John Cena came up short in the WWE SummerSlam 2025 main event, but not before adding one of the most bizarre weapons in recent memory to his arsenal.
The 16-time world champion faced one of the highest-paid WWE superstars, Cody Rhodes, in a brutal street fight on Night 2 of the first-ever two-night SummerSlam.
The title match took place at MetLife Stadium in front of a huge crowd, with weapons legal under the match stipulation. Fans expected kendo sticks and steel chairs, but not a foreign object from an NBA All-Star.
The two-night spectacle featured championship bouts, celebrity cameos and packed crowds, reinforcing SummerSlam’s status as WWE’s biggest event outside WrestleMania.
That twist came courtesy of Tyrese Haliburton. The Indiana Pacers guard attended the show in a walking boot following recent Achilles surgery.
Seated near the front, he suddenly found himself in the middle of the action when Cena snatched one of his crutches and used it to beat down Rhodes.
The surprise moment quickly went viral. Cameras caught Haliburton’s stunned reaction as Cena swung the crutch in the ring and fans shared the clip across social media within minutes.
Despite the improvised weapon, Cena still lost. Rhodes recovered to win the match, reclaim the Undisputed WWE Championship and avenge his WrestleMania 41 defeat. Haliburton returned to his seat, crutchless but smiling.
Haliburton’s appearance came just weeks after he was ruled out for the entire 2025–26 NBA season.
He tore his Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals and had surgery on June 23. The Pacers confirmed his status in early July, but he still showed up for one of WWE’s biggest weekends.
Not everyone welcomed him. The crowd booed when his face appeared on the big screen, a response linked to Indiana’s back-to-back playoff wins over the New York Knicks. Haliburton stayed composed and didn’t react.
He’s used to playing the villain outside of Indiana. Earlier this year, he had a courtside WWE moment with Knicks rival Jalen Brunson. On Sunday, his cameo went one step further.
Haliburton recently got engaged to longtime girlfriend Jade Jones and shared the news together in a joint Instagram post.
His focus will now shift to rehab, though Sunday night briefly pulled him into the spotlight for very different reasons.
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