Twenty years of heroism — WWE superstar John Cena’s run as the superman of the organization has come to an end.

Cena’s heel turn at Elimination Chamber was not just shocking — it was the culmination of a masterclass in storytelling, with one of the most dramatic betrayals in WWE history.

For years, wrestling fans always wanted to see an evil Cena, and March 1, they got it.

Leading up to this moment, the all powerful Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson had gone from despising WWE Champion Cody Rhodes before WrestleMania 40 to offering him an opportunity to sell him his “soul.” This confused some fans at the time, but The Rock’s intentions started to be very clear, he wanted Cody to be his “corporate champion.”

As a member of WWE’s board of directors, The Rock showered Rhodes with extravagant gifts, including a custom “American Nightmare” themed Ford Raptor and an exclusive backstage lounge, showing him everything he could have if he accepted the offer and gave The Rock control of his every move.

While Rhodes remained undecided, he had many wrestlers in his ear about what he should do. The Miz warned him backstage on an episode of Smackdown that he should take the deal — because if he did not, “maybe someone else will.”

This all built up to the main event of Elimination Chamber. The match itself was brutal, with Cena outlasting five other superstars to earn his opportunity at a record-breaking 17th world championship in the main event of WrestleMania 41.

The true shock came after the match. Rhodes came out to congratulate Cena, then found himself standing face to face with The Rock, who was accompanied by rapper Travis Scott, adding even more spectacle to the moment.

The Rock made one final attempt to sway Rhodes, reminding him of the power, wealth and security he could have if he accepted the offer. Rhodes, standing tall as the people’s champion, defiantly rejected him.

“I gave my soul to this ring and these people a long time ago,” Rhodes said while staring down The Rock. Then, with a thunderous response from the crowd, he added, “Hey Rock, go fuck yourself.” The first uncensored F bomb in WWE I think I’ve ever seen live.

Part of me wanted to see Rhodes accept the offer, and become a Homelander type villian, but I didn’t see the bigger picture.

The moment was electric. The fans were fully behind Rhodes, and The Rock’s expression shifted from optimism to cold calculation. Rhodes turned to Cena, the man who had just won the Chamber match, and the two embraced in the middle of the ring. It was a moment of respect, or so it seemed. Cena’s trademark smile faded into a chilling, blank stare. He slowly raised his head and looked up to The Rock, who ran his fingers across his throat, signaling what was to come.

Without hesitation, Cena drove his boot into Rhodes’ groin, stunning the entire arena. Along with The Rock and Scott, Cena unleashed a brutal assault on Rhodes. It was awesome.

The relentless beat down left Rhodes bloodied and broken, while Cena stood over him, now fully aligned with The Rock’s vision. It was a betrayal of historic proportions, a moment that rewrote WWE history in an instant.

After clobbering Rhodes with his own championship belt, Cena stared out into the crowd rasing up the hardware to a sea of cheers, boos and middle fingers.

Cena’s motivations were clear. He was a company man who always did the right thing, putting over new talent left and right. Now on his retirement tour, he has sold out to make wrestling history.

To break kayfabe for a second, wrestling lingo for the fourth wall, the WWE needed to do something about WrestleMania 41. A babyface vs. babyface match up between Rhodes and Cena would of course sell tickets, but it needed a switch up. Nobody was looking forward to a  predictable and boring feud between two good guys.

Cena is no longer the full-time face of the WWE, that distinction belongs to Rhodes. Cena doesn’t have creative boundaries to where he has to be this Superman like character — he’s on his way out and can do whatever he wants.

Aligning Cena with his old rival, creates the landscape for Rhodes to explode into superstardom, the level of which The Rock and Cena are now. This also gives Cena a justifiable case to win the WWE championship storyline wise. Now it won’t be just a washed up old man going around and parading the “greatest hits.” This is a hungry, egomaniac who is ready to do anything to win, somthing we’ve never seen in the 23 years he’s been in WWE.

It’s not just a farwell tour anymore, it’s the perfect finale.

The world will be glued to their televisions on the road to WrestleMania 41, and this move is the sole reason.