Championships are a controversial thing in theWWEand in pro hand-to-hand struggle in cosmopolitan . Many commentators and even diligence veterans consider they are just " props " , think of to be used to further a history and nothing more . Many others , however , believe that the obedience and prestige colligate with being a " hero " are at the sum of the business concern of pro wrestling , even if there is no genuine rivalry in it . In the death , the controversy unremarkably settles on a in-between footing , where fans are excited to see championship matches because they involve the most relevant and pop Superstars in the industry .

However , John Cena ’s recent promofromMonday Night RAWfrom Glasgow , Scotland , just gave the WWE Championship a whole new layer of relevance . By boldly declare that , if he wins his claim match against Cody Rhodes atWrestleMania 41,he will retire and bring the physical bang home with him , thus culling the storeyed legacy of the WWE Championship , Cena made what was an already exciting master result something that wrestling fans simply can not escape .

The Legacy of the WWE Championship

Will Sixty Years of History End at WrestleMania 41?

The original " world patronage " ( mean the highest - ranking deed of conveyance in a professional wrestling company ) of the advancement now fuck as WWE wasestablished on April 25 , 1963 , as the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship , as a issue ofVince McMahon seniorbreaking ties with the National Wrestling Alliance ( NWA ) following a difference of opinion over the NWA World Heavyweight Championship . The initiatory WWWF champion was Buddy Rogers , and the longest - reigning virtuoso ( a criminal record that still holds today ) was Bruno Sammartino , the Italian immigrant who enamour the fondness of the North easterly crowds in Madison Square Garden for 2,803 days .

The title was rebranded as the WWF World Heavyweight Championship in 1979 , following the party ’s change of name , and then WWE Championship in 2002 . Since then , the title has undergo many change due to fusion and brand splits . The most far-famed recent introduction was the WWW UIniversal Championship , created in July of 2016 to giveRawa world deed after a brand tear ( Smackdownhad the WWE Championship ) . In 2022 , atWrestleMania 38 , Roman Reigns defeated Brock Lesnar to unite the two belts , creating the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship , which is the title presently view as by Cody Rhodes .

While the story of WWE ’s main championship may be confusing , at metre , one thing is certain : that title is held by the top wrestler in the top company in the world . At a time when WWE is going to with child lengths to highlight its foresighted and honored chronicle , thus , it makes sense how Cena added even bigger bet to his upcoming competition with Rhodes by make it a battle not for the future of the party , but for its past .

WWE John Cena and Randy Orton standing face to face at Backlash 2025 and in the past

John Cena Wants to Ruin Wrestling

Heel Cena Goes for the Heart of the Fans

When this Cena heel run is over ( credibly witha redemption story to allow John to pull away as a good guy ) , we will be having a lot of fun psychoanalyze every moment of it as a great lesson in the prowess of pro wrestling . This is only the 2d time that " regretful " Cena has spoken to an hearing , but he has already gone in a altogether different direction liken to his incredible promo in Brussels from the previous workweek . While the first promo was pure egotism , rewriting Cena ’s story as a victim of the WWE audience , the 2nd one made the audience the target .

Cena explained that , during his long career , he studied the WWE universe , learn what they loved most , so he could take it all off one daytime , when he could finally eat his retaliation . It sounds like an over - the - top movie villain plot , but that ’s exactly what make it so safe . Cena used his most maligned " accomplishment " , innovate the " spinner belt " WWE Championship , surelythe most hated purpose of a WWE Championship belt ever , as a clue of what the interview cares most about : the legacy of the human race title . And now that the prison term has amount , he will take that away , forever , by withdraw with that championship and forcing the WWE to create a trade name new " plaything belt " .

It ’s a dastardly programme that is a lot more devious than it sounds . This is n’t just about going home with the strong-arm belt . Those are supplant all the fourth dimension . Cena plans to retire the literal WWE Champion lineage that start out with Buddy Rogers in 1963 ( and , for what it weigh , the Universal Championship descent that began in 2016 ) . If Cena retires without relinquishing the title , for the first clock time ever , the WWE would be force to create a brand - new championshipwithout being able-bodied to link it to its previous history . Cena would really become , as he aver , " the last existent champion . "

Joe Hendry and Karrion Kross WWE t-shirt

John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes Is the Most Important WrestleMania Main Event Ever

The Stakes Have Never Been Higher

The history ofWrestleMania is good with unforgettable main events . From spectacular matches to moments that defined the company ’s management go away forward , it ’s easy to say that the WrestleMania primary result is the most authoritative moment in the year for pro wrestling . However , over the past 41 years , the stakes have never been higher . While it ’s unlikely that we will truly find the conclusion of the WWE Championship ’s bequest , the good way of life to enjoy pro grappling is to suspend disbelief and get eat up in its story . Right now , John Cena ’s menace just put the entire story of the company at stake . There is nothing more of import than that .

Hogan slamming Andre in 1987 , Stone Cold and Bret Hart ’s treble turn in 1997 ( yes , it was n’t theactualmain case , but it should have been ) , Daniel Bryan in 2014 , Roman Reigns ' consecration in 2022 , Cody finishing the account in 2024 , these were all historic moments in their own right , but their grandness lies in what they signify for the future of the company . John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes cross out the first metre thattwo whizz will be fighting for the past . The hereafter may shift and change , the triumphant man or cleaning lady at the goal of WrestleMania may fade away quickly due to forged reservation , injury , or something else . The past , on the other hand , is always there , stony , untouchable , and a primal part of WWE ’s vision in the Triple H era .

John Cena ’s heel turnalready made hisWrestleManiamatch against Cody Rhodes something unequalled and worth caring about . think it ’s also Cena ’s last ' Mania ever , it was hard to make the stakes even higher , but that ’s exactly what happened . It was also hard to top the excitation for last year ’s principal event , but theWWEsurprised us once again . On Sunday , April 20 , 2025 , these two men will fend on the grand stage of all . They will fight for the past times , for the hereafter , and more importantly , to entertain us by giving us the most important match inWrestleManiahistory .

Sabu

Cody Rhodes vs John Cena WrestleMania 41

Vince McMahon Sr shaking the hand of longest reigning WWE Champion Bruno Sammartino