John Cena has revealed that one of the biggest matches of his later career was originally set to end very differently, before a last-minute decision changed the entire outcome.
The WWE legend recently opened up about the SummerSlam 2021 main event, explaining that he was initially scheduled to reach a historic milestone that night. At the event, John Cena challenged Roman Reigns for the WWE Universal Championship in what was billed as a clash of generations. Reigns ultimately retained the title, and the show ended with a returning Brock Lesnar attacking Cena. However, according to Cena, that was not the original plan.
Speaking on No-Contest Wrestling, Cena revealed he was first booked to win his record-breaking 17th world championship. The plan reportedly involved a quick restart of the match, with Reigns regaining the title through underhanded tactics.
“In the last moment, we had a surprise guest booked, he came out after the match was over. Brock,” Cena said. “They didn’t secure Brock until 5 PM that day. I was going to win 17. We were going to have someone come out and restart the match, Roman was going to take it back. Then, we secure Brock. Talent relations comes and says, ‘I need to see you. We’re switching the finish.’ ‘To what?’ ‘Roman over. Clean.’ ‘Okay. Let me talk to Roman and Paul.’”
What Did John Cena Think Of This Last-Minute Change?
John Cena said he fully supported the change, believing the long-term story of Reigns’ dominance was more important than his own personal milestone. He also credited Paul Heyman for understanding the decision.
“I said, ‘One spear. That’s it. Whatever match you want to have, that’s fine. You beat me with your finish once,’” Cena said. “I love Paul, Paul Heyman has been a great mentor. He gets it and he recognises somebody who sees it’s not about them, it’s about the story. This is going to make Roman better. It switched. Right there. An hour before. It happens to everyone. I didn’t flip out. It happens all the time. I was supposed to win 17 that night.”
Cena would eventually reach the milestone nearly four years later. He captured his 17th world championship at WrestleMania 41 in April 2025, defeating Cody Rhodes. Cena’s in-ring career came to an end in December 2025, when he lost to Gunther in his retirement match, before transitioning into a full-time ambassador role for WWE while continuing his acting career.
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