John Cena’s shocking heel turn at WWE Elimination Chamber 2025 has left the WWE Universe stunned—but perhaps no one is more affected than R-Truth. A longtime admirer of Cena, Truth has often parodied and mimicked the 16-time world champion, even calling him his childhood hero. Now, with Cena embracing the dark side in brutal fashion, Truth is struggling to accept the change.
Denial Runs Deep: “Say It Ain’t So, John”
Following Cena’s vicious assault on Cody Rhodes inside the Elimination Chamber, Truth took to social media to express his disbelief. In one of his posts on X (formerly Twitter), he questioned why Cena would do such a thing. He even went so far as to suggest that the brutal images of a bloodied Cody Rhodes were AI-generated, seemingly unable to process the reality of Cena’s betrayal.
Truth also made a subtle but telling change to his X profile header, which now reads: “Say it ain’t so, John.” It’s clear that Cena’s heel turn has hit Truth on a deeply personal level.
A Long and Complicated History
Truth and Cena’s history goes back nearly two decades. From their battles over the WWE Championship to their moments of friendship and rivalry, their paths have intertwined many times. Interestingly, Truth recently revealed that he and Cena recorded a rap song together, dispelling rumors that there was any real-life tension between them.
However, one fan on X reminded Truth of his own dark past, posting a throwback image of Truth smoking a cigarette during his 2011 heel run on Monday Night Raw. The implication? That Truth knows exactly what it’s like to embrace villainy, even if he refuses to accept Cena’s current transformation.
Could Truth Get Involved in Cena’s Feud with Cody Rhodes?
While Cena’s betrayal of Rhodes is set to play a major role in the ongoing Road to WrestleMania 41, Truth’s recent interactions with Cody on Raw raise an interesting question—could he somehow be pulled into this high-profile feud?
Cena and Truth last shared a ring on the Raw after WrestleMania 40, teaming with The Miz to defeat The Judgment Day. But with Cena now aligned with The Rock and seemingly embracing a darker persona, Truth may find himself at a crossroads. Will he stand against his former hero, or will he try to reason with the man who once inspired him?
One thing is certain: R-Truth isn’t ready to accept this new version of John Cena just yet.
“Just trying to stay positive,” Truth wrote on social media, sharing the music video for his new single “For Real.” The single was released on February 28, just a day before Cena joined “The Final Boss” Dwayne Johnson’s quest to take Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes’s soul.
Men’s Elimination Chamber: John Cena def. CM Punk, Drew McIntyre, Logan Paul, Damian Priest, and Seth Rollins
Cody Rhodes refuses to sell his soul to the Rock… but John Cena is more than happy to.
WWE’s Road to WrestleMania took a jaw-dropping turn at Elimination Chamber 2025, delivering brutal showdowns, a monstrous return, and one of the most shocking betrayals in recent memory. With two Chamber matches determining title challengers for The Grandest Stage of Them All, the night was already destined for fireworks—but nobody could’ve predicted the chaos that unfolded.
The Women’s Elimination Chamber match kicked off the night with six superstars vying for a chance to challenge for the WWE Women’s World Championship at WrestleMania. However, the match took a shocking turn before it could even get going.
Just as Liv Morgan and Naomi were set to start the match, Jade Cargill made her stunning return—and wasted no time making an impact. Instead of going after Morgan, Cargill viciously attacked Naomi, slamming her into the Lexan pod wall and leaving her unable to continue. As a result, Naomi was eliminated by forfeit before the action truly began.
From there, chaos reigned. Bianca Belair, furious over the attack on Naomi, tried to regain her focus while battling Liv Morgan, Roxanne Perez, Bayley, and Alexa Bliss. In a brutal series of eliminations, Bayley was taken out by Morgan, Perez fell to Bliss, and Morgan capitalized on an opening to eliminate Bliss.
The final two came down to Belair and Morgan, and despite Liv’s relentless offense, the EST of WWE proved why she’s one of the most dominant forces in the division. Belair planted Morgan with the KOD for the win, securing her spot at WrestleMania.
But the night wasn’t over for Belair. As she celebrated, WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY emerged on the stage, staring down the new No. 1 contender in an intense moment that signaled the battle ahead.
Tiffany Stratton & Trish Stratus Score a Huge Win Over Nia Jax & Candice LeRae
The unexpected pairing of Tiffany Stratton and Trish Stratus proved to be a force to be reckoned with as they took on Nia Jax and Candice LeRae in tag team action.
Jax dominated early, but Stratton and Stratus worked seamlessly together to wear down their opponents. After an intense back-and-forth, Stratton sealed the victory by hitting the Prettiest Moonsault Ever on Nia Jax for the pin. With this win, Stratton continues to prove she belongs among WWE’s elite.
Kevin Owens Survives a War with Sami Zayn, Only to Face the Viper’s Wrath
In what was nothing short of an all-out war, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn tore each other apart in an Unsanctioned Match that saw steel chairs, tables, and even barbed wire come into play.
Owens ultimately secured the win after a brutal apron powerbomb, but the violence didn’t stop there. KO continued his assault on Zayn post-match, ripping the protective mats off the floor—only to be interrupted by Randy Orton!
The Viper stormed the ring and dropped Owens with an RKO, teasing an even more vicious attack. As Orton geared up for his infamous Punt Kick, a swarm of WWE officials and security rushed in to prevent him from delivering the final blow. A frustrated Orton took out several security guards with RKOs before finally leaving the ring, setting the stage for what could be a heated rivalry in the weeks to come.
John Cena Outlasts the Men’s Elimination Chamber, But His Night Was Far From Over
The Men’s Elimination Chamber match featured some of WWE’s biggest names battling for a chance to challenge for the WWE Undisputed Championship at WrestleMania.
The match started with Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins, but as the chambers opened, Damian Priest, Logan Paul, John Cena, and finally CM Punk entered the fray.
Eliminations came fast and furious, with McIntyre and Priest both taken out early, followed by Logan Paul falling to Punk’s Go to Sleep. After an intense exchange, Rollins was eliminated by Punk, leaving Cena and Punk as the final two.
In a shocking turn of events, Cena locked Punk in the STF, forcing a referee stoppage to become the No. 1 contender. But his night wasn’t over yet.
As Cena celebrated, Cody Rhodes made his entrance, setting up a dramatic face-off for the WrestleMania main event. However, what happened next stunned the entire WWE Universe.
John Cena Shocks the World, Aligns with The Rock in Brutal Betrayal of Cody Rhodes
Just as it seemed like WrestleMania’s main event was set in stone, The Rock made his way to the ring, offering Cody Rhodes a chilling ultimatum—either embrace him as his champion, or watch his dreams die again.
Rhodes, showing his signature defiance, responded with a full-throated rejection, telling The Rock to go f* himself.** The crowd erupted, but what followed was pure chaos.
Cena—who had just earned his shot at the Undisputed WWE Championship—blindsided Rhodes with a vicious low blow. The 16-time world champion then went on a rampage, repeatedly assaulting Cody with his own wristwatch, a microphone, and finally, the championship title itself.
With The Rock watching on with a sinister smile, Cena wrapped Cody’s tie around his throat and choked him, bringing back haunting memories of his past brutality.
To add insult to injury, Travis Scott, the WWE Hardcore Champion, got in on the assault, landing stiff shots on Cody. The Rock then took Rhodes’ weight belt—engraved with the date of Dusty Rhodes’ passing—and whipped Cody mercilessly.
As Cena, Rock, and Scott stood tall on the ramp, the camera lingered on Cody—a bloody, broken mess in the ring, staring up at the championship that had just been stolen from him.
The message was clear: John Cena is no longer the hero WWE fans once knew. With WrestleMania 41 on the horizon, the biggest question now is—how will Cody Rhodes respond to this unthinkable betrayal?
Final Thoughts: The Road to WrestleMania Just Got Personal
With Elimination Chamber 2025 in the books, the Road to WrestleMania has taken a dramatic, violent turn. Bianca Belair and John Cena have secured their title shots, but the bigger story is the Cena-Rock alliance and their merciless assault on Cody Rhodes.
Raquel Rodriguez returned to in-ring competition on “WWE Raw” last week to qualify for the women’s Elimination Chamber match. However, according to Dave Meltzer on the latest “Wrestling Observer Radio,” the former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion almost missed out on competing inside the steel structure in Perth, Australia.
Rodriguez, who has been open about her battle with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, unfortunately, suffered a flare-up during the flight across to Australia which put her appearance in the match in doubt. That led to it becoming touch-and-go for her being able to work the premium live event, especially since she missed the practice match that the ladies did once they were all in the country.
Fortunately, Rodriguez was able to compete on the night and she did end up being part of the match that was eventually won by Becky Lynch. Rodriguez went with a make-up-free look for that match, which was due to the flare-up she was dealing with. She took to social media to release a statement about that and admitted she was proud that she was able to go out and perform, revealing her face was the same color as her satin-pink pillow case at one point.
Rodriguez had previously shared an emotional video that recounted her journey with the condition to this point, showcasing the hives and swelling that she has been having to battle with during her time away from WWE. The “Raw” Superstar was open about the fact that her journey is still far from over, as this past weekend highlighted, but she revealed that she’s got a fantastic support system.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships:Kabuki Warriors (c) def. Indi Hartwell and Candice LeRae
WWE Women’s World Championship – #1 Contender’s Elimination Chamber Match: Becky Lynch def. Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan, Tiffany Stratton, Naomi and Raquel Rodriguez.
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship Match:Judgment Day (Damian Priest & Finn Balor) (c) def. New Catch Republic (Tyler Bate & Pete Dunne)
Grayson Waller Effect w/ Cody Rhodes & Seth Rollins – Rhodes asks if there are any Cody crybabies in the building, and the WWE Universe erupts. Rhodes says to be the People’s Champ, you have to actually be around the people. Rhodes then says he has an announcement himself. Until WrestleMania 40 he is wide open, so he says he wants to wrestle The Rock one-on-one, anytime, any place. Rollins then says he won’t be fighting that battle alone. Theory then starts doing a few of The Rock’s catchphrases, but Rollins then attacks him and launches him into one of Waller’s signs as Rhodes hits the Cody Cutter, and Rollins follows it with a Stomp.
WWE World Heavyweight Championship – #1 Contender’s Elimination Chamber Match: Drew McIntyre def. Randy Orton, Bobby Lashley, LA Knight, Kevin Owens and Logan Paul. – AJ Styles interfered in the match, unloads on Knight with a steel chair and dropping him with a Styles Clash onto the weapon, which allows McIntyre to get rid of him. – Orton eliminated Paul. Orton then hits a draped DDT to McIntyre. Orton then suffers with his back, but then he pops up and catches McIntyre with an RKO! He seemingly has it won, but Paul re-enters the match and knocks out Orton with the brass knuckles, which McIntyre takes advantage of and eliminates Orton for the win.
Triple H thanks the Australian fans on behalf of WWE, announces Elimination Chamber’s Attendance as 52,590 fans.
WWE Women’s World Championship Match: Rhea Ripley (c) def. Nia Jax.
WWE LPE Elimination Chamber – Saturday, February 24, 2024 – 4 a.m. ET (kickoff), 5 p.m. ET (main show) – Optus Stadium in Burswood, Perth, Western Australia
* Australian Western Standard Time: 6:00 PM * Eastern Standard Time: 5:00 AM * Central Standard Time: 4:00 AM * Mountain Standard Time: 3:00 AM * Pacific Standard Time: 2:00 AM * Hawaiian Standard Time: 12:00 AM
CARD
ELIMINATION CHAMBER MATCH FOR A WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH AT WRESTLEMANIA XL Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton vs. Bobby Lashley vs. LA Knight vs. Kevin Owens vs. Logan Paul
UNDISPUTED WWE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP: The Judgment Day (Finn Bálor and Damian Priest) (c) vs. Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate
ELIMINATION CHAMBER MATCH FOR A WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH AT WRESTLEMANIA XL: Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair vs. Liv Morgan vs. Tiffany Stratton vs. Naomi vs. Raquel Rodriguez
WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Nia Jax
GRAYSON WALLER EFFECT with Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins
Raquel Rodriguez has returned to WWE and will be heading to the women’s Elimination Chamber match.
On this week’s episode of WWE RAW, Rodriguez made her return by entering the Last Chance Battle Royale for the final spot in the women’s Elimination Chamber match. The finish came when Rodriguez eliminated Chelsea Green.
Rodriguez hasn’t been seen on WWE television since late December after she was diagnosed with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome.
ELIMINATION CHAMBER MATCH TO DETERMINE NO. 1 CONTENDER FOR RAW WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP: Asuka def. Carmella, Liv Morgan, Natalya, Nikki Cross and Raquel Rodriguez
Bobby Lashley def. Brock Lesnar – due to DQ
After a spear, Lashley is able to get Lesnar in a Hurt Lock. Lesnar went for a low-blow and got disqualified, to a chorus of boos. As punishment for that, Lesnar just gave referee Chad Patton an F-5. Then, he hit Lashley with another F-5. Lesnar then tossed Lashley through the commentary table…and followed it up with giving ref Patton another F-5 on top of the broken table for good measure.
MIXED TAG TEAM MATCH: Edge and Beth Phoenix def. The Judgment Day (Finn Balor and Rhea Ripley)
ELIMINATION CHAMBER MATCH FOR THE UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP: Austin Theory (c) def. Seth Rollins, Bronson Reed, Damian Priest, Johnny Gargano and Montez Ford
WWE’s medical team is then brought into the ring to help get Ford out, meanwhile, Rollins goes for a Stomp but misses. Despite that, he does hit a Pedigree, however, Logan Paul then arrives and nails a Buckshot Lariat, and before leaving he its a Stomp! He then slams the door shut and hangs onto the cage as Theory hits A-Town Down.
UNDISPUTED WWE UNIVERSAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: Roman Reigns (c) def. Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn and Roman Reigns stare each other down after the bell while the rabid audience goes wild for the challenger to kick things off. The two men finally lock up and Reigns drops Zayn with a shoulder tackle straight away. The second lock-up sees Zayn get the best of the situation, but that doesn’t last long as he gets dropped by an elbow from the champion. However, Zayn quickly turns things around by sending Reigns out of the ring as he dives over the ropes onto the “Tribal Chief,” which is met with a big response.
Back inside the ring, Zayn hammers down a series of punches before dropping down with an elbow drop from the top turnbuckle which gets a one-fall. However, Reigns then takes Zayn out of the ring and showcases his dominance again with a Drive By, but Zayn begins to fight back in the ring only to be dropped immediately with a big right hand. Reigns then talks trash to Zayn’s wife at ringside as then hammers in clothesline strikes in the corner before dumping him to the floor to his family.
Reigns talk more trash to Zayn’s wife and family as he drops him with a headbutt. Reigns then throw Zayn into the ropes, but he springboards back from the bottom rope with a leapfrog and he then flattens the champion with a clothesline and begins throwing hands toward Reigns once again to build momentum, hitting another big clothesline as he then sends Reigns out of the ring. He then attacks Reigns in front of his family but the champion responds and they head to the top turnbuckle, but Zayn fights back and hits a sunset flip powerbomb which gets him a near fall.
Reigns immediately hits several elbow strikes to regain control, following up with an urinagi, and this time it is Zayn who has to kick out at the last minute. Reigns looks for the attack in the corner but gets reversed as Zayn explodes him into the turnbuckles, but as he goes for the Helluva Kick, the champion reverses with a Superman Punch and almost gets the win. Reigns then looks for a Spear but Zayn leaps over him and as Reigns smashes into the turnbuckles he almost gets caught with a roll-up.
While he kicks out Zayn then suplexes him into the turnbuckles and he then mocks Reigns and hits a Superman Punch of his own, following it up with the Helluva Kick which almost gets the win, but Reigns kicks out! Reigns rolls out from the ring to take a breather, and that leads to Zayn trying to dive through the turnbuckles but he gets caught with a punch to the face from the “Head of the Table.”
Reigns then charges around the ring and looks for a Spear, but Zayn avoids it and Reigns crashes through the barricade. In the ring, Reigns misses with a Superman Punch as Zayn hits the Blue Thunder Bomb, but yet again Reigns kicks out! Reigns then drives Zayn back, but they crash into the official. While he is down Zayn hits another Helluva Kick and he has the title won, but there is nobody to count it!
Jimmy Uso then appears and nails Zayn with a series of Superkicks as he follows it with the Splash. Jimmy covers him as a new official appears, but Zayn kicks out! Zayn keeps trying to fight, but he is met with a headbutt as Reigns trash-talks him. He then goes for a Superman Punch but Zayn avoids it and Roman nearly hits the new official but he doesn’t! Zayn sends him out of the ring and knocks off Jimmy Uso with a Helluva Kick, but he turns around into a Spear. However, he kicks out again!
Reigns then gets slapped and the champion goes for a Superman Punch, but this time he hits the official! He goes down and Zayn hits the champion with a Superman Punch as Reigns fires back with one of his own and both men are down with no referee. Paul Heyman then pulls out a chair for the Tribal Chief, but Jey Uso then appears in the ring and Reigns hands him the chair. Jey teases hitting Reigns with the chair just as Sami did at the Rumble, but he doesn’t and Reigns takes the chair from him and pushes Jey in the face. Zayn goes for a Spear but Reigns moves and he accidentally hits Jey! After that Reigns uses the weapon repeatedly to beat down Zayn and he then nails the Spear, and this time he can’t kick out.
After the match, Jimmy Uso begins attacking Zayn until Kevin Owens makes his return! KO begins brawling with Jimmy and he then hits the ring to take down Reigns as well, nailing him with a Stunner, and Jimmy then eats one as well! Owens continues the attack with a Pop-Up Powerbomb that sends Jimmy through the announce table. He grabs a chair but Heyman begins punching him in the back so he eats a Stunner as well. Owens then steps aside and that allows Zayn to hit Reigns with one more Helluva Kick.
ELIMINATION CHAMBER MATCH FOR THE UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP: Austin Theory (c) vs. Bronson Reed vs. Damian Priest vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Montez Ford vs. Seth Rollins
UNDISPUTED WWE UNIVERSAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Sami Zayn
ELIMINATION CHAMBER MATCH TO DETERMINE NO. 1 CONTENDER FOR RAW WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP: Asuka vs. Carmella vs. Liv Morgan vs. Natalya vs. Nikki Cross vs. Raquel Rodriguez
MIXED TAG TEAM MATCH: Edge and Beth Phoenix vs. The Judgment Day (Finn Balor and Rhea Ripley)
WWE released a storyline update on Bobby Lashley after today’s WWE Elimination Chamber event from the Jeddah Super Dome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Lashley had entered concussion protocol.
According to former WWE writer Kazeem Famuyide from The Ringer Wrestling Show, Bobby Lashley is actually dealing with a legitimate shoulder injury and could be out of action for a while. The injury reportedly happened at the Royal Rumble against Brock Lesnar.
“I have it under good authority that Bobby Lashley is shoot hurt and has been hurt since the Rumble match,” Kazeem Famuyide revealed. “If you noticed he hasn’t worked any RAWs. He hasn’t really defended his title. He was shoot hurt at the [Brock] Lesnar Rumble match. Again, I was wondering how they were going to work him in there while being hurt. I’m assuming this concussion protocol thing is the way to get him out there.
“From what I’m told, it’s for at least four months. Shoulder surgery. I’m hearing that he might not even make it to Mania. From what I’m told he is shoot hurt and should be out for some time.”
The latest episode from The Ringer Wrestling Show is available below.
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