John Cena may have subtly ruined his Farewell Tour plans in one moment on WWE SmackDown
John Cena had a rough Friday night, being on the receiving end of several verbal and literal smackdowns. From Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, and LA Knight putting Cena in his place to 'Mr. Never Seen Seventeen' being blindsided by R-Truth aka Ron Killings, he turned from being cocky and arrogant to embarassed and humiliated in a matter of minutes.
Before all these interruptions, Cena did make mention of being wise, or rather being a "genius," and architecting "master plans." The topic at hand should be clear enough by now: Seth Rollins. Cena and Rollins are currently the two biggest heels in the company, with almost all major babyfaces in the men's division forming loose alliances to combat them. An axis between Seth Rollins and John Cena has been a rumor, or at least a popular fantasy booking narrative, for months.
However, this week on Friday Night SmackDown, Cena was bold enough to state that Seth Rollins would not cash in the Money in the Bank contract he won last weekend in Inglewood for the Undisputed WWE Championship. Cena's reasoning: if Rollins cashes in to become the World Heavyweight Champion, he will be the only world champion in WWE once 'The Last Real Champion' is gone. This seemed like a way for Cena to manipulate Rollins into steering clear of him, and to be honest, his statement, whether construed as a warning, advice, or offer, does make some sense
But these few lines could come back to haunt him, too. By brushing off the idea, Cena made it easier for Rollins to catch him off guard. We might even see interactions between Rollins and Cena where The Visionary might assure him that he and Cena are on the same page, whether because of mutual enemies, mutual interest, or just business.
Seth Rollins may focus everyone’s attention on his quest for the World Heavyweight Championship while lulling Cena into a false sense of security, secretly planning to strike The Last Real Champion when no one expects it. Aided by Paul Heyman, The Architect is sharper and more cerebral than ever in 2025.
It’s the kind of opportunity Seth Rollins thrives on. He’s done it before. At WrestleMania 31, he cashed in during the main event and changed WWE history. Cena is now on his Farewell Tour, and Rollins could burn it down with one well-timed move. Seth Rollins holds the ultimate leverage, and just as Cena thinks no one can see him or his schemes, The Visionary may have the foresight to do so.
John Cena had a long Friday night on SmackDown
Following the opening segment, John Cena got into a heated, if visually a rather comical, argument with SmackDown GM Nick Aldis. He also had an interaction with Jimmy Uso backstage, where he directed Uso to let R-Truth, aka Ron Killings, know that Cena will be waiting for him in the ring to avenge the recent attacks by the 54-time 24/7 Champion.
However, as John Cena was calling out Truth, CM Punk came out to engage in a heated war of words with his fabled foe. Running back the years, CM Punk once again destroyed Cena on the mic like only he can. This was followed by R-Truth again attacking Cena from behind and locking in the STF on him.
While CM Punk is set to challenge John Cena for the Undisputed WWE Championship at Night of Champions, the possibility of a rematch with Randy Orton or Cody Rhodes remains, given their status in the King of the Ring tournament. That is, if John Cena gets past CM Punk. Meanwhile, Ron Killings lurks in the shadows, too.
