3 Reasons why John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes 2 at WWE SummerSlam 2025 is getting mixed reactions

During the latest episode of WWE SmackDown, Cody Rhodes vs. John Cena 2 was officially announced after The American Nightmare's promo on the blue brand. The King of the Ring 2025 is all set to reclaim his position at the top.

The Undisputed WWE Championship contest between Rhodes and Cena is sure to main-event the first-ever two-night SummerSlam. While fans anticipated a rematch ever since The American Nightmare lost his title at WrestleMania 41, it has been getting mixed reactions from the fans.

Expand Tweet

In this listicle, we look at three reasons why Cody Rhodes vs. John Cena at SummerSlam has been receiving mixed reactions:

Breaking Vince Russo and Jim Cornette update HERE.

#3. Many expected a Triple Threat WWE match

Rhodes and Cena’s first encounter at WrestleMania 41 was heavily criticized, with the WWE Universe calling it a slow-paced and underwhelming main event that lacked big surprises and a lazy finish.

Many predicted that to raise the bar, the Stamford-based promotion could turn the bout into a Triple Threat, which would have increased the hype for the title clash and opened up multiple possibilities.

Adding Randy Orton to the equation would have worked as he shares history with both John Cena and Cody Rhodes and could also lay seeds for a future feud against The American Nightmare.

#2. Predictable outcome

Cody Rhodes has been on a redemption arc since he returned to World Wrestling Entertainment at the 39th edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event.

The American Nightmare will most likely avenge his title loss at SummerSlam 2025, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, beating John Cena and regaining the Undisputed WWE Championship.

#1. No storyline progress

The feud between Cena and Rhodes has been constant since The American Nightmare lost the title to the Last Real Champion.

The storyline has not progressed much since then, as WWE Universe expected it to turn more personal and intense. Fans could expect things to get personal between these two as SummerSlam approaches.

With Cena's career coming to an end later this year, fans hope for the star to go out as a face, and a loss to Cody for the title may have a role to play in his redemption.

The lack of storyline progress might have prompted fans to share their mixed reactions to the Rhodes vs. Cena 2 announcement last night.

About the author

Nayan is a WWE News and Features writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling. After completing his bachelor's degree in Mass Communication from Poddar International, he began working as a YouTube script writer. Nayan then transitioned to Pinkvilla as a combat sports writer. He gained valuable experience there before finally coming under the banner of Sportskeeda.

Within 1.5 years, Nayan has written over 1,000 articles, interviewed MFN promotion owners, and conducted a Twitter campaign that gained over 50k retweets and more. He puts fact-checking and mindful journalism above everything by applying a three-check method, where he tries to verify reports from reliable sources and cross-check whether other major publications have covered them.

Looking back at his association with pro wrestling, Nayan recalls being hooked on the sport after watching Shawn Michael vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania 25. Since then, the product has been an inseparable part of his life.

Apart from The Heartbreak Kid being Nayan's favorite wrestler for his confidence and charisma, he is also a fan of Brock Lesnar due to The Beast's "work speaks louder than words" attitude.

Nayan can be found performing mixed martial arts and reading true crime in his free time.

Know More

One wrong move ended Big E's career - Watch Here!

Edited by Harish Raj S