WWE star Cody Rhodes explains why John Cena WrestleMania 41 matchup feels like 'first-time-ever' ordeal

Cody Rhodes and John Cena volition conscionable astatine WrestleMania 41 with the Undisputed WWE Championship and the eyes of the pro wrestling satellite watching precise carefully.

Cena won the men’s Elimination Chamber lucifer and past aligned with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson to go the antagonist successful this communicative with Rhodes. Cena’s inexpensive changeable of Rhodes kick-started the Massachusetts native’s quest for a record-breaking 17th satellite title.

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John Cena hugs Cody Rhodes during the WWE Elimination Chamber astatine the Rogers Centre successful Toronto connected March 1, 2025. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE via Getty Images)

For years, Cena has been the beloved babe look of WWE. He cultivated a large instrumentality basal with the younger assemblage and ne'er erstwhile during the tallness of his vocation did helium crook the different cheek. There were surely times fans booed him and ridiculed him, but his quality was ever that of "hustle, loyalty and respect."

But his bottommost crook presented a wholly caller storyline successful what is expected to beryllium his last twelvemonth successful pro wrestling. Rhodes told Fox News Digital earlier the astir caller occurrence of "Monday Night Raw" successful London that it feels similar he’s squaring disconnected against Cena for the archetypal time.

"I look astatine a batch of worldly now, similar John and my lucifer astatine WrestleMania 41. I truly look astatine it similar it’s the archetypal clip ever," Rhodes said. "John was idiosyncratic who came successful and, not close away, but helium did find his footing rapidly successful presumption of who John Cena was going to be, and helium waved that emblem and carried his marque precise firmly, precise successful a disciplined mode for arsenic agelong arsenic helium did. Really helped propulsion the wagon astatine WWE during a transitional play arsenic well. I consciousness similar he’s ever been that John for maine – bully feline oregon atrocious guy. You needed to enactment arsenic hard, if not harder, and you request to get to his level, different helium was going to measurement implicit you and past permission you successful the dust."

John Cena successful enactment against Cody Rhodes during the WWE Elimination Chamber astatine the Rogers Centre successful Toronto connected March 1, 2025. (Rich Freeda/WWE via Getty Images)

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Rhodes, who spoke to Fox News Digital connected behalf of WWE’s concern with Clash of Clans, said helium ne'er successful his wildest dreams would person imagined a Cena bottommost turn.

"So, now, looking astatine the matchup, that’s wherefore I accidental it feels similar a first-time-ever for me, due to the fact that aboriginal successful my career, I hadn’t recovered my footing. I didn’t cognize who I was," helium said. "And now, particularly judging from these past respective interactions successful the ring, I consciousness similar we bash cognize who each different are now. … I couldn’t person enactment it successful my wildest dreams that this would beryllium a WrestleMania header lucifer and main event, particularly nether the circumstances it’s travel under. But that’s the beauteous happening astir pro wrestling; it’s excessively pugnacious to call."

On the astir caller "Monday Night Raw," Rhodes and Cena went face-to-face perchance for the last clip earlier WrestleMania 41 successful Las Vegas.

Cody Rhodes celebrates aft defeating Kevin Owens successful the WWE Undisputed Championship lucifer during the WWE Royal Rumble astatine Lucas Oil Stadium successful Indianapolis connected Feb. 1, 2025. (Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images)

The 2 pro wrestling superstars traded insults to commencement the show. But the face-off ended with Rhodes hitting his finishing maneuver, Cross Rhodes, connected Cena and near him sprawled retired successful the mediate of the ring.

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WrestleMania 41 is acceptable for April 19-20.

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