Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and John Cena finally stood face-to-face on WWE Raw in Brussels, Belgium, following Cena’s shocking betrayal at Elimination Chamber.
Cena, now embracing a darker persona, opened the show with an emotional, brutally honest promo—one that ripped into the WWE Universe like never before.
John Cena unleashes on WWE fans
Cena entered the arena slowly to The Time Is Now, but the Belgian crowd refused to let him speak, showering him in relentless boos. He attempted to start his promo twice, only for the jeers to grow louder.
On his third try, Cena finally spoke—but instead of his usual defiant grin, he looked genuinely frustrated.
"For 25 years, I've been the victim, okay," Cena said as the arena erupted in boos and "Cena sucks" chants.
Cena, long known as WWE’s top babyface, flipped the script by blaming fans for years of mistreatment. "Not one of you sons of b****** ask me how I feel. It's just, 'What do we get? What do we get? What do we get?'" Cena continued.
"You get NOTHING. You get what you have earned and what you have earned is nothing."
"All you do is be hurtful, all you are is abusive, and all you've ever done is bully me into being your damn puppet, and expected me to do it with a smile on my face. No more!" he shouted.
Embracing the negative reaction, Cena declared he was neither a face nor a heel, but simply a human being who had been used and discarded by fans.
Cena then took aim at the WWE audience’s long-standing perception of him. "You don't get a new look because you dress like me. I don't dress like you idiots. You don't get new music. That is my voice on that song and your time is finally up and my time is finally now," he declared.
Many fans in the arena were left stunned, least of all young John Cena fans. Cena took a shot at his supporters, the so-called 'Let's go Cena' people as he called them. He said that his supporters had done nothing to support him and had only taken from him.
He pointed out to a young fan in the front row as an example of fans who've given him nothing for 25 years in the WWE.
He ended his promo by 'breaking up' with the WWE fans who'd supported John Cena since his debut way back in June of 2002.
Cody Rhodes fires back
As Cena stood defiantly in the ring, Cody Rhodes’ music hit, and the Undisputed WWE Champion confronted his WrestleMania 41 opponent. Rhodes acknowledged that fans had been willing to hear Cena out, but he made it clear that he wanted no part of the version standing before him.
Rhodes told Cena that, until tonight, he thought the WWE Universe would have been willing to hear him out. He admitted that part of him was looking forward to the weekly back-and-forth leading up to their WrestleMania 41 showdown. But now, that excitement was gone.
“If this is the John Cena I get at WrestleMania,” Rhodes warned, “then I’m going to retire him early.”
Rhodes told Cena to go find the man who fought for respect, the one who built his career on never giving up. “Because that’s who I want to face,” Rhodes said.
With no further words, both men threw their microphones down and stared each other down. Cena hesitated for a moment, then followed Rhodes up the ramp, disappearing to a chorus of boos.
The Brussels crowd let the 16-time world champion know about their feelings, singing the ironic 'Na na hey hey goodbye' song as John Cena exited the arena.
Social media reacts in shock
WWE fans on X (formerly Twitter) were buzzing over John Cena's promo, with some agreeing with many points Cena made as valid.
john cena’s reason for this is all bc the crowd hated him from the beginning…..valid ig #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/ddw22y0gZY
— morieᡣ𐭩 ᡣ𐭩 ᡣ𐭩 (@ERAOFLIVV) March 17, 2025
john cena being a justified heel makes sense in kayfabe 😭 losers did a plethora of hating towards john and tried to say cena couldn't wrestle for decades
— free gaza we on the corner like israelites! (@aintfuego) March 17, 2025
the rare time where the heel doing the “you people” against the fans speech actually works
— Kevin Thang (@Skip2MyJays) March 17, 2025
John Cena’s whole career the fans have been against him & he’s had to fight against negative reactions
now he gets to fight back
amazing start to this run #wweraw pic.twitter.com/aSccBQ08vT
Many were quick to post their disappointment with the 16-time world champion, especially when he called out his young fans in the audience.
JOHN CENA COOKING A SMALL CHILD IN THE AUDIENCE WILL GO DOWN AS ONE OF THE FUNNIEST CLIPS IN WWE HISTORY 😭#RawOnNetflix pic.twitter.com/6MJLqXMZ86
— FADE (@FadeAwayMedia) March 17, 2025
John Cena: “Every one of you including that one kid right there is a toxic relationship”
— Yes Name Wes (@weszmarsh) March 17, 2025
That one kid in the crowd: #WWERAW pic.twitter.com/f8X2UPSrXw
Most fans were in agreement; this was one of the best segments in WWE Raw history.
John Cena just cut one of the best promos of his entire career ripping into the fans for the 20-year toxic relationship they been in.
— SP3 | NMFD, JYT (@TruHeelSP3) March 17, 2025
Cody Rhodes felt like an all-timer babyface standing up for the fans against their fallen hero.
An absolutely outstanding segment. #WWERaw https://t.co/9yUX6zfOX7 pic.twitter.com/0k1MoSi1Ah
Notice how WWE had John Cena say everything he needed to say before Cody Rhodes came out.
— TribaI Wrestling (@TribalMegastar) March 17, 2025
And then when they were face to face he didn't say anything.
WWE ALREADY PROTECTING CODY FROM GETTING COOKED BY CENA 😭#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/0z8zxb39sr
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