John Cena © vs Cody Rhodes - WWE Undisputed Championship Match (Summerslam Sunday 2025)

A rematch from the Wrestlemania Sunday main event in Las Vegas this year. A heel John Cena then vs face Cody Rhodes with Cena making history on that night becoming the first ever 17x World Champion in WWE. From then on, Cena has faced some of his fierce rivals from CM Punk to Randy Orton but they were not able to take the title away from him. Cody had been on a redemption since losing the title in April at Wrestlemania and he too had beaten Randy Orton since then to win the King of the Ring tournament to set up this rematch at Metlife Stadium. 

The American Nightmare made his way to the ring first with words from his Father Dusty Rhodes playing before he rose from the stage in an Iron Man like helmet in the shape of his logo. His music started to play and he pumped up the crowd to get them ready for the main event. The crowd reciprocated singing his entrance theme and a loud “WOAH!” with a large amount of pyro to follow as usual for Cody. He stood in the middle of the ring as he looked around Metlife Stadium at the over 60,000 people in attendance.

Next up was the WWE Champion John Cena. A John Cena of old appeared following a passionate promo on Smackdown just 2 nights prior to Summerslam with a U-turn from Cena that he wanted to be like he was before and for the fans. It seemed to leave many skeptical as to whether it was part of his heel character or not but the return of the colourful entrance and “Last Time Is Now” banners showed otherwise. He went to each side of the ramp and was once again reunited with WWE Cameraman Stu who he told he had missed before running down to the ring as he had done so many times over the years. He lifted the title to the crowd when in the ring to big pop but not as big as when the colour returned to the stage when he first came out at Metlife Stadium. 

The 2 men embraced to start the match almost in a good luck to each other in the Street Fight to follow. Within the first few minutes each man was shoved into the steel steps by the other man. Steel steps were moved into the ring by Cena as he looked for an AA before a reversal and body slam by Rhodes to Cena. 

As he looked to continue his momentum Cody went to the top rope before Cena scrambled to get him off the top rope and threw him to the outside of the ring. Cena wasn’t finished there as he picked up the heavy steel steps and threw straight at Cody on the outside leaving Cody immediately clutching his right arm. 

The momentum switched to Rhodes as he looked to get the upper hand with continual offense to try and quickly end the match but nothing seemed to be enough in the early stages. Both men then seemed to have the same idea to get a steel chair as they both looked at each other looking with the same weapon in hand. They both went to use the chairs but ended up hitting the chairs off one another as they did damage to their own hands rather than their opponents. Rhodes smartly then kicked Cena’s chair out of the ring then used his chair to keep Cena down and regain his control on the match. 

Another momentum switch as Rhodes' offense was used against him. He went to slam Cena into a chair he had mounted between 2 turnbuckles but it was reversed and Cody went into the chair instead. Cena capitalised on that and used his shoulder tackles to set up a You Can’t See Me 5 knuckle shuffle with the crowd fully behind him as he did it. 

He did try to end the match with an AA straight after but Cody fought back with a Bionic Elbow taken from his Father, the late, great Dusty Rhodes. From that he sprung off the ropes into a Cody Cutter but it was again not enough for the 3 count and to keep Cena down. 

The back and forth continued with Cena managing hitting and AA on Rhodes but a relatively early kick out suggested there was a long way to go for Cena to retain his title. It then went back to the way of Cody Rhodes with Disaster Kicks, Cross Bodies and Cody Cutter’s off the top rope, still not enough to keep Cena down. Even a Pildriver, a move banned in WWE for many years, was not enough to win the match. 

There were more moves perhaps from other people used in the match as Cody Rhodes used a Pop Up Powerbomb on Cena. Perhaps from the arsenal of his rival over the last year in Kevin Owens. Although, it was only forced a near fall yet again and was quickly reversed into a STFU submission by Cena. With no rope breaks in a street fight, Rhodes had to put the ropes between the neck of Cena for him to break the hold. 

The match continued on the outside with Cena using a microphone as a weapon before a surprise Sunset Flip by Cena on the outside. He looked around in shock and excitement as the crowd cheered. He then cleared the Spanish announce table before an AA to Cody through the table. Cena hauled Cody back to the middle of the ring but he kicked out at 2. 

With the crowd on his side, Cena tried to keep the attack going but Rhodes moved out of the way as he went to the corner. Cody turned it round again and delivered a Cross Rhodes to Cena but then a kick out by Cena left Rhodes confused with doubt possibly starting to sink in. 

Even a Leg Drop off the top rope followed by an AA was not enough to keep Rhodes down. At which point Cena decided it was the right time to introduce a table to the match. Failed attempts from both men to use the table resulted in the match going to the outside and into where the WWE Universe was. 

Once again to and fro between the men as they went through the crowd. A steel guard rail then used in an attempt to AA Cody onto it but once again a reversal, as Cena was suplexed onto the steel by Cody. 

The back and forth continued as they made their way near to the entrance ramp and disappeared under the ramp for a matter of moments before they reappeared on the electric lift in the middle of the ramp. Light beamed through the lift as the figures revealed Cena had Cody hoisted over his shoulders in position for an AA. He moved forward with Rhodes on his shoulders before an AA as he threw Cody onto the ramp. 

With a lifeless Cody Rhodes on the ramp and a pin needed inside the ring, Cena had to lug Rhodes all the way back to the ring. This took more energy out of Cena and Rhodes capitalised as they got into the ring. He threw Cena through the table previously set up in the corner and a Cross Rhodes followed immediately after. However, it was still not enough for the win!

In perhaps desperation Cody loosened the bottom turnbuckle and used the exposed steel on Cena in a bid to keep him down for good. Once again the weapons introduced were used against Rhodes with an STFU used with the ropes around the head of Cody. 

There were yet again a number of continuous reversals before Cody hit not 1, not 2 but 3 Cross Rhodes to Cena. Cody chucked everything at Cena but he once again kicked out. As the crowd erupted, the shock came from Michael Cole as well as he shouted “A KICK-OUT! A KICK-OUT BY CENA!” 

An electric Metlife Stadium, with everyone on their feet for this main event. An astonished Cody Rhodes seemed to need to go back to the drawing board on how to beat Cena. As he looked to the WWE Championship to potentially use as a weapon. 

Although he did try to use the title as a weapon, Cena reversed it yet again and delivered 2 thunderous AA’s to Cody. He then picked up the title and waved his finger as if to say “not this time” and threw it away. This confirmed he was back to his old self and wanted to win the match fairly. 

He did not want to win this match like he had in the months prior as he took Rhodes to the top rope. He was perched on Cena’s shoulders on the top rope with an Avalanche AA to Cody. Another kick-out from Cody meant the match continued, this time it was Cena with a stunned look on his face. 

With options running out for Cena, he once again went under the ring to find another table to set up in the ring. He then took Cody to the top rope again and tried for an Avalanche AA through the table. However, Cody managed to escape and climbed to the top rope himself and maneuvered a Cody Cutter off the top rope through the table. 

An exhausted John Cena tumbled to the ropes as he camera panned to Cody, who saluted Cena as he turned. Another Cross Rhodes delivered to Cena with venom as he covered the Champion. 1…2…3! Cody Rhodes defeated the Greatest Of All Time John Cena in his final Summerslam match. 

The second reign of The American Nightmare began after a war between two competitors intent to leave it all in the ring. John Cena handed the title to Cody Rhodes as the torch was passed literally and metaphorically from one baby face of a generation to another. An amazing match to cap off the redemption weekend for John Cena, with a title loss but the overwhelming support of the WWE Universe. With 4 months left to go on the Farewell Tour of the Greatest Of All Time every moment will be taken for granted from both John Cena and the WWE Universe.