John Cena to lose the Undisputed WWE Championship on the final SmackDown before SummerSlam? Exploring the possibility

John Cena (Images via WWE.com & WWE on X]
John Cena (Images via WWE.com & WWE on X]

The next major stop in John Cena's Farewell Tour will be SummerSlam 2025. The Never Seen 17 is set to put his Undisputed WWE Championship on the line against Cody Rhodes in a Street Fight at The Biggest Party of the Summer.

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The American Nightmare earned this opportunity by winning the King of the Ring Tournament at Night of Champions 2025. That said, WWE could pull off a massive swerve on the go-home episode of SmackDown before SummerSlam and disrupt everything.

The contract for the title match between Cena and Rhodes was signed on last week's SmackDown. After a fiery promo by The American Nightmare, The Last Real Champion came out sporting an unusual demeanor. Cena announced that he would not be appearing at SummerSlam due to his filming commitments for a "big movie with Netflix." However, Rhodes was not convinced by this and launched an attack on The Last Real Champion.

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The 40-year-old ended up forcefully placing Cena's signature on the contract, making their SummerSlam match official. That said, The Franchise Player might retaliate by impulsively challenging Rhodes to a title match on the August 1 episode of SmackDown. In a shocking twist, The American Nightmare could dethrone John Cena as the Undisputed WWE Champion just a day before Night 1 of SummerSlam.

While John Cena is not scheduled to appear on this week's SmackDown, he could send out the challenge for next week via Nick Aldis. The SmackDown GM is unlikely to miss the chance to book a massive title match on his show. This emotionally charged decision might end up costing Cena his title, as Cody Rhodes may shock the world and win the Undisputed WWE Championship next Friday.

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A massive title change just a day before the PLE may send shockwaves through the wrestling world and add a layer of unpredictability to the event. However, this potential scenario may raise the question: Will John Cena miss what could be his last SummerSlam appearance? Well, if his claims about shooting a movie are accurate, Cena could very well end up missing the event.

However, it is unlikely, as the contract that was signed last week still pits Cena and Rhodes against each other at the PLE. John Cena could use it to get his rematch at The Biggest Party of the Summer even if he loses on SmackDown. That said, this scenario is only speculative. Fans will have to wait and see what the Triple H-led creative team has in store for SummerSlam 2025.

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Former WWE writer discusses the reason behind John Cena's heel turn

Speaking on a recent episode of Writing With Russo, former WWE head writer Vince Russo discussed the reason behind John Cena's shocking heel turn at Elimination Chamber: Toronto. Russo suggested that backstage drama among management before the event led to Cena turning to the dark side.

The veteran writer felt that The Rock originally wanted Cody Rhodes to turn heel, but the rest of management, including Triple H, did not agree with it, leading to Cena's heel turn.

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"Well, for starters, I think it was plan B. Because Rock has told us this, Cody has told us this. Rock wanted Cody to turn heel and they poo-pooed it. So then Rock's next idea was John Cena turning heel, which was plan B. I also think at that point, Rock was a little bit p*ssed off because this was the second WrestleMania in a row that they didn't listen to him. So, I think at that point, he said, 'Well, you're on your own. There are other things that I could do rather than hang around here and be shot down every time I come up with something.' So, at that point Rock takes himself out of it creatively." [From 1:58 onwards]
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It will be interesting to see how the remainder of John Cena's Farewell Tour plays out.

A top professional wrestler opened up on Goldberg HERE

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Edited by Brandon Nell
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