In a high-octane main event at WrestleMania 41, Cena defeated Cody Rhodes to become the first-ever 17-time world champion in WWE history, breaking the long-standing record he previously shared with wrestling legend Ric Flair.
The electrifying showdown took place in Las Vegas, with thousands of fans on the edge of their seats as Cena sealed the win — with an unexpected assist from rapper Travis Scott.
The match lasted nearly 30 minutes and capped off a deeply personal rivalry that had been building for months. Cena’s recent heel turn — his first in over two decades — shocked fans, especially after teaming up with his old rival, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, at Elimination Chamber.
The buildup to this match was filled with intense promos, including one from Cena on SmackDown where he declared that this would be his final WrestleMania match.
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“No one has ever had the courage to end their career the way I have,” Cena said, calling out Rhodes and the wrestling world for being afraid to truly retire.
Rhodes, never one to back down, fired back hard — mocking Cena’s recent Oscar appearance and calling him “overrated” and “washed up.”
Their confrontation ended in chaos, with Cena slapping Rhodes and Rhodes countering with a Cross Rhodes finisher.
But on Sunday night, it was Cena who stood tall. With a mix of experience, strategy, and surprise support, he pinned Rhodes to clinch the Undisputed WWE Championship — and wrote his name into the history books.
As the crowd roared, Cena held the title high, possibly for the last time, marking the end of an era and the crowning moment of one of WWE’s most iconic careers.
