Cody Rhodes stuns John Cena: A new era begins at Summerslam

What an incredible weekend it was, for all the wrestling fans across the world.

At the LifeMet stadium, the 2-night headline fight ended in a surprise, at least for John Cena fans.

John Cena, who’s on his farewell tour was dethroned by Cody Rhodes in SummerSlam 2025 Undisputed Championship Street Fight match, in New Jersey.

After a marathon “Street Fight” match, Rhodes won his title from the legend John Cena.

Here’s every detail of the SummerSlam Night 2 showdown between John Cena and Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed Championship title.

Cena and Rhodes go wild!

John Cena came out to his classic My Time is Now song in an apparent full-circle return to his babyface ways.

The two began with a hug, with Cena muttering something to Rhodes before the anything-goes street fight started. They went to the outside, where Cena took a crutch from injured Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton to hit Rhodes.

They fought with steel ladders and chairs. Cena got his fans going with Five-Knuckle Shuffle and an Attitude Adjustment (AA) which earned a near fall early in the match.

Rhodes earned one of his own with a piledriver-a move banned in WWE, but totally legal in a street fight. Still, the fans caught the heelish maneuver, chanting “you can’t do that!”

John Cena delivered a mic strike and a Canadian Destroyer to Cody Rhodes, followed by two Attitude Adjusters, one of which smashed Rhodes through the announce table. Rhodes kicked out of multiple near-falls and countered with a Crossroads, but Cena responded with another intense sequence.

When the action spilled into the crowd!

Cody Rhodes and John Cena clashed in the stands, with Rhodes suplexing Cena onto a steel barricade.

They fought under the stage, where Cena tossed Rhodes off the "Cody-vator" with an AA on the runway. Rhodes rebounded, sending Cena into a table, and landed another Cross-Rhodes for a near-fall.

Breakdown of the final sequence

Innovative spot: Cody used the steel clasp from the turnbuckle to strike Cena repeatedly, but Cena countered with an Stepover Toehold Facelock (STF), choking with the top rope.

Cross Rhodes flurry: Cody landed three consecutive Cross-Rhodes, but Cena kicked out each time, showcasing his incredible resilience.

Title-holder advantage: Cody brought the belt into the ring, but Cena attacked him, delivering two AAs and setting up an Avalanche Attitude Adjustment on the top rope for a near-fall.

Table trouble: Cena set up a table for another Avalanche AA, but Cody drove him through it instead.

Final salute: Cody gave Cena a salute, then delivered one last Cross-Rhodes, securing the win and regaining the title.

The respect and admiration between Cody Rhodes and John Cena were palpable as they shared a heartfelt hug in the ring. Cena’s gesture of raising Rhodes’ hand in victory spoke volumes about their mutual respect.

The fireworks at MetLife stadium added a celebratory touch to Rhodes’ title win. A great ending to an intense match!

How many fights are remaining of John Cena farewell tour?

John Cena has 13 nights remaining on his ongoing farewell tour, which will conclude with a retirement match in December this year.

Related: SummerSlam 2025: John Cena vs Cody Rhodes for Undisputed Championship title