a year later against Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 23.

He had to wait five years to get another WrestleMania main event against The Miz in 2011. He lost the match and his title at the show. He went on to face The Rock twice, once in 2012 and again in 2013, in the main event of The Grandest Stage of Them All.

The Stamford-based company has made WrestleMania a two-night event since 2020, and The Greatest of All Time hasn’t headlined any of the shows since.

Cody Rhodes has become the top face of the company, and he had the honor of headlining two consecutive nights of The Showcase of The Immortals in 2024.

He teamed up with Seth Rollins in a loss to Roman Reigns and The Rock on Night One of WrestleMania 40. However, he followed it up with a monumental win over Roman Reigns on Night Two of ‘Mania 40.

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#1. John Cena has never pinned Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns is arguably the biggest active wrestler in the industry today. Cody Rhodes ended his iconic Undisputed WWE Universal Championship run at WrestleMania 40.

John Cena has faced the OTC in several televised matches throughout his career. However, it’s surprising that he has never pinned Roman Reigns to win a match.

The American Nightmare has pinned the OTC in the ring and even did so at WrestleMania 40 to become the top champion. The win pushed him to the top of the company, where he has been sitting comfortably for nearly a year.