Unexpectedly, John Cena appeared to turn babyface during a promo in Smackdown, thanking Rhodes and criticizing The Rock. He emphasized his love for wrestling, concluding the segment with a celebratory moment with Rhodes.

After a largely underwhelming heel run, John Cena calls out The Rock turning a babyface promo with Cody Rhodes before SummerSlam.

The go-home "WWE SmackDown" before SummerSlam warmed up Newark with quite a surprise. The Undisputed WWE Champion John Cena opened the night to set the table for his big rematch against Cody Rhodes. But instead of the Cena we've seen for most of 2025, he reverted to his legendary "Super Cena" self.