3 Reasons why John Cena didn’t win the WWE United States Championship on SmackDown

John Cena made his last appearance on WWE SmackDown before he finally ended his retirement tour, as only seven more dates are left on his tour. The Last Real Champion delivered a passionate promo, and he also faced Sami Zayn for the United States Championship.

Cena's segment and match on the blue brand lasted for almost 55 minutes, and the bout between Sami Zayn and the Leader of the Cenation was an instant classic.

John Cena was also gaining momentum, but when it looked like the 17-time World Champion could have captured the United States Championship, Brock Lesnar crashed the party and attacked everyone in the ring, including Cena, and cost the Ruthless Aggression Era legend his chance to capture the US Title.

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In this article, we will look at three reasons why John Cena didn’t win the WWE United States Championship on SmackDown.

#3. Superbout against Brock Lesnar doesn't need a title

After attacking The Last Real Champion on Friday Night SmackDown, Brock Lesnar went backstage, the camera followed The Beast, and he challenged Cena for a singles match at the upcoming ESPN's inaugural event, Wrestlepalooza 2025.

That said, the anticipation for arch-rivals competing in yet another match is enough to grab attention, and the two do not need a championship to draw fans.

#2. May capture another title on WWE RAW

John Cena has had multiple United States Championship reigns in his illustrious career, and winning the title back would not have made sense.

Meanwhile, the Leader of Cenation challenging Dominik Mysterio for the Intercontinental Championship and winning it on RAW would make more sense, as the IC title is the only gold strap Cena has never held in his career.

#1. Putting Sami Zayn over

The Honorary Uce captured the United States Championship, beating Solo Sikoa earlier this month on WWE SmackDown before Clash in Paris, marking one of the most shocking title switches in recent memory.

World Wrestling Entertainment may have put Sami Zayn against John Cena to get him over as a champion, and the plan might have been executed perfectly, given Zayn's classic performance against a legend like Cena.

About the author

Nayan is a WWE News and Features writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling. After completing his bachelor's degree in Mass Communication from Poddar International, he began working as a YouTube script writer. Nayan then transitioned to Pinkvilla as a combat sports writer. He gained valuable experience there before finally coming under the banner of Sportskeeda.

Within 1.5 years, Nayan has written over 1,000 articles, interviewed MFN promotion owners, and conducted a Twitter campaign that gained over 50k retweets and more. He puts fact-checking and mindful journalism above everything by applying a three-check method, where he tries to verify reports from reliable sources and cross-check whether other major publications have covered them.

Looking back at his association with pro wrestling, Nayan recalls being hooked on the sport after watching Shawn Michael vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania 25. Since then, the product has been an inseparable part of his life.

Apart from The Heartbreak Kid being Nayan's favorite wrestler for his confidence and charisma, he is also a fan of Brock Lesnar due to The Beast's "work speaks louder than words" attitude.

Nayan can be found performing mixed martial arts and reading true crime in his free time.

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Edited by Sanchari Bhattacharya