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Major Stipulation Announced For John Cena Vs. Cody Rhodes At WWE SummerSlam

By Ahmed Hamdy • Published Jul 18, 2025 22:19 EDT
Cody Rhodes destroys John Cena on WWE SmackDown

John Cena’s WWE SummerSlam Match against Cody Rhodes will now be contested under a special stipulation.

Earlier this year, Cena ended Rhodes’ Undisputed WWE Championship reign at WrestleMania 41. The American Nightmare later earned a shot at the title after winning the King of the Ring tournament.

As Rhodes and The Franchise Player are now set to clash at SummerSlam, they were scheduled to sign the match’s contract on tonight’s episode of SmackDown.

Cody Rhodes And John Cena Will Square Off In A Street Fight At WWE SummerSlam

The former champion was the first to head to the ring and put his signature on the paper. Meanwhile, Cena dropped a bombshell announcement when he arrived, informing Rhodes, Pearce, and the WWE Universe that he would not be at SummerSlam.

The 48-year-old claimed to be physically and mentally exhausted, pointing out that he was filming a movie for Netflix and had spoken to top executives in the company, who understood his situation.

The Undisputed WWE Champion added that it was “best for business” that he skips SummerSlam, promising Rhodes to give him his rematch elsewhere.

While John Cena left the ring, an angry Cody Rhodes went after him and attacked the Undisputed WWE Champion. The two superstars brawled back into the ring, where The American Nightmare put The Franchise Player through a table, delivering a Splash off the top rope.

Rhodes grabbed the pen and forced Cena to sign the SummerSlam match’s contract. He then told his rival that their championship match is now a Street Fight.