Tyrese Haliburton commented on John Cena’s heel turn, revealing that he plans to act as if it never occurred. The NBA star was present at WWE SummerSlam 2025, where the main event featured Cena facing Cody Rhodes, and he shared his reaction to the surprising development during the match, which involved Cena seizing one of Haliburton’s crutches to perform his iconic “You Can’t See Me” gesture.
Enjoying the Moment Despite Injury
Although Haliburton was recovering from an injury and using crutches, he found humor when Cena borrowed one during the event. Laughing at the moment, Haliburton later joked on X that Cena might have just needed to ask if he wanted to borrow the crutch instead. He described Cena’s match against Rhodes as the best wrestling match he has ever witnessed live, making his attendance at SummerSlam memorable despite the circumstances.
Reflections on Cena’s Heel Run and Return to a Heroic Role
Prior to WWE SummerSlam 2025, Cena’s switch back to a heroic, or “face,” character attracted attention as many fans debated the effectiveness of his brief heel run. On the Self Made Sessions podcast, Haliburton expressed relief that Cena’s time as a villain was short-lived, appreciating that Cena returned to his traditional persona. He acknowledged that while he wasn’t necessarily a fan of the heel character, he found moments like Cena’s pipebomb entertaining and believed Cena himself enjoyed the role.
I don’t know, I wish it was done a little different, like I wish we would’ve got him and Rock and a better explanation as to why he turned heel and I wish we coulda got a faction or something but, I’m just gonna pretend it never happened he was a face the whole time, I went and watched him at SummerSlam. He was a face so, that’s what I’m rocking with.
—Tyrese Haliburton, NBA Player
Upcoming WWE Clash and Cena’s Future Matches
With Cena returning to his fan-favorite status, he is now scheduled to compete against Logan Paul at WWE Clash in Paris later this month. This upcoming match is highly anticipated and marks the continuation of Cena’s role as a protagonist in WWE programming, aligning with Haliburton’s view of Cena’s current standing.
