7 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE Elimination Chamber 2025

1. The Heel Turn Heard ‘Round The World

Fans have longed for John Cena to turn heel for nearly 20 years. They finally got their wish Saturday night in the midst of a farewell tour where most fans have accepted Cena as a perennial babyface.

In a moment that will long be regarded as a generational “where were you when…” moment, Cena turned heel when he picked up The Rock’s throat slash cue and kicked Cody Rhodes low, then proceeded to pummel him into a bloody mess. Rock whipped Rhodes with the custom weight belt reading “Cody’s Soul” and the date that Dusty Rhodes passed away, all as payback for Cody saying he wouldn’t sell his soul to the Final Boss.

But it’s Cena’s turn to the Dark Side that will have the entire wrestling world talking for weeks to come. Why did he do it? What did The Rock offer him? How far will Cena go as a villain?

The moment itself was a tremendous piece of business. Cena won the men’s Elimination Chamber by submitting CM Punk immediately after Seth Rollins interfered and stomped Punk on the chamber floor, essentially capitalizing on someone cheating. That set off some small alarm bells right there, painting Cena as desperate to win (Michael Cole even used that word to describe John) and go on to WrestleMania.

Then, after embracing Cody and acknowledging that they would face each other for the title at 'Mania, Cena would take his cues from The Rock, who made the offer one last time to make Rhodes’ dreams come true.

Without a doubt, one of the biggest moments in wrestling history, a proverbial ace up WWE’s sleeve that you never thought they’d ever play.