Cody Rhodes Trends as “Cody Super Cena” After SmackDown Win

Cody Rhodes may have punched his ticket to the Elimination Chamber — but the reaction online tells a very different story.

Following the February 13 episode of WWE SmackDown in Dallas, Rhodes secured a massive triple threat victory over Jacob Fatu and Sami Zayn to earn his spot in the 2026 Elimination Chamber match. On paper, it was a big win. On social media, it turned into a firestorm.

Within 24 hours, Cody began trending — not for celebration, but criticism. Fans across X started labeling him “Cody Super Cena,” comparing his booking to John Cena’s prime years when he was portrayed as nearly unstoppable. That era famously divided audiences and gave birth to the now-iconic dueling chants. The trending topic came with a pointed description circulating online:

“WWE fans criticize Cody Rhodes for repeatedly pinning popular wrestlers like Sami Zayn and overshadowing rising stars. Discussions question his suitability to main event WrestleMania Night One against Drew McIntyre compared to Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk on Night Two.”

The backlash wasn’t subtle. One user posted, “Fans are deadass getting tired of Cody man…” Another questioned whether Cody vs. Drew McIntyre belongs in a WrestleMania main event slot at all. “The only way to make Cody vs Drew main event is if they add something like a HIAC stipulation. Otherwise I don’t give a damn.” Others leaned fully into the “Super Cena” narrative.

“They giving Cody the Super Cena treatment lmaooo”

Another fan expressed frustration over WWE’s focus on established names instead of newer stars. “Like it’s enough mehnnn There are top rising stars, put them in the mix, make the mistakes with them, after all they’re the future not recycling old dudes till they’re no more??” Some even tied Cody’s positioning directly to Roman Reigns’ absence.

“Cody is only QB1 when Roman isn’t around”

And one fan openly called for a different direction entirely.

“Let someone else get an opportunity and leave your golden boy in the back of the line smh @TripleH fatu at elimination chamber would of been lit 🔥”

The timing of the backlash is particularly interesting. This surge of criticism comes as WrestleMania 42 ticket sales have slowed. Just this week, tickets were placed on sale at a 25 percent discount — a move that raised eyebrows across the industry.

Cody Rhodes remains one of WWE’s most featured stars, and his Elimination Chamber win positions him squarely in the WrestleMania conversation. But as history showed with John Cena, dominant booking can quickly split an audience. The question now isn’t whether Cody can win — it’s whether fans will stay behind him if he does.