John Cena Wins Men’s Match

WWE has locked in another WrestleMania 41 main event after John Cena won the men’s Elimination Chamber to punch his ticket to “The Grandest Stage of Them All.”

In what was one of the most star-studded matches in the history of the Elimination Chamber, Cena kicked off his retirement tour in epic fashion, making CM Punk pass out in the STF after an already eliminated Seth Rollins blasted Punk with a Stomp. Cena was able to outlasted Rollins, Punk, Logan Paul, Damian Priest and Drew McIntyre to set up a dream match with Cody Rhodes.

Some of the key highlights and eliminations in Toronto were:

• Earlier this week, it was reported that Drew McIntyre was expected to win the Elimination Chamber, but he was shockingly eliminated first via a roll-up by Priest.
• Punk eliminated Paul via GTS, getting a modicum of revenge after Paul previously tossed him out of the Royal Rumble.
• Cena and Punk embraced in the middle of the ring before exchanging a barrage of punches.
• Punk hit a GTS on Rollins, who stumped into an Attitude Adjustment from Cena. That allowed Punk to pin Rollins, leaving Punk and Cena as the final two.
• Punk nearly stole the win from Cena after he teased a handshake with Cena only to blast Cena with a GTS, getting a near three-count. Cena responded with an AA of his own for yet another close three-count.
• With an eliminated Rollins still exiting the Chamber, he blasted Punk with a STOMP, allowing Cena to lock in the STF on Punk, who passed out.

Cena monumental victory answered one major question: who will face Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41? But it also raised just as many questions about the effects that outcome will have on the rest of the Elimination Chamber competitors.

John Cena Vs. Cody Rhodes Set For WrestleMania 41

Heading into Elimination Chamber, Cena vs. Rhodes was reportedly penciled in for WrestleMania 41, but just this past week, The Rock promised that there would be “some disruptive moves” after his recent shocking return to SmackDown threw the road to WrestleMania into disarray.

Especially in comparison to the previous two WrestleManias under Triple H’s creative dream, the build to WrestleMania 41 has felt disjointed and inconsistent. Numerous top stars entered Elimination Chamber 2025 without a clear path to WrestleMania 41, at least in part because so many of them were in the Elimination Chamber match itself.

Throw in The Rock returning out of nowhere, and the widely expected WrestleMania 41 card appeared to be undergoing major changes. But WWE seemed to stick with its original plan of Cena vs. Rhodes.

There is perhaps no more emphatic booking move made by WWE than Cena’s Elimination Chamber win. That spot was widely considered to be a lock for Cena in recent months, and despite some reported creative curveballs, WWE remained steadfast in its creative direction.

With Jey Uso vs. Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship already confirmed, WWE may have cemented its Night One and Night Two headliners for WrestleMania 41. But just as Rhodes vs. Cena in a blockbuster match for the WWE Championship was confirmed, uncertainty remains surrounding many of the remaining competitors in the Elimination Chamber match.

Where Will Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre And Others Fall On WrestleMania Card?

Will McIntyre and Priest battle it out? Will Rollins, Punk and Roman Reigns Reigns really compete in a triple threat match at WrestleMania 41? What’s next for Paul?

WWE is just six weeks away from WrestleMania 41, and after a recent creative downturn, particularly on SmackDown, the creative team must kick things into high gear. There should, after all, be clearer directions for all the stars involved in the Elimination Chamber match.

Now, Cena vs. Rhodes is set to be one of the biggest and most highly anticipated WWE Championship matches in history. But WWE needs to create immediate clarity regarding the plans for the other stars in this match.

The good news is that Cena’s win gives WWE a monumental match to build around, with Cena vs. Rhodes being the ideal clash between the faces of two different generations. Rhodes has been WWE’s flagbearer for its most successful period ever while Cena is on his last legs as an in-ring performer.

As Cena begins to wind down his WWE career, he can do one of two things at WrestleMania 41: Either pass the torch to Rhodes or win his record-breaking 17th world title. Either way, WWE has a massive WrestleMania main event on its hands.

It doesn’t get much better than Cena vs. Rhodes, after all, does it?