Did John Cena initially deny turning heel against Cody Rhodes? Triple H's comments explored

Modified Mar 31, 2025 16:17 GMT

John Cena and Cody Rhodes are set to face at WrestleMania 41 [Image Credits: WWE.com]

John Cena's heel turn against Cody Rhodes at the beginning of this year is arguably one of the biggest moments in wrestling history. Since the storyline is still ongoing, there are still a lot of inside details that haven't been shared, but Triple H shared some details about The Cenation Leader's reaction to the idea.

At the 2025 Elimination Chamber, Cody Rhodes refused to sell his soul to The Rock and be the corporate champion. However, the wrestling world was shocked when it was learned that John Cena took the deal instead then attacked The American Nightmare and aligned with The Final Boss. The heel turn is a big deal as it was the first time The Cenation Leader did so in over two decades, and despite the entirely new role, it was something he welcomed with open arms.

While talking to The Daily Mail's Alex McCarthy, Triple H shared that John Cena didn't take a lot of convincing to turn heel. The Game noted that they conversed first, loved the idea of turning heel, and viewed it as a challenge:

"It was a conversation - without getting into the details - it was a conversation that when it was brought up, everybody... I think in John's mind he was like, "Wow, I didn't think you were going to say that. I love it. It's a challenge to him. John's not a complacent person, right? I think he would have done it and he would have done it happily and he would have done it for fans, but I think there would have been a piece of him that would have been like 'alright, I'm just going to go through my day here.'"

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What did The Rock have to say about John Cena turning heel against Cody Rhodes?

Although there were theories about The Cenation Leader turning heel at some point in his farewell tour, a lot were still surprised when it happened against Cody Rhodes. As it turns out, the promotion kept the moment a secret to many.

At the Elimination Chamber post-show press conference, The Rock shared the unpredictability of the heel turn and noted that even if a few people called it still got a lot of fans hyped:

"What we have collectively thought about and talked about in the back before and certainly after this moment (Cena's turn) is no one knew what was gonna happen. Maybe a few called it. I thought the moment was incredible and I personally love that,"

It will be interesting to see what will happen next between John Cena and Cody Rhodes.

About the author

Hazel is a WWE features writer for Sportskeeda Wrestling. Currently a BS Psychology student in her third year, she ensures that multiple accurate and reliable sources back every piece of information in her articles. She phrases even mundane information in her own words, especially when using single sources like books or social media posts, to add a hint of personal touch.

Hazel has had a penchant for writing since high school. Apart from pursuing Humanities and Social Sciences for her senior year, she attended classes about creative and nonfiction writing. In 2019, Hazel started working as a ghostwriter, and three years later, she began working for Sportskeeda. In 2023, she became a published author under 8letters Books Publishing House. Even today, when she is not studying as a pre-med student or writing for Sportskeeda, she enjoys reading and writing novels.

Her favorite wrestlers are Edge and Randy Orton. She recalls watching John Cena vs Big Show vs Edge in WrestleMania 25 in her first wrestling match. Hazel enjoyed the entrances, and what got her hooked was how cool and ruthless Edge was and how John Cena never backed down from his challenges.

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Edited by Ken Cameron