John Cena played a major role in this week’s SmackDown in Lexington. After being attacked by Ron Killings earlier in the show, the Undisputed WWE Champion was furious and decided to confront him. But instead of Truth, Cena encountered CM Punk. As soon as The Best in the World’s music hit, the Peacemaker star was stunned.
For those unfamiliar, Cena will defend his title against Punk at Night of Champions in Riyadh on June 28. Last night, The Second City Saint reminded the Real Last Champion why he’s often considered Cena’s greatest rival. But first, it’s worth noting that after Punk finished confronting Cena, Killings blindsided the champion.
The 53-year-old locked his former childhood hero in an STF and had to be restrained by security. It was the second time on the show that Killings left Cena helpless. WWE has made Cena vs. Truth official for next week’s SmackDown, marking The Franchise Player’s first TV match of his ongoing retirement tour.
Truth and Cena faced off at Saturday Night’s Main Event last month. However, the 48-year-old caught him with a low blow when the referee was distracted, allowing Cena to secure the victory. A few days later, Killings announced he was leaving WWE after the company decided not to renew his contract. But massive fan outcry convinced management to reconsider, and the fan favorite was brought back.
Cody Rhodes Gave John Cena a Reality Check on SmackDown
Cody Rhodes has been pursuing John Cena and the Undisputed WWE title that Cena controversially took from him at WrestleMania 41. At Money in the Bank last weekend, Rhodes pinned Cena in a tag team match. The American Nightmare questioned the Hollywood star about why he avoided addressing it while claiming that everything was going according to plan against Cena.
In the main event of SmackDown, The Prodigal Son defeated Damian Priest, Andrade, and Shinsuke Nakamura to advance to the King of the Ring tournament semifinals. Rhodes will now face the winner of “Big” Bronson Reed vs. Rusev vs. Sheamus vs. Jey Uso for a spot in the tournament finals.
The 2025 King of the Ring will be crowned at Night of Champions on June 28. The winner will earn a world title shot at their respective brand’s champion at SummerSlam. It will be intriguing to see whether Rhodes gets his rematch for the WWE title against Cena or not.