John Cena has officially cemented his place in the history books, defeating Cody Rhodes in a high-stakes, drama-filled encounter to become the new WWE Undisputed Champion and capture the 17th world title of his legendary career.

The match began with a slow and technical exchange, as both men tested each other’s resolve. Cody Rhodes looked to control the pace early on with a side headlock and crisp dropkicks, but Cena used his veteran instincts to find moments to regain the advantage, showing flashes of aggression and uncharacteristic rule-breaking along the way.

Cena's early control saw him punish Rhodes with a flurry of strikes, boots to the midsection, and a catapult into the bottom rope that left the champion visibly winded. He followed up with power moves, including a sidewalk slam and lariat, but Rhodes continued to show heart, repeatedly battling back with signature offense like the Cody Cutter and Beautiful Disaster.

The turning point came during a chaotic final stretch. After Cena connected with a tornado DDT, Rhodes fired back with a snap scoop powerslam, an Avalanche Cody Cutter, and a nearfall off Cross Rhodes. Despite Cena's STF being locked in twice, Rhodes refused to quit, eventually forcing Cena to crash into referee Chad Patton during a desperate escape.

With the official down, Cena exposed a turnbuckle and sent Rhodes headfirst into it before landing another Attitude Adjustment. But even that was not enough to finish the match, as Cody kicked out once again.

Then, in a shocking twist, music artist Travis Scott made his way to the ring. Cena used the distraction to his advantage, holding Rhodes in place for Scott, but Cody rallied and delivered another Cross Rhodes—only for Scott to pull the referee out mid-count. After dropping Scott with a second Cross Rhodes, Rhodes found himself face-to-face with Cena once more, who had the title belt in hand.

As the two struggled over the championship, Cena struck with a low blow, followed by a belt shot to the head. With the referee revived, Cena made the cover and scored the decisive pinfall.

With the victory, John Cena surpassed Ric Flair’s long-held record and is now a 17-time world champion—an unprecedented milestone that further solidifies his place as one of the greatest WWE Superstars of all time.

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JOHN CENA HAS SURPASSED RIC FLAIR AS A 17-TIME WORLD CHAMPION!!!!!!!!

The G.O.A.T.#WrestleMania #WWE #JohnCena pic.twitter.com/vIK7kUB5gy

— Wrestling News Source ⚡️ (@WNSource) April 21, 2025