John Cena’s shocking heel turn at Elimination Chamber, aligning with The Rock to attack Cody Rhodes, sent shockwaves through WWE.
According to Fightful Select, WWE strategically positioned The Rock’s segment mid-show on internal run sheets, with Triple H personally overseeing the moment. Only a select few were aware of the plan in advance.
While Cena and Rhodes knew they were headed for a WrestleMania showdown, The Rock’s involvement remained a closely guarded secret. His creative role is typically managed on a “need-to-know” basis, with limited details shared beyond the inner circle.
Speaking at the Elimination Chamber post-show, Triple H discussed the secrecy behind the moment:
“The one thing about tonight that I loved was that it was nowhere—nobody knew. When I say nobody knew, I mean nobody. Right before the finish of the Elimination Chamber, I had to tell the truck, ‘Everybody lay out, I have all traffic on where we go next.’ Nobody knew what was coming. It was a very tight circle of people because we’re just trying to entertain and do it in a way that’s amazing, next level, and unexpected.
Where does it start? It starts with a group of people who love this. It’s in Rock’s blood. The goosebumps aren’t manufactured—that’s him. There’s a massive group of people here, internally at WWE, from talent to staff, who live, breathe, and sleep this business. They want it to be epic. We start there, and it escalates. It’s a team effort that I’m incredibly proud of.”
