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John Cena made history at WrestleMania 41, defeating Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship, setting a record with 17 career world title wins.
Cena entered the match tied with WWE Hall of Famer 'Nature Boy' Ric Flair with 16 world championship reigns, which had previously stood as the record for nearly 25 years. Flair shared a post on his X account congratulating Cena, which appeared to include a photo taken after the latter won his 16th world title in 2017.
"Congrats To My Great Friend @JohnCena On Becoming A 17x Champion! It Was Only A Matter Of Time! You And @CodyRhodes Put On An Instant Classic! Much Respect! WOOOOO! #WrestleMania," Flair.
Cena, who turned heel at the Elimination Chamber premium live event in March, marking the first time he'd played a villainous character since 2003, received help from rapper Travis Scott in his match against Rhodes. Scott had previously helped Cena and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson -- who was inexplicably absent from WrestleMania 41 despite having an ownership stake in the company -- beat down Rhodes to solidify the heel turn.
Cena served as WWE's franchise player for more than a decade before transitioning to a part-time schedule amid his emergence as an A-list Hollywood star in the mid-2010s and previously announced that 2025 would be his final year as a full-time wrestler. Rhodes, the son of late WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes, held the Undisputed WWE championship for 378 days, having defeated Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40.