John Cena will defend his Undisputed WWE Championship against Cody Rhodes this weekend at the SummerSlam Premium Live Event in New Jersey, spotlighting one unexpected connection between the two wrestlers. This battle follows their first encounter at WrestleMania 41, where Cena defeated Rhodes to claim the championship.
Aside from their WrestleMania confrontation, Cena and Rhodes also faced each other indirectly at the Money in the Bank Premium Live Event in a tag team match. Cody Rhodes teamed with Jey Uso, while Cena partnered with Logan Paul, adding layers to their ongoing rivalry. As anticipation builds for their one-on-one match, Bully Ray has weighed in on a shared element linking these two top stars.
The Role of The Rock in Cena and Rhodes’ Shared History
On the Busted Open podcast, Bully Ray highlighted that the single common factor between John Cena and Cody Rhodes is none other than The Rock. According to Ray, this connection opens up creative opportunities for the wrestlers and the WWE storylines moving forward.
“It just gives them more room to have fun,” he opined. “It opens the door for the run-in, and we’re talking about how do we turn John Cena babyface, how do we keep Cody a babyface? They do have one thing in common and that’s The Rock,” said Ray. —Bully Ray, Wrestling Analyst
This insight points to The Rock’s influence behind the scenes and the ways his relationship with both Cena and Rhodes can deepen the narrative for SummerSlam and beyond.
Calls for Triple H’s Involvement to Elevate the Match
Bully Ray also suggested that Triple H’s involvement could add a compelling layer to the match between Cena and Rhodes. During the podcast, Ray imagined a dramatic moment where Triple H and The Rock face off live, a scenario that would electrify the crowd and add backstage tension to the storyline.
“This will never happen, but [if] you want to get a ‘Holy s**t!’ moment, [if] you want 50,000 people standing on their feet in complete, wide eyed amazement, because they can’t believe what they’re seeing, hit Triple H’s music,” Ray said. “Put Hunter in the middle of the ring, face to face with The Rock, because of the underlying story of the tension. We don’t know about this on television, but we’ve seen enough backstage footage where The Rock has told Triple H to eff off, or we’ve heard some spattering of things. Can you imagine Triple H and The Rock face to face for a moment?” —Bully Ray, Wrestling Analyst
Though no official plans have been announced, the prospect of this confrontation would bring significant buzz given The Rock and Triple H’s history and the backstage dynamics reportedly existing within WWE.
The Rock’s most recent television appearance was at the Elimination Chamber event in Toronto, where he supported John Cena, further linking their stories heading into SummerSlam.
Why This WWE SummerSlam Match Matters
The showdown between John Cena and Cody Rhodes is not only about the championship but also about the larger narrative threads connecting WWE’s current and past icons. The Rock’s embedded presence, along with the potential for further involvement from figures like Triple H, heightens anticipation for what might become a memorable chapter in WWE history. This match will likely influence rivalries and storylines in the coming months, shaping the company’s future storytelling direction.
