By Matthew Conroy
On Saturday, March 1, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) held the Elimination Chamber Premium Live Event (PLE) in Toronto. The show featured stars such as CM Punk, Seth Rollins, Cody Rhodes, the Rock, and John Cena.
The Elimination Chamber is the last PLE in the lead-up to WrestleMania. This year, the show featured the Men’s and Women’s Elimination Chamber matches, an unsanctioned match between Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens and a tag team match between WWE women’s champion Tiffany Stratton and her mentor and WWE legend Trish Stratus versus Nia Jax and Candice LaRae.
To end the show, WWE champion Cody Rhodes was forced to decide: Would he sell out and become the Rock’s corporate champion or stay loyal to the fans?
Last summer in Toronto, John Cena announced that he would retire from in-ring competition at the end of 2025. Since then, Cena has been the runner-up in the Royal Rumble event. After his loss, he declared himself for the Elimination Chamber match in the post-show press conference.
“I’m announcing tonight that I will compete in the Elimination Chamber, and I’m saying that because after 23 years of loyal service to this company, I feel that opportunity is earned,” said Cena on Wrestling Headlines.
Cena’s press conference appearance shocked fans online.
“It wasn’t just the announcement that raised eyebrows — it was the tone,” Chris McPherson of Collider said. “This was selfish, entitled, and angry, and we don’t associate Cena with these characteristics. Gone is the smiling, self-deprecating veteran, and in his place is a man who believes the company needs him.”
Cena was absent from WWE television after this moment until the Elimination Chamber PLE. In his absence, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson made his return to the WWE with an offer for the WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, reigniting their feud from last year’s WrestleMania. The Rock set the WWE fans in a tailspin when he asked Cody Rhodes to be his champion.
Cena was victorious in the Elimination Chamber match and secured his spot to face off against Rhodes for the WWE championship at WrestleMania 41 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Saturday, April 19, and Sunday, April 20. When the time came to make his decision, Cena stood in the corner of the ring, while the Rock and Travis Scott came to the ring to hear what Rhodes had to say. Ultimately, Rhodes rejected the Rock’s offer, staying loyal to the WWE fans, and Cena celebrated Rhodes’ decision.
“The Rock had it coming,” said WWE fan Alberto Diaz, who watched the event live. “It was about time that someone stood up to him. When Cody rejected the Rock in the manner that he did, it was stunning and needed to happen.”
Cena embraced Rhodes and looked up at the Rock, who delivered the throat slash signal, which led to Cena brutally attacking Rhodes and aligning himself with the Rock. The crowd was stunned, as were the millions of viewers across the world.
“It was pretty cool,” said Diaz. “We’ll see a side of John Cena, and they’ve been teasing it for years. It was now or never. It was definitely shocking, but I loved it”
Diaz was not alone in his feelings. Fans and wrestling news sites on the social platform X were stunned by this news.
“One of[,] if not the most[,] jaw dropping ending in history,” said X user @WrestleOps.
Following the turn, many fans are excited for what comes next. For nearly 20 years, fans have been clamoring for this character change, and they finally got it in Cena’s final months of his career.
“I’ve been fortunate to be around a lot of the biggest things in this business in the last 30 years,” said Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE Hall of Famer and chief content officer, on Yahoo Entertainment. “I don’t know that I’ve ever felt a more powerful moment.”
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Photo courtesy of WhatCulture.