John Cena Wins Record-Breaking 17th Championship in Controversial WWE WrestleMania 41 Main Event
Welcome to the dark side of history, as in one of the most polarizing finishes in WWE WrestleMania history, John Cena pinned Cody Rhodes to become WWE Champion for the 17th time—breaking Ric Flair’s long-standing record. But this wasn’t the feel-good moment some expected. Cena didn’t do it with hustle, loyalty, and respect. He did it with a low blow, a stolen title belt, and a timely assist from Travis Scott. From the moment Cena walked out with a cold stare and none of his usual theatrics, the vibe was different. No towel toss, no salute. Just business. Cody, meanwhile, rolled in with dirt bikes, a skull helmet, and his entire family front row. And they went home disappointed.
Early on, Cena played mind games. He was smug, slow, dismissive. And when Cody began to mount a comeback, Cena upped the intensity, dropping him with multiple AAs and locking in a loose STFU. Still, Rhodes wouldn’t stay down. He kept coming. Then came the chaos.
Following a red bump, Travis Scott came out — presumably The Rock was too busy on vacation in Hawaii to turn up — Cena feigned a handshake. Cody fought back and hit CrossRhodes, but the referee was still out. When the ref finally returned, Scott pulled him from the ring. Cody took out Scott with another CrossRhodes, but the distraction was enough.
Cena grabbed the title belt, looked Cody dead in the eyes… and cracked him with it after a low blow. The ref staggered back in just in time to count the three. And just like that, John Cena became a 17-time world champion, and did it like never before. Michael Cole summed it up best: “Whether you like it or not, and you probably don’t like it… John Cena has done it.”
And after the show, Cena addressed the media, calling them clickbait merchants and poor journalists, before advising them to tune in to Raw on Netflix tonight to find out how he is going to “ruin wrestling” in his final months before retirement. Oh boy.
WrestleMania 41 Night Two: Quick Results
Iyo Sky def. Bianca Belair & Rhea Ripley – Women’s World Championship
In a fast-paced, hard-hitting thriller, Sky pinned Belair after hitting Over the Moonsault on both women. Instant classic, this was possibly match of the weekend.
Drew McIntyre def. Damian Priest – Sin City Street Fight
In a brutal, violent match that lived up to its name, McIntyre put Priest away with a devastating Claymore Kick against a wedged chair.
Dominik Mysterio def. Finn Balor, Bron Breakker & Penta – Intercontinental Championship
With Carlito’s interference and a slick Frog Splash on Balor, Dominik became the new IC champ in a four-way banger. Brilliant stuff.
Randy Orton def. Joe Hendry
A surprise WrestleMania appearance for the TNA World Champ. Orton won with an RKO—then gave Hendry a second one post-match for good measure. The crowd LOVED this.
Becky Lynch & Lyra Valkyria def. Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez – Women’s Tag Titles
Lynch returned in top form, scoring the pin after a Manhandle Slam. Lyra Two Belts is officially real.
Logan Paul def. AJ Styles
Thanks to an assist from Karrion Kross, Paul walked away with another big win. Styles fought valiantly, but the numbers game did him in.
WrestleMania 41 is streaming on demand on Peacock in the US and Netflix internationally.
