Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes has no issue with John Cena continuing to call himself “The Last Real Champion,” a label carried over from Cena’s short-lived heel run earlier this year. That stretch saw Cena defeat Rhodes for the title at WrestleMania before Rhodes reclaimed it at SummerSlam just over a month ago.
In an interview with TMZ, Rhodes dismissed the idea that Cena’s moniker discredits his current reign. “No! No. I’m so excited to be part of John’s final run. My gosh,” Rhodes said. “The end is so special to see, and to see that for a guy who has polarized for so long in his career – it’s all love.” (h/t Wrestletalk)
Rhodes added that he expects the Indianapolis crowd to embrace Cena during Wrestlepalooza but closed with a firm reminder of where the championship stands. “He can call himself the Last Real Champ as long as I’m the actual champ.”
While Rhodes celebrates Cena’s farewell tour, his challenger tonight views it differently. Drew McIntyre has made clear that his quest for the Undisputed WWE Championship is motivated by a desire to use the belt as bait to secure one last showdown with Cena before his planned December retirement.
The divide reflects the larger impact of Cena’s career. CM Punk recently called him his “wrestling soulmate,” singling out their February 2013 match on Raw as the best of his career. “Well, I lost. Big f—k deal. John Cena is my wrestling soulmate,” Punk said. Meanwhile, Adam Copeland has taken the opposite stance, stating he prefers to watch Cena’s final matches “from a distance.”
All of these threads converge tonight in Indianapolis. Cena will open Wrestlepalooza against Brock Lesnar, while Rhodes puts his Undisputed WWE Championship on the line against McIntyre in the main event.