On the latest episode of his podcast, WWE Hall of Famer JBL shared his thoughts on the controversial ending to WrestleMania 41 Night 2, where John Cena defeated Cody Rhodes to become a 17-time world champion, surpassing Ric Flair’s historic record.
The finish has drawn polarizing reactions from fans online, many of whom expected Cody to complete his redemption arc on WWE’s grandest stage. JBL, however, had a blunt message for those criticizing the result.
“I think they all need to call a whambulance. Dial 9-Whaa-Whaa, is what they need to do… If you’re booking it like the fans want to book it, you’re going to have a feel-good moment. Now I’m not taking shots at the fans, I’m just telling you my perspective of the business.”
JBL explained that while a “feel-good” ending may have made fans happy in the moment, it wouldn’t have created the emotional investment or long-term storytelling WWE thrives on.
“You’re going to book this hotshot moment, you’re going to have The Rock come down, you’re going to have the glass break, you’re going to have all this stuff happen. Everybody’s going, ‘Oh man!’ … That’s not episodic. That’s a culmination, that’s a final, is what that is. That’s a finale. It’s tough to follow that.”
He emphasized that Cena’s controversial win, coupled with his recent heel turn, was deliberately designed to spark strong reactions — and further engagement.
“Instead, you do something where fans are pissed off. That’s the wrestling business… You want to make Cena into a heel, not this celebrated 17-time World Champion… You want people mad that this guy won, and that’s what happened. So I thought that the finish was actually pretty good.”
JBL likened the reaction to classic heel heat, recalling a conversation with a fan about Killer Tim Brooks:
“I had a fan tell me one time, ‘Killer Tim Brooks can’t wrestle at all. I hate that guy.’ I said, ‘Would you pay to see Stan Hansen come in to wrestle him?’ And he goes, ‘Oh my god, I’d pay double.’”
With Cena now holding the top title in WWE, JBL believes the stage is set for even bigger moments to come — including potential showdowns involving The Rock, Cody Rhodes, and other top stars in 2025.
Stay tuned to PWMania.com for more post-WrestleMania fallout and exclusive backstage updates.
