WrestleMania 41: Cena’s heel turn, Punk’s first main event, and more

LAS VEGAS: The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has been a mainstay of sports entertainment around the globe for multiple generations. And the annual event that encapsulates professional wrestling’s reach and popularity is “WrestleMania”. Each year, the WWEs best story lines culminate in blockbuster fights at the most grandiose event the company has to offer.

This year’s WrestleMania 41, set for April 19-20 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, is shaping up to be one of WWE’s most historic and star-studded events. Here are some of the reasons why.

Cena vs Rhodes

One of the most recongizable wrestlers of all time, and the man many consider to be the face of the organisation, announced last year that his 20-year long career would come to an end in 2025. But what people didn’t expect, was for John Cena to turn heel.

Throughout his career, Cena has always played a baby face, spreading positivity with every word. While those around him shifted their persona, testing the waters to see if their new characters could float, Cena was the WWE’s bread and butter, giving the company a strong and sturdy identity. However, while kids in the past loved the sentiment of Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect, long time fans of the WWE have been waiting to see another side of Cena. And on March 1, they finally got what they were waiting for.

At the Elimination Chamber in March, John Cena, Cody Rhodes, and the Rock all took to the ring, previewing the main event of WrestleMania, in which Cena would face the American Nightmare. And in a shocking turn of events, Cena would align himself with the Rock, betraying Rhodes with a low blow, before relentlessly and repeatedly attacking the current WWE champion.

Two weeks later, Cena would come out to a divided crowd. Half the audience showered him with boos and chanted “Cena sucks,” while the other half cheered, chanting “lets go Cena.” As the two segments of the crowd attempted to overpower the other, it became obvious that Cena’s star-power and the degree to which he can invigorate an audience was second to none. After the crowd settled down, and Cena settled into the ring, he began to explain his sudden shift.

“For 25 years, I’ve been the victim, okay, the victim of an abusive relationship,” Cena said, before exploding with anger moments later.

“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.”

Cena went on to explain how no matter how much he tried to change himself, no matter how much he gave, and no matter how much he won, it was never enough for the fans.

“I don’t care about you and you don’t matter to me, and heres the thing, theres no noise you can make, there is nothing you can do, because you know I’m right, and you know you are wrong,” said Cena, right before his monologue was interrupted by Rhodes.

“Sure, they might have given you their worst, they have also given you their best for 25 years, and they did that because you were special,” said Rhodes after entering the ring. The American Nightmare kept his message short and sweet.

“Go find John Cena, cause I wanna wrestle him at WrestleMania 41, not this whiny bitch.”

Rhodes will fight one or the other in the main even of night 2 on April 20, and he could put an end to Cena’s story-line right then. But, there’s so much of the year left, and considering this is Cena’s farewell tour, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him regain the title, winning it for the 17th time, and his first since 2017.

However, Cena and Rhodes’ clash isn’t the only thing to look forward to at this year’s WresteMania.

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CM Punk’s first main event

After a long hiatus, CM Punk will return to WrestleMania to main-event for the first time in his career. He’ll compete in a triple threat match against Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, a culmination of intense rivalries and story-lines. ​

Punk had one of the longest title reigns in WWE history, clocking in at 434 days. But, despite being a fan favourite and one of the WWE’s biggest stars for years, Punk never got his chance to headline the biggest show in sports entertainment. Then, in 2014, Punk left the company, seemingly ending any opportunity for fans to see him on the biggest stage in Wrestling. However, after a brief stint with All Elite Wrestling (AEW), the superstar returned to the WWE in November of 2023, shocking his home town crowd of Chicago.

An unfortunate injury kept him from participating in WrestleMania last year, but now, fully healthy, Punk will fulfill his dream of competing in the main even of WrestleMania on night one.

In regards to storyline, one aspect centres around Paul Heyman, a manager and promoter in the WWE world who was instrumental in building both Punk and Reigns’ careers. Heyman owes Punk a favour for helping Reigns out in his WarGames match in December of last year. And that favour might finally come to fruition at the triple threat match this Wrestlemania.

Netflix and expanded festivities

For the first time, WrestleMania will stream live on Netflix in most international markets, marking a significant shift in WWE’s broadcasting strategy. This move follows WWE’s 10-year, £4 billion deal with Netflix, expanding its global reach. In the US, the event will continue to air on Peacock due to existing contracts until 2026. But for those attenting the event in person, a variety of festivities will be on offer, including:

WWE World at WrestleMania: A five-day fan convention featuring meet-and-greets, panels, and the Slammy Awards.

Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony: Honoring wrestling legends.​

NXT Stand & Deliver: Showcasing WWE’s rising stars.

The Undertaker’s 1deadMAN Show: A unique experience with the wrestling icon.​

The Roast of WrestleMania: A comedy event hosted by Tony Hinchcliffe and friends.​

Pat McAfee’s Live Show: Broadcasting from WWE World. ​

With groundbreaking matches, significant returns, and a week filled with fan-centric events, WrestleMania 41 is poised to be a landmark in WWE history.

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