John Cena was poised to become WWE’s first 17-time World Champion during SummerSlam 2021, but unexpected last-minute changes prevented that milestone from happening then. Despite numerous chances to break the record sooner, including this event, Cena ultimately did not secure his 17th title until WrestleMania 2022 when he defeated Cody Rhodes. This moment ended years of sharing the 16-title record with Ric Flair.
During the SummerSlam 2021 main event, Cena faced Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship but lost the match. Immediately after, Brock Lesnar unexpectedly returned to confront Reigns, altering the evening’s landscape significantly. Cena later revealed that Lesnar’s return was only confirmed just a few hours prior to the show’s start. Up until that point, Cena was scheduled to leave SummerSlam as a 17-time World Champion.
They didn’t secure Brock until 5 pm that day. I was going to win 17,
Cena said, describing the complicated scenario waiting to unfold.
We were going to have someone come out and restart the match, Roman was going to take it back… Tons of finishers because I was going to win, and then Roman was going to take it back. You have this hard-fought battle, and through a nefarious set of rules, the match is restarted.
How Brock Lesnar’s Last-Minute Confirmation Changed WWE’s Storyline
The news of Brock Lesnar’s involvement forced WWE to abandon the intricate plan for the SummerSlam main event. Cena immediately consulted with Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman to rethink the match’s outcome. Instead of a dramatic sequence featuring numerous finishers and a restarted bout, the actual match became much simpler: it ended with a single spear from Reigns.
Cena decided that Reigns would defeat him cleanly and decisively with one spear, rather than allowing multiple kicks out of finishers. With Lesnar arriving moments after the conclusion, it was essential to maintain Reigns’ dominance, reinforcing the spear as an effective and match-ending move. This approach kept Reigns looking strong as the storyline shifted toward intensifying his long-standing rivalry with Lesnar.
The altered finish contrasted with what would have been a hard-fought and protracted battle, emphasizing the weight of Lesnar’s unexpected comeback and its impact on WWE’s championship narrative.
