WWE legend to return after 43 months & help Cody Rhodes against John Cena at WrestleMania? Exploring the possibility

John Cena and Cody Rhodes are set to lock horns at The Grandest Stage of Them All after The Franchise Player won his fourth Men's Elimination Chamber match this year. Following the match, in a shocking moment, Cena turned heel and aligned with The Rock, unleashing an assault on The American Nightmare.

While their match is set for WrestleMania, WWE legend Ric Flair could return for the first time since his release back in August 2021, to help The American Nightmare retain his title. John Cena, if wins against Cody Rhodes, would break Ric Flair's record and become a 17-time world champion in WWE.

With Cena's heel turn and alliance with The Final Boss, it is clear that the Elimination Chamber winner can now do anything he wants in the company. With The Rock being a member of the Board of Directors of TKO, Cena could achieve all his goals and do whatever he wants, without the fear of being punished by the Stamford-based company.

Being a corporate star now, millions of his fans around the world won't be able to accept the fact that Cena will now showcase a completely new character in the company. Ric Flair could perhaps accept getting his record being broken by John Cena, but might have some issues with Corporate Cena winning, which could lead to his potential interference. This was evidenced by his reaction soon after the dramatic events at Elimination Chamber 2025.

While Flair's interference could get obstructed by The Final Boss calling the shots, a potential distraction might lead to The American Nightmare retaining his title.

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Ric Flair called out John Cena following his heel turn

Just a few hours after John Cena's shocking heel turn at Elimination Chamber, Ric Flair shared a post on X, threatening The Franchise Player. The legend stated that while he loved Cena, he won't let him take anything away from Cody Rhodes.

"...@JohnCena, I love you and respect you, but you ain’t taking nothing from @CodyRhodes! If I have to fight my way through security to hit the ring, I will. I’ll take the day off of blood thinners. LFG! Let’s do this!" wrote Ric Flair.

While Ric Flair returning to WWE doesn't seem easy, things would turn out to be very exciting if the legend returned to help Cody Rhodes in his match against Cena at WrestleMania 41. Time will tell what WWE has in store for their match at The Showcase of The Immortals.