As John Cena heads into his highly anticipated showdown with Brock Lesnar at Wrestlepalooza this weekend, one element of his presentation has come under scrutiny. Veteran Lance Storm has voiced strong criticism of Cena’s continued use of the “Last Real Champion” moniker, arguing that it no longer fits his current role.
The nickname was introduced after Cena captured his 17th World Title at WrestleMania 41, a reign that launched a heel turn built around his vow to destroy wrestling’s lineage. But despite reverting to a babyface role for his farewell tour, Cena still referred to himself as the Last Real Champion on this week’s Raw—an inconsistency that Storm believes undermines the story being told.
On Wrestling Observer Live, Storm laid out his objections. “I didn’t like it. I find the Last Real Champion absurd,” he said. “It was a heel gimmick when he [John Cena] said he was going to ruin wrestling by taking the championship away, so that it would destroy the lineage, ruin the wrestling business, and there would be no more real champions. And now, as a babyface, he’s still claiming to be the Last Real Champion. Like, that is completely insane to me.”
Storm added that the narrative choice diminishes other stars currently holding championships. “The idea made sense when he was a heel and wanted to ruin the business,” he continued. “But since they’re not even acknowledging that he was a heel that tried to ruin the wrestling business, what is the benefit of saying he’s the Last Real Champion? Is Cody [Rhodes] not a real champion? I thought Cody was important.”
The criticism casts a shadow over Cena’s farewell run, which otherwise centers on his legacy as a fighting champion. In the same Raw promo, Cena admitted his fear of Lesnar but promised to deliver a battle worthy of his fans’ loyalty. That message of resilience stands in contrast to the “Last Real Champion” tagline—and to the destructive force of Lesnar, who closed last Friday’s SmackDown by dropping R-Truth with an emphatic F-5.