Ric Flair reacts after John Cena breaks his record to become 17-time World Champion in WWE: ‘Much respect’
Ric Flair's reaction to John Cena's record-breaking 17th WWE World Championship at WrestleMania 41 was a mix of admiration and reflection
Former American entertainment wrestler Ric Flair has seen it all in professional wrestling, but even he couldn’t look away from the chaos that unfolded at WrestleMania 41. On Sunday night, John Cena defeated Cody Rhodes to win his record-breaking 17th world championship, eclipsing Ric’s long-standing record. While fans flooded social media with reactions, they waited for one man to weigh in. Ric didn’t disappoint.
Ric took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to congratulate John on breaking his record, as he attached a throwback image of himself and John. The post racked up over 550,000 views within 45 minutes, signaling the magnitude of what had just transpired.
But John’s record-breaking win wasn’t the only headline. After years of playing the heroic face of WWE, Cena completed a long-awaited heel turn that stunned fans and insiders alike. His victory wasn’t clean—it came with a run-in from rapper Travis Scott, who distracted Codey long enough for John to capitalise. The crowd reaction was mixed, uncertain whether to cheer the milestone or jeer the manner in which it came.
At the post-WrestleMania press conference, John made it clear that the version of him fans once knew was gone. When a reporter asked how it felt to surpass Ric, John shot back, “It seems like a clickbait question. I am beginning to sense a pattern here. You guys are looking for headlines; I'll give you one. Tune into Monday Night RAW to see how I ruin wrestling.”
This heel turn caps off a strange and intense road to WrestleMania. After losing the Royal Rumble to Jey Uso, John forced his way back into the spotlight by winning the Elimination Chamber. From there, his promos took a darker turn, warning fans not to expect sentimentality.
With retirement looming, this final act feels less like a passing of the torch and more like a controlled demolition of everything John once stood for. As Ric called it, this heel turn might just be “the coolest thing they could have done”—a legacy rewritten, not extended.
