Cody Rhodes EMBARRASSES John Cena on SmackDown ahead of WrestleMania 41

This week’s SmackDown served as the go-home episode for WrestleMania 41 and delivered a standout moment with a face-off between John Cena and Cody Rhodes. While many thought that ‘The Cenation Leader’ might pull a surprise, it was ‘The American Nightmare’ who stole the spotlight—embarrassing Cena in Las Vegas with some bold, hard-hitting words.

Rhodes didn’t hold back when taking shots at Cena. He called out ‘The Cenation Leader’ for hiding his insecurities behind arrogance. ‘The American Nightmare’ pointed out that while Cena may resent him for being a true people’s champion, he’s busy trying to win over people in Hollywood. Rhodes even went as far as saying that the 16-time World Champion actually deserves the “you can’t wrestle” chants.

While Cena clearly wasn’t thrilled with Rhodes’ attitude, he fired back with a strong response. He said that ‘The Prodigal Son’ is confused about what he really wants—pointing to how he turned down The Rock’s offer. ‘The Cenation Leader’ added that he’s confident Rhodes doesn’t have what it takes to carry the Undisputed WWE Championship into the future.

Cody Rhodes is going OFF on John Cena!#SmackDown

pic.twitter.com/pslxVUg4KX

— Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) April 19, 2025

Cena took things a step further by saying he doesn’t even need to wrestle to beat Rhodes at WrestleMania. He followed that up with a cheap shot to Rhodes’ eye and tried to hit an AA. But the Undisputed WWE Champion stayed ready—he countered Cena’s move and delivered a Cross Rhodes. As ‘The Peacemaker’ lay flat on the mat, Rhodes confidently pointed to the WrestleMania sign, sending a clear message.

Cody Rhodes says receipts are coming for Travis Scott

During the Elimination Chamber, The Rock, John Cena, and Travis Scott teamed up to brutally attack Cody Rhodes, leaving him with a black eye. However, it was Scott who legitimately landed a punch that seriously injured ‘The American Nightmare.’ Recently, Rhodes opened up about his reaction to the rapper’s unexpected shot.

Cody Rhodes spoke on First Take and revealed he heard Travis Scott will be at WrestleMania—and if they cross paths, he’s ready to deliver some payback. The American Nightmare admitted he initially wasn’t sure how bad the injury was, but later found out he had suffered a ruptured eardrum.

Still, Rhodes tried to downplay the situation at the time, not wanting to admit that Scott had legitimately caught him with a real shot. However, many people reached out to him with concern about the injury. On top of that, several WWE legends criticized Scott’s involvement in the heel turn, calling him careless for injuring the Undisputed WWE Champion.

Will Cody Rhodes retain his Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania?

Cody Rhodes is heading into the biggest challenge of his Undisputed WWE Championship reign. Over the past year, he’s taken down top names like Roman Reigns, Gunther, Logan Paul, and Kevin Owens. But this new, villainous version of John Cena might be his toughest test yet.

‘The Cenation Leader’ is fighting for his 17th WWE Championship, with the goal of retiring as the reigning champ. To help him achieve this, he has the support of The Rock and Travis Scott. Given these alliances, it’s highly likely that Cody Rhodes could end up losing his WWE Championship at WrestleMania.

Moreover, WWE could set up a major redemption story for ‘The Prodigal Son’ to reclaim his spot at the top of WWE. This could mark the return of Rhodes’ “Finish The Story” arc, culminating in a triumphant victory, possibly at next year’s WrestleMania.

Related: Paul Heyman gives major SPOILER on a massive World Title match for WrestleMania

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