Decoding Hidden References In The Final John Cena Vs. Cody Rhodes Promo Battle

On the March 31 episode of Monday Night RAW in London, England, John Cena and Cody Rhodes went face to face in what is expected to be their final promo battle before their WWE Championship clash at WrestleMania 41, with Cena not advertised for more appearances before the Show Of Shows.

Their promo battle on RAW was a fiery one, with the pair trading insults, some of which were deep cuts and made references to things that not every fan will necessarily know about. We will take a look at some of the lines that Rhodes & Cena threw at one another, uncovering the meaning of each.

The Son Of A Billionaire

Tony Khan Was Referenced By John Cena

John Cena: “I make empires for billionaires. All you’ve ever done is steal money from their kids.”

John Cena sought to differentiate himself from Cody Rhodes during their promo battle on RAW, claiming to be a far bigger star and a much bigger draw, whereas Rhodes was just a cheap copy. Cena mentioned that makes empires for billionaires, referencing the growth of WWE he helped to ensure under the order of Vince McMahon, whereas Rhodes stole money from their kids.

This is in reference to the fact that Rhodes left WWE to build AEW, along with members of The Elite and Tony Khan, who is son of billionaire business owner Shad Khan. Cena implied that Rhodes simply took some checks and rinsed Khan. AEW is funded by the Khan family, being led by Tony Khan as president and booker.

A Common Fan

A Shot At ‘Common Man’ Dusty Rhodes

John Cena: “It’s not where your tattoo is at Cody, it’s what your tattoo is that exposes you to the world for what you are, a common fan, like them.”

John Cena made a point in his promo with Cody Rhodes to refer to him as a “common fan”, with particular emphasis put on the words. This felt like a reference to Dusty Rhodes’ “Common Man” nickname and gimmick, serving as a cheap, snide comment directed towards Cody Rhodes’ father.

It was a play on words and may just have been a coincidence, but with the content of the promo, everything felt very direct and focused, with each word carrying weight and meaning.

Cody Rhodes Was Rejected In AEW

Rhodes Made Reference To Being Booed In AEW

Cody Rhodes: “I got booed in a company I created.”

Cody Rhodes began his promo interaction with John Cena by highlighting all the cheap shots Cena could hypothetically take against him. He listed his neck tattoo, the Stardust gimmick, and even mentioned getting booed in a company he created.

This, of course, was in reference to his time in AEW – a run that steadily went downhill with poor booking and questionable character development, leading to him getting booed out of the building on every show he was featured in. Many WWE fans will be unaware of how his time in AEW developed, but it was very similar in terms of vitriol to the rejection the likes of John Cena experienced during his prime.

Cody Rhodes Is A Star Wars Fan

A Potential Reference To A Star Wars Quote

Cody Rhodes: “I’m a wrestler like my father before me.”

This is only a minor reference that will likely have gone over many heads, but for those who are unaware, Cody Rhodes is a major Star Wars fan and a self-proclaimed nerd. In the Return Of The Jedi movie, Luke Skywalker stated that he was “a Jedi, like my father before me”.

Rhodes echoed this in his promo with Cena, noting that he was “a wrestler, like my father before me”. Given that Rhodes is a big fan, this doesn’t seem like a random coincidence in terms of phrasing.

Vince McMahon, He Who Must Not Be Named

Cody Rhodes Brought Up The Disgraced Former Chairman

Cody Rhodes: “Maybe I was chosen. But you know who chose me? They chose me (the fans). Can you say the same John Cena? Or was it one guy in an office who chose you who’s not here anymore, and we don’t talk about him.”

Any mention of Vince McMahon has been blacklisted within WWE following the emergence of a lawsuit against the former chairman, leading to his exit from power. Rhodes made one of the biggest references to McMahon yet since everything kicked off, stating that Cena was handpicked by McMahon, rather than by the audience.

There was little question about who Rhodes was mentioning, even specifically saying that “he” wasn’t here anymore.