There’s a case to be made that since the moment Cody Rhodes returned to WWE at WrestleMania 38, he’s been the top babyface in the company. That narrative reached its apex at WrestleMania 40, when he became undeniable in beating Roman Reigns in the main event to become WWE Champion for the first time.
Indeed, The American Nightmare finishing the story was the feel-good moment of the year, if not an entire decade of WWE programming. However, the year-long reign itself drew mixed reaction before Rhodes dropped his title to a heel John Cena at WrestleMania 41. The rematch goes down at SummerSlam and it feels like time for a slice of history to repeat itself.
Cody Rhodes Can Get His Redemption
Perhaps the most polarizing moment of Cody Rhodes’s first two years back in WWE came when he lost to Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 39. The naysayers would suggest Reigns’s world title run and The Bloodline angle were already stale by that point and Rhodes going down in defeat to cap such a major show was deflating to WWE fans.
Proponents of the WrestleMania 39 ending would suggest—especially in hindsight—that that loss gave Rhodes the adversity to overcome such that his WrestleMania 40 triumph was all the sweeter. As such, one could draw a parallel to the current story arc of Rhodes vs. John Cena, Yes, The American Nightmare lost at WrestleMania. But as the saying goes, the comeback will be greater than the setback.
The WWE Audience Is Ready To Appreciate Cody Rhodes On Top Again
A funny, if predictable dynamic emerged when Cody Rhodes finally won the WWE Championship. The moment itself garnered an overwhelmingly positive reaction. Within a few months, though, a vocal segment of the audience had taken shape, suggesting Rhodes was overpushed, his reign was boring, and WWE would be better off with a different champion.
John Cena’s heel reign has had its pros and cons. One point that’s difficult to deny, though, is that we’re seeing about the least impressive in-ring version of Cena since his initial rise to the top. Moreover, some fans feel the heel persona isn’t working at all or, at the least, that it would be more satisfying to see him wrap up his WWE career as a babyface.
In short, the old wisdom sung by Joni Mitchell holds up: “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.” This Cena run has demonstrated how much fans should have appreciated Rhodes on top while they had him, and a second world title reign for him just might garner the respect it deserves.
Babyface John Cena Can Stay Away From The World Title Picture
In addition to Cody Rhodes finishing another milestone chapter in his own story, it’s time to close the book on John Cena’s final heel run.
The initial turn was great, and Cena has made some magic on the mic. The Never Seen Seventeen’s bout with CM Punk at Night of Champoins, chock full of run-ins and callbacks is probably about as a good as a 2025 John Cena world title match could be. It’s time for Cena to get humbled, though, and in doing so, perhaps he’ll see the error in his ways and help stave off a post-match attack from either The Bloodline or Seth Rollins’s crew and return to his babyface ways.
There are readymade stories for babyface Cena to team up with Rhodes, CM Punk, Randy Orton, or R-Truth as he makes amends for the last few months in featured roles that nonetheless keep him out of singles action and away from either world title. That’s the best spot for fans to truly appreciate the final leg of his farewell tour.
Cody Rhodes Beating John Cena Is Exactly The Moment The First Two-Night SummerSlam Needs
Finishing the stories of Cody Rhodes’s redemption arc and John Cena’s heel run will be a huge moment. As such, it’s precisely fitting as WWE elevates SummerSlam to two-night status.
Indeed, SummerSlam has an uneven history. It’s typically looked at as WWE’s second biggest show after WrestleMania, but fans are quick to point out that it hasn’t always felt that climactic and the Royal Rumble is actually the event with the bigger implications. As The Biggest Party of the Summer graduates to the next echelon of PLE, Rhodes beating Cena is precisely the right moment to give fans.