Lip readers have had a field day while figuring out what John Cena told Cody Rhodes following their match at the 2025 WWE SummerSlam PLE.
Following the bout, Cena is seen talking to Rhodes. He seemingly said, “That's the best I got. You just beat the real John Cena,” after the contest.
OMG Cena tells Cody Rhodes “That’s the best I got. You just beat the real John Cena.” MY HEART 🥹 pic.twitter.com/o2W1LPg64C
— Alexa (@ahhhhhrexa) August 7, 2025
That would make sense. Rhodes has wanted to face Cena since making his return to WWE in 2022. However, their first singles match at WrestleMania 41 was disappointing to some, given Travis Scott's interference.
John Cena and Cody Rhodes' WWE SummerSlam match
At SummerSlam, Cena and Rhodes closed out the second night of the first-ever two-night iteration of the annual event. Cena went into the match as the Undisputed WWE Champion, a title which he won from Rhodes at WrestleMania 41.
His reign came to an end at the hands of Rhodes. Cena had turned heel before WrestleMania 41, but he suddenly reverted to a babyface on the Friday Night SmackDown before SummerSlam.
Cena went out and gave a vintage performance. He wrestled Rhodes for nearly 40 minutes. Cena hit several Attitude Adjustments on Rhodes, and he survived several of the “American Nightmare's” signature moves. However, Rhodes ultimately prevailed after hitting Cena with a top-rope Cody Cutter and a final Cross Rhodes.
Now, the two appear to be on their separate ways. Several legends have endorsed Rhodes as the face of WWE since his return, and Cena is now among them.
For Rhodes, he is now the top champion on SmackDown once again. However, he has a role in the upcoming Street Fighter movie, so it is unclear how present he will be in the coming months.
As for Cena, Brock Lesnar made his return to WWE after a two-year hiatus following his SummerSlam match against Rhodes. Lesnar hit an F5 on Cena, seemingly hinting at a feud between them.
More than likely, the match will occur sooner rather than later. It could happen as early as Clash in Paris on August 31, which is WWE's next PLE.
