WWE Quietly Changes Cody Rhodes vs. John Cena’s SummerSlam Match On SmackDown

Written by AC Nicodemus • Published Jul 18, 2025 23:26 EDT
Cody Rhodes and John Cena will meet at SummerSlam for the WWE Undisputed Championship.

It looks like the Undisputed WWE Championship match at SummerSlam between Cody Rhodes and John Cena has been quietly changed on SmackDown.

Earlier today, Cena flat-out claimed that he won’t be able to compete at The Biggest Party of the Summer to defend the WWE Undisputed Championship. And this was due to a movie commitment for Netflix in New York City. He exited the ring after acknowledging the fans’ disappointment, but the 17-time WWE Champion was attacked by The American Nightmare, and the two exchanged blows outside the ring.

Rhodes got the upper hand by hitting Cena with the title belt and putting him on a table. He proceeded with a frog splash off the top rope, with the contract in hand.

The American Nightmare then forced the defending champion to sign the contract with his right hand while lying down. Rhodes concluded the show by exclaiming that the champion did not read the fine print that stated their SummerSlam match would be a street fight.

The two will have their WrestleMania 41 rematch at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, as SummerSlam will be a two-night extravaganza happening on August 2nd and 3rd.

Cody Rhodes Refused To Help A WWE Superstar

Before his contract signing with John Cena, Cody Rhodes crossed paths with WWE United States Champion Solo Sikoa backstage who was arrested by the police. This was due to Sikoa and his MFT (My Family Tree) faking their car accident at the commencement of the show.

The American Nightmare just nodded to the police, signaling them to proceed and take Solo Sikoa away in handcuffs instead of helping him get out of it.

Cody Rhodes and Solo Sikoa share quite a history. Last year at SummerSlam, Sikoa faced Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship. Given their latest encounter, it will be interesting to see if it will impact Rhodes’ chances at SummerSlam after not helping the MFT leader, possibly costing him the WWE Undisputed title match.