The war betweenCody Rhodes and John Cenatook a big step up asWWEairedMonday Night Raw fromLondon, and no one was safe from the fire and vitriol coming from each man. From Tony Khan to The Rock, everyone left with some shrapnel, but the most surprising reference was to Vince McMahon, a name and a line WWE hasn’t crossedsince he resigned in disgrace in 2024.
The promo battle was the moment that the performers and WWE needed to kick this rivalry and Night 2 main event into high gear, and allow both Cena and Rhodes to shine. Although Cena is truly the greatest of all time when it comes to promo battles, Rhodes left him no breathing room and proved that he could stand toe to toe with Cena.
Cody Rhodes (Almost) Mentioned Vince McMahon on WWE TV
The Crowd Went Crazy For The McMahon Nod
It was a moment WWE fans had been waiting for in the build up to WrestleMania 41: the first time a heel John Cena stepped to Cody Rhodes for a verbal beat down, complete with references to how protected he was, his “underwhelming” championship run, how he “buries mediocrity” and referred to the American Nightmare as a “slimy pickpocket.” Cena was in his element, allowing Rhodes to take the bait and be hooked in.
Rhodes wasn’t having it, and scrapped any pretense of Cena’s accusations of being too polished and too rehearsed, and went in on Cena, reminding him of how he got to the top of the card:
“I didn’t expect to say this. Maybe you’re right. Maybe I was chosen. But you know who chose me? [The WWE Universe] chose me. Can you say the same, John Cena? Or was it one guy in an office who chose you who’s not here anymore, and we don’t talk about him?
It’s not the first time WWE skated dangerously close to the edge by mentioning Vince McMahon, the former CEO and Chairman of WWE and Executive Chairman of TKO who resigned from the company in 2024 amid lurid allegations of his personal conduct. McMahon has not been mentioned on WWE programming since his resignation, but it’s the first time a performer has lobbed a charge at Cena, a charge that Rhodes mentions directly as a direct cause for why he left to create a rival promotion, AEW.
Cody Finally Showed How He Can Beat Cena on the Mic
Siri, Play “Meet the Grahams” by Kendrick Lamar
Wrestling fans can almost universally agree that, when it comes to promos on the mic, there’s not another performer that comes close to John Cena, and anyone who dares take aim at “Big Match John” better aim high and take their best shot. Fans point to the classic promo war between Cena and Roman Reigns in 2017, where Cena seemingly went off script and hit Reigns with several verbal jabs that caused him to forget his lines, or his fiery dissection of The Rock in 2012, where he actually went off script and revealed that Rock had notes for his promo written on his wrist.
Rhodes has never been challenged on the mic the way Cena challenged him, but it was clear this was a moment for him to shine and prove that he can be the top star of WWE by standing toe to toe with Cena. Rhodes took significant shots at Cena, taking it to him in a way few have before:
“Everyone’s so terrified of you on the mic - I’m not, because I know you’ve got more d*** in that promo than you do in your shorts. You want to make fun of me for appearing like I’m 16 and taking public speaking lessons? Well, you’re the one who hangs out with Zac Efron and wishes he was 16. And what a softball! Thank you, John! What a softball you’ve thrown me by saying you created all of this. You created me. Here’s what you created, pal. You created a lot of disenfranchised fans who made it easy for me to pack up and go elsewhere and say ‘Hey, look at me!'”
Although Cena took his lumps from Rhodes, he also landed a final blow, responding to his “disenfranchised fans” jab by firing at AEW:
“I make empires for billionaires. All you’ve ever done is steal money from their kids.”
The promo was a fiery one, full of real-life drama and potential live rounds towards each other in a way that only someone like Cena can make you say: “How real is this?” It challenged Rhodes to bring his best, better than any promo he’s ever given before, and allowed the fans to see him shed that polish against a man who turned his back on the WWE Universe.
Who Won Cena and Rhodes’ Promo Battle in London?
It’s A Close Call, Truly
John Cena, to paraphrase the rapper Dylan, spits hot fire on the WWE microphone any time he’s near it, and the first heel promo towards another performer was exactly as it should have been; boisterous, cocky, vicious. The fan support was leaning towards him after his first verbal assault on the Undisputed WWE Champion, with the fans cheering his name and potentially turning the tide on him.
Instead of shrinking from the moment, Rhodes took the chance to firmly establish himself again as the champion and a worthy opponent to counter Cena’s vitriol. It’s true thatJohn Cena’s words highlighted a big criticism fans had towards Cody, that since his return to WWE he’s been too perfect, too artificial. However, Cody’s retort also hit the bullseye, with the reference to Vince McMahon and how Cena’s reign at the top made a lot of stars quit the company. If John’s promo made more noise, Cody’s retorts were perhaps sharper, with the exception of his final jab.
Taking the “You can’t wrestle” route seems childish, as the John Cena those chants were hurled at hasn’t been around for a long time. After witnessing Cena’s in-ring work against the likes of Bryan, Punk, and Styles, that retort seems forced, but it was needed to provoke the physicality that followed. To sum it up,Rhodes was the Kendrick Lamar to Cena’s Drake in London, getting the upper hand in what could be their final face-to-face beforeWrestleMania 41, and showing Cena that maybe it’s his time that is, in fact, up.
