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John Cena stunned the wrestling world on Saturday during WWE Elimination Chamber when he turned heel on Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes, seemingly aligning himself with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, also known as “The Final Boss.” According to a new report from Fightful Select, Cena’s heel turn was one of the most tightly guarded secrets backstage, with only a handful of people aware of what was about to unfold.
A Carefully Caught Surprise
Cena's betrayal segment was the third in the internal rundown of the show. While this might seem the immediate cut from the show, it was meant to run after the men Elimination Chamber match to avoid leaking the surprise. Not last minute decision, but deliberate to maximize the moment's impact.
Paul "Triple H" Levesque, WWE Chief Content Officer, said that he personally handled the last segment instead of leaving it to the production team during post-show press conferences. With such secrecy, it goes to show that the moment meant a lot to the company's creative direction by WWE.
Fightful reported that the move turned out to be a total shock not just to fans but also to many within WWE itself. The company managed to keep the plans under wraps, proving the theatricalism of the reveal.
The Rock and WrestleMania Rumors
With Cena pole-vaulting into a major storyline with The Rock, Fightful said there are no plans for him to wrestle at WrestleMania 41 as of now. But many expect to see him play down a role at the event.
Reportedly, The Rock's creative involvement is on a "need-to-know" basis with select creative people knowing about his plans. It raises the question of how long the heel turn had been planned before leaving many interested in this storyline.
What Next For Cena Now, The Rock, and Cody Rhodes?
While John Cena is not advertised for the next two episodes of WWE Raw, The Rock mentioned during the press conference that he was flying to Africa shortly after the event. Meanwhile, Cody Rhodes will be seen on the next episode of WWE SmackDown being held live from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. However, WWE's website notes that card subject to change spicing up anything possible.
A Moment That Shook the Wrestling World
This is a historic moment because John Cena turns heel, with WrestleMania 41 approaching in the near future. A lot of added secrecy and excitement on behalf of The Rock has made people have some speculation; therefore, everyone will be glued to see how this develops.
With the rest of the wrestling world still coming to terms with the shocking events of Elimination Chamber, one thing is certain: John Cena's betrayal of Cody Rhodes has become the perfect setup for one of the most compelling chapters in WWE history.
