On the final stop before SummerSlam, John Cena’s controversial heel persona seems to have come to an end. The August 1 episode of WWE SmackDown opened with the reigning Undisputed WWE Champion addressing the crowd, but his promo was quickly interrupted by his challenger, Cody Rhodes.
The confrontation led to a passionate declaration from Cena, who admitted that his heel turn five months ago was a mistake. He explained that in chasing a record-setting 17th world title, he flushed his values of hustle, loyalty, and respect down the drain. Cena noted that his supposed allies, like The Rock and Travis Scott, ultimately left him alone. He confessed his desire to retire with the championship not to ruin wrestling, but because he doesn’t want fans to forget him.
Cena credited the impending Street Fight with Rhodes for waking him up, promising that on August 1, he had finally returned to WWE. In a statement that drew a massive positive reaction, Cena declared that fans would be the real winners at SummerSlam because they would see Cody Rhodes face “the greatest of all time at my best.”
Following the promo, Rhodes retrieved two beers from the timekeeper’s area. In a moment of reconciliation, he told Cena, “welcome back,” and the two rivals shared a toast in the center of the ring, setting a dramatic new tone for their championship main event.
THANK YOU?!
— WWE (@WWE) August 2, 2025
Did @JohnCena really just thank @CodyRhodes? 👀 pic.twitter.com/F0seGRF5pf