Former WWE referee reveals John Cena’s real reaction after losing to The Rock at WrestleMania 28
(Courtesy : WWE)
John Cena wasn’t happy with the WrestleMania 28 result.
John Cena’s legendary WWE career featured several unforgettable rivalries, but his WrestleMania 28 defeat to The Rock remains one of the most talked-about losses of his career.
The Cenation Leader entered the Miami showdown after a year-long buildup with The Final Boss. Now, former WWE referee Mike Chioda has offered insight into how Cena allegedly felt about doing the job that night.
The Rock had returned to WWE during the road to WrestleMania 27 and quickly became heavily involved in Cena’s story. He played a major role at WrestleMania 27, costing Cena a potential WWE Championship victory against The Miz.
That set the stage for the blockbuster WrestleMania 28 encounter between the two megastars. Their rivalry was fueled by intense verbal exchanges, with both men taking shots at each other on television and social media.
The highly anticipated match delivered a back-and-forth battle before The Rock capitalized on a mistake from Cena. The 17-time World Champion became overconfident in the closing moments, allowing Rocky to hit the devastating Rock Bottom for the victory.
Chioda, who served as the referee for the contest, has now claimed that Cena was unhappy about losing the match.
Mike Chioda reveals John Cena’s reaction to The Rock defeat
A fan recently shared footage of the final sequence from WrestleMania 28 on X, suggesting that many viewers expected The Rock to pass the torch to John Cena by putting him over at The Show of Shows.
Instead, The Final Boss secured a clean victory in one of the biggest WrestleMania main events of the era. Chioda responded to the post with his own recollection of Cena’s reaction.
“John Cena was not happy about doing the job that night,” Chioda wrote.
The claim adds another interesting layer to a match that has remained a major talking point more than a decade later.
John Cena and The Rock eventually put their rivalry behind them
The WrestleMania 28 defeat did not end the relationship between the two WWE icons. Cena and The Rock met again at WrestleMania 29, with Cena defeating Rocky to capture the WWE Championship.
The Rock subsequently endorsed Cena following the loss, signaling that their rivalry had evolved beyond their original animosity.
At WrestleMania 32, Cena returned to help The Rock deal with The Wyatt Family, with the two stars eventually mending their relationship.
More recently, The Rock played a major role in Cena’s storyline, helping orchestrate his shocking heel turn at Elimination Chamber before teaming with Travis Scott in an attack on Cody Rhodes.
Despite expectations that Rocky would appear at WrestleMania 41, he did not. Cena ultimately defeated Rhodes with Scott’s assistance to win the Undisputed WWE Championship.
Who refereed John Cena vs. The Rock at WrestleMania 28?
Mike Chioda served as the referee for the match.
Did John Cena defeat The Rock at WrestleMania 28?
No. The Rock defeated Cena cleanly with a Rock Bottom.
Did John Cena and The Rock wrestle again?
Yes. They faced each other again at WrestleMania 29, where Cena defeated The Rock for the WWE Championship.
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