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John Cena walked into the ring on the 10 November 2025 edition of WWE Raw and pinned Dominik Mysterio to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship. The moment felt like the final chapter of one of professional wrestling's greatest careers: Cena finally claimed the only major title missing from his résumé, officially becoming a Grand Slam Champion.However, what should have been a triumphant milestone instead sparked backlash among fans. Many argued that not only did the decision cut short Dominik's rising momentum, it may have also spoiled the emotional payoff of Cena's upcoming final match on 13 December.How John Cena Became a Grand Slam ChampionIn one of his final WWE Raw shows in WWE, in his hometown of Boston, WWE officials especially Triple H wasted no time. After Cena opened the show, Dominik interrupted the proceedings, and a title match was booked on the spot by Triple H.Then after a decent back and forth, fans shockingly saw Cena pinning Dominik cleanly to claim the Intercontinental Championship, which was the one accolade that had eluded Cena his entire career. And with that victory, Cena became a Grand Slam Champion as he has already won the world titles, the US title as well as the tag team titles earlier in his career, filling what many had seen as his only professional gap. However, Dominik's reign of 204 days came to an abrupt and shocking end, and what seemed like a potential breakout moment for him evaporated.The fan reaction was immediate as Cena basked in adulation in his hometown and got congratulated backstage by other WWE stars, the title change felt celebratory, but something deeper unsettled the audience as an irony that the very night Cena achieved this milestone might also have spoiled his retirement match.READ MORE: CM Punk Kicks Jey Uso After Embarassing Botch at SNME — But Was The Heat Real?READ MORE: Is Triple H Leaving WWE for Politics? Fans Stunned After Comparing Trump and The RockWhy the Decision Troubled FansOne of the biggest critiques for Cena's Intercontinental title win revolves around Dominik. He had been holding the Intercontinental title with some momentum and in fact fans were cheering him despite him being a big heel. So in theory, allowing him to continue a run could have elevated him into a top star tier especially given his family lineage and heel persona within the faction The Judgment Day.A win over John Cena would have solidified him as the future but the title loss at this juncture, therefore, felt like a wasted opportunity. According to a recent report, one of the driving reasons for his defeat was WWE's desire to give Cena the belt before his final match. Fans argue that WWE short changed Dominik by pulling the rug out just as he seemed poised to step up.But the other major problem with Cena's win centers on Cena himself. While securing the Intercontinental title completes his trophy case, it also muddies the narrative heading into what is expected at his retirement match on 13 December at Saturday Night's Main Event in Washington DC.The logic here is that now that Cena is the champion, he will probably be the champion at his retirement match. Whoever is his opponent as the tournament to face him continues, is surely to win against Cena. The reason being that Cena obviously will not retire with the Intercontinental title, so that means he will definitely lose his final match in WWE.Many fans were hoping he ends his career with a win but it looks like WWE just gave fans a spoiler with this booking. Yes, Cena fulfilled his grand slam destiny but also seemingly has spoiled his final match.
