Eric Bischoff Critiques Cody Rhodes Vs John Cena Match at WrestleMania 41 – WrestleMania 41 is officially in the books, but whether the Night 2 main event between Cody Rhodes and John Cena will be remembered as a classic remains uncertain.
Cena emerged victorious, capturing his 17th world championship after interference from rapper Travis Scott and a shot to Rhodes’ head with the WWE Championship. Despite Cena’s win, fan reactions online have been mixed, with many expressing dissatisfaction with the match’s conclusion.
One notable critic of the match is Eric Bischoff, who shared his thoughts on the outcome during a recent episode of his 83 Weeks podcast with Conrad Thompson. Bischoff, the former Executive Vice President of World Championship Wrestling (WCW), offered a scathing critique of both the match’s execution and the storytelling that led to the showdown.
“I have to believe when both those guys watch this match back, they’re going to go, ‘We missed it. We missed the mark because that match just didn’t create emotion…the responsibility is equal among the parties. The chemistry wasn’t there. I don’t think the story was there to begin with,'” Bischoff stated. He emphasized that, from his perspective, the story behind the match lacked depth and emotional investment, which he believes was essential to making the contest memorable.
Bischoff was particularly critical of the heel turn in the storyline, calling it “soft.” He explained, “It wasn’t compelling. There was nothing that felt different than a million other turns we’ve seen before.” He acknowledged that while the turn wasn’t necessarily “bad,” it failed to elicit the kind of emotional reaction that would have made the match stand out.
The former WCW executive did not hold back, adding, “Yes, for all of you people who say I never criticize WWE, please pay attention. That story missed the mark from the get-go, and we talked about it here. And it just hasn’t gotten any better. I believe it had a lack of heat, just lack of a good story.”
Despite the praise Cena and Rhodes received for their talents, Bischoff felt that the combination of weak storytelling and lackluster chemistry made the match fall short of its potential. This marks another moment of criticism for WWE’s creative decisions in building key storylines for the biggest event of the year.
Eric Bischoff Critiques Cody Rhodes Vs John Cena Match at WrestleMania 41
