"That's Not Best For Business": John Cena's Incredible Statement After The Royal Rumble Completely Changes His Farewell Tour

For those fans who tuned into the 2025 Royal Rumble hoping to see John Cena outlast 29 other men and gain a victory, the show's main event was a huge disappointment. Vowing to capture a title opportunity at WrestleMania, the former 16-time World Champion is on a mission to make history. Unfortunately for Cenation, it was a bit of a pothole on that road to glory.

For the man who has ruled WWE for the better part of the 21st century, 2025 represents his swan song. Cena has moved on to a career in Hollywood, but he always vowed to return and finish the story of his professional wrestling legacy. Part of that plan was to win the Rumble. Now, he has to re-group and find another way to eventually reach his goal.

Following his disappointing elimination, Cena spoke to the media and several onlookers. He was stoic, reflecting on how he let victory slip between his fingers. He took no questions, simply stating that he was entering the Elimination Chamber on March 1. However, as he addressed those on hand, there was a different tone in his voice, which may be an indicator of his next move. And crucially, that statement can finally deliver on something Cena wanted to happen more than a decade ago.

John Cena's Royal Rumble Press Conference Explained

The 16-Time Champion Had a Very Serious Tone When Addressing the Media

John Cena entered the Royal Rumble at the number 23 spot, and many viewers assumed the living legend would likely outlast everyone. It was a prime position to be in, but he couldn't take advantage of it. He was eventually the last man eliminated by eventual winner Jey Uso.

After the event, he wasn't the same John Cena. He showed a lot of disappointment and gave a passionate and emotional statement about how he's always done what's best for business. However, he expressed that now, he wants to do something for himself. He recounted that this would be his final WrestleMania, and he wants to be in the main event. He declared he will definitely win his 17th championship before it's all said and done.

"In the 23 years I have been in this business, [and] I know there are different perspectives about my path, but the truth is I have never used my opportunities for a spot that I didn't earn," Cena said. "Tonight was special, for many reasons. But, it has begun to sink in that it was my last Royal Rumble... And I realized - looking at the sign - that Vegas is my last WrestleMania."

"The last time I main-evented a WrestleMania was 2013. That's a long time ago. The reason that hasn't been at the forefront - in my mind - is I've been a gimmick. I've been the first match. I've been in the middle; I've shared beers with the fans. Because my truth, my perspective, is that I've always done what's best for business."

As the Doctor of Thuganomics finished up his long diatribe, it became clear that this is a different, more focused side of Cena than we may have ever seen before. Where that will lead him, no one knows at this point. However, he forcefully established his belief that he should be at the top of the marquee for WWE's biggest annual event.

"I don't know how much I have left in the tank. But I just wanted to do something that would be nice for us all to get together and have a good time. Unfortunately, it dawned on me that that's not best for business. What is best for business, is that I main-event WrestleMania."

Big Match John Was Almost A Heel

After Facing The Rock At WrestleMania, WWE Almost Pulled The Most Unlikely Twist

In recent years, WWE has marketed Cena as the company's 'greatest star of all time'. While that's easily debatable when you compare him to fellow legends like Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and The Rock, there's no doubt that the veteran carried the company's banner for the better part of 15 years before leaving for an acting career in the mid-2010s. Famously, he did so as an almost squeaky-clean babyface.

But things were almost very different. In an interview with Chris Van Vliet, Cena revealed that WWE had planned to turn him heel after his first WrestleMania match with The Rock in 2012. He even went as far as preparing new songs and ring gear:

It was Cena Rock 1. I got word that they were going to do it. I went out and recorded a new song. I went out and got all new gear. I wasn’t prepared for ruthless aggression, that was the last time I wasn’t prepared. I mean, I heard rumblings of we’re going to do it. And in 48 hours, I had a new track, a new studio mix theme song, final mix. I had seven new singlets, low-cut singlets with boxing-type robes. I already had the boots in storage, so I dusted them off. I was ready to go and already thinking about like what I could do with the story.
Okay, what is a heel? A heel is not just new gear. The objectivity or the message behind the singlet and the boxing robes and the boots is the exact opposite of what you saw with the street gear, the jeans shorts, the t-shirt, the ball cap, the sneakers, no, go the opposite route. And now lean into the opposite of everything you stand for.
So I would begin to not work as hard. I would show up less, I would be untrustworthy and unloyal. I would lack respect in what I did. Like all you have to do is turn that on its [head]. I would give up a lot. All those things you can take and make interesting stories. And this is the stuff that’s running through my head, not what moves can I do. It’s like how can I take the intellectual property that people are familiar with and twist it so it’s like this guy’s f*cking insane?

There's no denying that John Cena is a sports entertainment legend and a walking slice of Americana with a golden CV. Does he deserve to break the record and be known as the most decorated World Champion ever? Sure. If you ask most fans, they will likely tell you the same. But the nagging question of what he'd be like as a heel still rings loudly.

In the wake of his post-Rumble comments, it feels like the journey that he takes to get to his final victory may contain more twists and turns than we originally imagined. What happens to John Cena at the Elimination Chamber and beyond will most definitely help define the final year of his illustrious career.

Where WIll John Cena Go From Here?

Can He Make History During His Final Year in Wrestling?

The story of John Cena riding off into the sunset may be different from what many imagined. For his entire career, he's been the sheriff in town, the white hat-wearing good guy who has been a real-life superhero. He's made more Make-A-Wish visits to sick and disabled children than any entertainer in history. And he's done it selflessly and with a smile on his face.

But that persona could change in these next few months. It's now heavily speculated that we will see a darker, more aggressive side to the longtime babyface, delivering on those scrapped plans from the wake of WrestleMania 28. Deliciously, it feels like John Cena might be ready to unleash some of the 'ruthless aggression' that he made famous in the early 2000s. And perhaps the best answer lies in Cena's cryptic post on X, just three days after the Rumble.

"We cannot change everything we face. But nothing will change until we face it."

While that doesn't necessarily mean that Big Match John is turning heel, it appears on the surface to hint at a much more edgy version of the icon. A man hell-bent on securing his legacy, and completing his own story. It could not only affect where he eventually lands on the WrestleMania card, but also how he winds down his career in 2025.