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John Cena made history at WrestleMania 41 when he unseated Cody Rhodes to become the new Undisputed WWE Champion. The Cenation Leader shocked the world by turning heel at Elimination Chamber and is now looking to conclude his retirement run while still holding the belt so that he can hang up his boots as the Stamford-based promotion's "Last Real Champion."
WWE's fanbase has actively voiced its approval and support for the company's decision to crown Cena with his record-breaking 17th World Title. However, since the Champ is expected to wrestle his last match this coming December, there may not be enough time left to explore his final heel reign as deeply as it could have been if the trigger had been pulled years earlier.
While John Cena is arguably the most widely known World Champion in pro wrestling right now, one could argue that AEW World Champion Jon Moxley is currently playing the role of promotional top guy somewhat better. Let us consider four reasons why.
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#1. Jon Moxley shows up more often than John Cena
A key difference between how John Cena and Jon Moxley are being booked as World Champions relates to individual circumstances. Unlike Moxley, Cena is currently on his retirement tour, which he announced last year. He is also a globally renowned actor and performer now - as such, he has not been featured as regularly on WWE programming as he used to be back in the day.
Furthermore, after winning the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 41, Cena revealed that he had less than thirty dates remaining on his schedule before putting a bow on his career. His current persona, having turned on his fans, is less likely than ever to be presented as a television mainstay. However, the same cannot be said about AEW's ace, Jon Moxley.
The self-proclaimed One True King of AEW is consistently featured on the Tony Khan-led company's weekly television programs, Dynamite and Collision. Be it in matches or segments both inside the ring and backstage, Mox and The Death Riders have become a staple of All Elite TV. While being around more often does not automatically make one a better World Champion in wrestling, it does allow more opportunities for the run itself to potentially develop.
#2. Jon Moxley's heel persona is more compelling than John Cena's
It has been decades since John Cena was a heel in WWE. His betrayal of Cody Rhodes at WWE Elimination Chamber 2025 naturally generated much anticipation regarding the long-time babyface's approach and behavior as a bad guy. He justified his actions by citing the relentless hatred he once received from fans, which made narrative sense.
However, Cena barely elaborated on his alliance with The Rock on the Road to WrestleMania 41. The Final Boss' absence at The Show of Shows, as well as the finish of Big Match John's title bout against Cody Rhodes, left much to be desired.
Many of these issues arguably stem from WWE not taking more time to flesh out a more compelling character for John Cena as a heel. Compare his turn to Jon Moxley's, who stepped into the dark side at the expense of Bryan Danielson's wrestling career.
The Purveyor of Violence has been waging war against the AEW roster alongside his Death Riders to supposedly exorcise the locker room's complacency. He aims to bring out the best in his opponents and is determined to maintain his position with the backing of his teammates until someone matches his intensity and brings him down.
Both Cena and Moxley have resorted to underhanded tactics to achieve success lately. However, Mox stands out as a heel over Cena because his persona and in-ring strategies have not abruptly changed like Cena's have.
#3. Jon Moxley has had better matches from an in-ring perspective (and likely will continue to)
Match quality is certainly not the only factor that determines the overall quality of a championship reign - but having great matches can definitely elevate it even further. Although Jon Moxley has not wrestled the best matches of his career since winning the AEW World Title at WrestleDream 2024, his in-ring work over the past five years has arguably surpassed John Cena's from around the same period.
Since winning it from Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41, Cena has defended the Undisputed WWE Title only once so far - against Randy Orton at Backlash 2025. While neither match is considered to be lackluster, they do not necessarily measure up to the level of athletic intensity that Moxley has had to channel in his World Championship matches in AEW. This makes sense, of course, as Cena, unlike Mox, is a 48-year-old part-timer.
Nonetheless, inside the squared circle, Moxley is arguably the superior competitor compared to The Franchise Player right now. The latter is unlikely to add to his bag of tricks any further in the final stage of his career, whereas the former Lunatic Fringe is still taking chances with his body and even participating in unforgettable violent spots.
#4. John Cena's WWE Title run could end more predictably than Jon Moxley's AEW Title reign
When Cody Rhodes became Undisputed WWE Champion last year, fans began to anticipate a dream bout between The American Nightmare and John Cena, which led to the latter passing the torch to the company's current top face. The Face that Runs the Place dethroned Cody at The Showcase of the Immortals this year. Since his career is coming to a close by the end of 2025, it is very likely that Cena will drop his title back to Rhodes.
Jon Moxley's AEW World Championship run is arguably on a less predictable route. Both finalists of the 2025 Owen Hart Cup, Hangman Adam Page and Will Ospreay, are strong candidates to dethrone The One True King. This is not to mention MJF, who is trying to join The Hurt Syndicate to have allies to battle The Death Riders, or Darby Allin, who many believe is destined to unseat Mox this year.
Before he retires, Cena will probably defend his Undisputed WWE Championship against several major names like CM Punk, Roman Reigns, and perhaps LA Knight. Of these three, only the OTC could realistically defeat Cena for his belt - and if he doesn't, the title will likely return to Cody Rhodes. Fans are quite unsure about how Jon Moxley's AEW Championship run might end, however, which may give it an edge over Cena's with respect to its unpredictability.
