5 Reasons why John Cena shouldn't have won the WWE Elimination Chamber match

John Cena claimed his fourth Elimination Chamber victory by eliminating CM Punk after a Curb Stomp from Seth Rollins. With this win, Cena will challenge Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 41.

Rollins began the match against Drew McIntyre but let his hatred of Punk cloud his vision. Cena took advantage and has a chance to secure his record-breaking 17th World Championship.

While Cena certainly deserves a chance to break Ric Flair's record, he earned the title shot on just his second attempt. He shouldn't have won the Elimination Chamber match for the next five reasons.

(Note: This article focuses on the Elimination Chamber match itself and not what transpired after it).

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#5. He put himself into the Elimination Chamber match

John Cena was a loyal and dedicated WWE star for nearly two decades. Over the last few years, he's appeared on and off for different premium live events.

Due to his years of service, he felt he earned the right to put himself into the Elimination Chamber without having to qualify for it.

It was a point of contention brought up by some like Drew McIntyre, CM Punk, and even Logan Paul. Because he didn't have to work as hard for it, the win feels a little less shiny than it should.

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#4. Losing a few times indicates that things have changed

The 2025 Royal Rumble was about Jey Uso's story and not John Cena's story. (Image Credit: WWE.com).

Once Cena announced his retirement tour, all focus shifted to winning that all-important 17th Championship. This made each appearance all the more vital than usual.

Losing the Royal Rumble was merely the first setback, yet he didn't dwell on it. Putting himself into a huge match went against his "Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect" mantra since he took the easy way out.

Had he lost his second opportunity for a WrestleMania main event, it would have forced Cena to realize WWE's New Era is much different than the Attitude Era. That would make him more desperate each time he failed to win a title shot.

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#3. Not showing up between putting himself in the match and the PLE

Once 2025 hit, John Cena adopted the Roman Reigns/Brock Lesnar work schedule. The issue was that Cena began his retirement tour, which was intended to involve more appearances.

So far, he has appeared on RAW on Netflix, as well as at the Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber. He did not show up on any programming between the Rumble and Chamber, including all-important go-home episodes of RAW and SmackDown.

Cena is notorious for saying he loves and respects the WWE Universe, but he seemed more like Lesnar or Reigns than the heroic 16-time Champion. The heel Drew McIntyre called him out for this on SmackDown before the Elimination Chamber.

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#2. Prolonging the moment makes it more emotional and meaningful

There's a big difference between a quick payoff and long-term storytelling in wrestling. For heroic faces trying to buck the status quo or finally reach the top of the mountain, the long-term avenue is often the best route.

Daniel Bryan defeated John Cena at SummerSlam but was immediately screwed out of the title by Randy Orton and Triple H. He had a few opportunities to win it back after that shocking loss but was cheated again and again.

Delaying for a few months made the eventual victory more emotional as Bryan defeated Triple H, Orton, and Batista on the same night at WrestleMania 30. The same happened with Cody Rhodes.

If he had won in his first crack at Reigns, it wouldn't have felt as cathartic as dethroning him in the second try. Instant gratification wears off quickly, and Cena getting a title shot on the second rung of the ladder is less impactful.

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#1. He still could have won the title later in 2025

2025 is only two months in, and John Cena has already had two opportunities to earn Championship opportunities. He's acted like the Rumble and Elimination Chamber are the only ways to get a title shot.

While his time is running out as each month progresses, WWE runs PLEs all year. He could have easily won Money in the Bank, King of the Ring, or secured a title shot another way and claimed the title at SummerSlam.

Cena would still have had at least four months to lose the title. The 16-time Champ acted like it needed to happen right away, which fits more with a millennial mindset rather than "Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect."