Victory went to John Cena at WrestleMania 41 as he beat Cody Rhodes in the headline match to become the new Undisputed WWE Champion. With this win, Cena now holds the record for the most WWE title reigns in history.
The main event kicked off on Sunday night with both wrestlers taking a moment to absorb the crowd’s energy. They locked up briefly before Cena slipped outside the ring. When they locked up again, Cena repeated the move, telling Rhodes to back off.
The third attempt at the tie-up gave Cena some control as he caught Rhodes in a headlock. Rhodes quickly got to his feet and replied with a clean dropkick. Cena rolled out, but Rhodes followed with a dive through the ropes and threw him back into the ring.
Cena began to dominate shortly after that. He delivered a series of stomps and then caught Rhodes with a hard boot to the face. At that point, Cena, already a 16-time champion, had things going his way and tossed Rhodes around with ease. After attempting a quick pin that Rhodes kicked out of, Cena appeared to enjoy the moment.
He sat on the turnbuckle between moves and performed some familiar moves from his earlier days, including a spinning DDT. After Rhodes fell to the mat, Cena raised his hand and looked to land the five-knuckle shuffle. Rhodes managed to strike him in the face, which shifted momentum.
As Rhodes tried to land the bionic elbow, Cena managed to reverse it and deliver an Attitude Adjustment. He went for a pin right after, but Rhodes stayed in the fight.
Cena stood back up and landed a five-knuckle shuffle while the audience shouted his catchphrase. When Cena tried for another AA, Rhodes managed to escape. Even though Rhodes slipped free, Cena chased him to the top turnbuckle and performed a flying AA. Still, Rhodes kicked out once more.
During an aerial attempt by Cena, Rhodes turned things around by catching him and connecting with a Cody Cutter from the top rope. He aimed for the Cross Rhodes move, but Cena countered it with another AA and then locked in the STF submission hold at the center of the ring.
Rhodes found it hard to break free, and while doing so, the referee was accidentally knocked out. Rhodes still found the strength to hit the Cross Rhodes move, which could have finished the match, but the official was not conscious.
Rhodes tried to get the referee back on his feet, but Cena took advantage. He uncovered a turnbuckle and shoved Rhodes into it two times before hitting another AA. He tried another pin just as the referee recovered, but Rhodes still kicked out.
Travis Scott’s song “Fein” played across the arena just then as the rapper came out from the stage area. Once inside the ring, he distracted Cena, and Rhodes delivered another Cody Cutter before going for the pin. However, Scott dragged the referee out.
This led to a faceoff between Scott and Rhodes. When Scott tried to land a hit, Rhodes stopped him and responded with a Cross Rhodes.
Cena was waiting as Rhodes turned around, holding the title belt. Rhodes took the belt from him and almost struck him, but hesitated. That delay gave Cena an opening to hit a low blow. Then he followed up with a title shot to Rhodes’ head. After dragging the referee back, Cena got the three-count and left with the championship.
Cena’s Final WrestleMania Sends a Message
Cena’s run at WrestleMania 41 marks the last of his career, with 2025 set as the final chapter in his journey inside the WWE ring. Since the start of his farewell tour last year, the crowd has continued to celebrate him, hoping for a memorable ending to an incredible career.
Although many expected emotion and tribute, what was opened surprised most people watching. He had earned the title shot by winning at Elimination Chamber, but shocked many by attacking Rhodes and turning him into a villain. This turn stunned viewers.
Since then, Cena began speaking out harshly, claiming that people never respected what he achieved. He said they were always demanding more and never satisfied. Instead of trying to please the crowd, he decided to focus only on winning, regardless of how it made him look.
By adding this new title win, Cena now holds 17 WWE Championships, moving ahead of Ric Flair’s record. This is his first time as champion since February 2017, ending the longest gap without a title in his career.
Now that Cena is preparing to step away for good, he has set a record that might remain untouched for years to come. His legacy is almost complete, and this final chapter has delivered a moment that will remain part of wrestling history.
