When John Cena turned heel during his WWE retirement tour, people assumed that meant he sold his soul to The Rock, who was the catalyst for the turn.

However, this does not appear to be the case. Speaking at a panel at Edmonton Expo, Cena clarified a major point of confusion in the storyline. Just because he wanted Cody Rhodes' soul doesn't mean he had to give his.

John Cena says he never sold his soul to The Rock.

“Some people say I sold my soul to The Rock. Just because Cody and The Rock were talking about selling souls, and I happened to get involved, no, no. I just wanted to win the championship. The Rock doesn’t have my soul. I just… pic.twitter.com/8UI5zXfIyD

— EliteRockerz 𝕏 (@EliteClubS0B) September 21, 2026

“Some people say I sold my soul to The Rock. Just because Cody and The Rock were talking about selling souls, and I happened to get involved, no, no. I just wanted to win the championship. The Rock doesn’t have my soul. I just want to make it clear: We did not have a soul deal, DJ and I. We've got a good relationship.”

It sounds like Cena's motivation was winning a championship and not his soul. Regardless of the motives, it is one of the most iconic moments in WWE history.

John Cena's WWE heel turn with The Rock

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Retired WWE legend John Cena at SummerSlam 2021 in a wrestling match against Roman Reigns.
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports.

At Elimination Chamber 2025, Cena turned heel for the first time in years. He had won the namesake match, and Rhodes, the Undisputed WWE Champion at the time, came out to congratulate his WrestleMania 41 opponent.

The Rock, who had offered Rhodes a deal involving his soul, came out with Travis Scott. The “American Nightmare” once again turned the “Final Boss” down, leading to Cena's heel turn.

It was a shocking moment, especially because it happened during Cena's retirement tour. He would remain a heel until SummerSlam 2026, where he faced Rhodes again.

After SummerSlam, Cena embraced his babyface roots. He turned face, and he remained in the role until the end of his retirement tour in December. He was retired by Gunther, who made him tap out in his last match.