At the 2025 Elimination Chamber event, John Cena shocked fans by turning heel and joining forces with The Rock, creating a major stir in the WWE Universe. After winning the men’s Chamber match, Cena and The Rock attacked Cody Rhodes, who had refused an offer from The Rock, known as The Final Boss, to join him. This led to Cena defeating Rhodes at WrestleMania 41, capturing his 17th WWE World Title during Night Two’s main event.
The story involving the Cody Rhodes WrestleMania 41 storyline was shaped significantly by this heel turn, but WWE’s creative direction might have looked very different had an initial concept pitched by The Rock been pursued.
Behind the Scenes: The Rock’s Original Plan for the Championship
The early plan for WrestleMania 41 was a straightforward babyface versus babyface matchup between Rhodes and Cena. However, The Rock collaborated with former WWE writer Brian Gewirtz, who now works for him, to inject unpredictability into the storyline. On Netflix’s WWE: Unreal, Gewirtz explained that their idea was for Rhodes to reject The Rock’s offer at Elimination Chamber, followed by The Rock arranging an unexpected championship match where Kevin Owens would shock everyone by winning the title.
Gewirtz described the initial babyface versus babyface setup as feeling “a little dry” and wanted to add “some controlled chaos.” Owens was already intertwined with Rhodes’ storyline, having faced him in a brutal ladder match at the Royal Rumble, providing a strong foundation for his potential title win. However, Owens winning the championship at Elimination Chamber was intended as a step toward a larger, seismic storyline rather than the final outcome.
Creative Disagreements and the Shift to a Heel Turn
Despite WWE’s interest in The Rock’s bold idea, resistance arose among the creative team. Writer Ed Koskey mentioned in the same episode that some team members expressed hesitation about having the championship change hands so close to WrestleMania. This led to discussions among Koskey, Triple H, and Bruce Prichard via a video call, where they debated possible scenarios.
The resolution was to transform John Cena’s character by turning him heel, a choice that significantly altered the trajectory of the Rhodes versus Cena storyline and kept the championship on Cena for the big event.
The Lasting Impact on WWE Storytelling
The decision against The Rock’s original concept brought about a dramatic heel turn for Cena and shaped the WrestleMania 41 main event in a way that energized the audience. This choice highlighted WWE’s tendency to balance star power and storyline impact in its major events. For Cody Rhodes, the storyline involved high stakes and personal conflict, maintaining his prominence while setting the stage for future rivalries.
Moving forward, the WWE Universe can expect more unpredictable shifts, as this episode illustrates how creative ideas evolve behind the scenes, sometimes leading to surprising outcomes that define wrestling history.
