WWE might have hinted at a major change for John Cena in his final SummerSlam appearance this weekend. The recent release of the docuseries “WWE: Unreal” on Netflix, just days before the event, fuels the possibility of the current champion undergoing a transformation back to a “face” character.
The docuseries delves into John Cena’s journey as a “heel,” from his attitude shift during the RAW premiere on Netflix to his controversial title victory at WrestleMania 41. The intense promotion of the documentary on social media is seen as a calculated move to reconnect fans with the veteran’s legacy and prepare the audience for a potential moment of redemption.
The company has a history of using documentaries to drive significant narrative shifts. A notable example is the “WWE 24” series on Daniel Bryan, which amplified his story before his world title win at WrestleMania 30. Similarly, “WWE: Unreal” may be serving to contextualize his “heel” phase for a broader audience, just as this stage of his career appears to be coming to a close.
At WWE SummerSlam, John Cena will defend the Undisputed WWE Championship against Cody Rhodes in a Street Fight Match. The confrontation marks Cena’s last match at WWE’s traditional summer event and takes place amidst his farewell tour, which is scheduled to conclude in December of this year.