John Cena’s record 17th World Championship reign is set to continue for the near future.

After his successful initial title defense against Randy Orton at WWE Backlash: St. Louis on May 10, Fightful Select has shared an update on WWE’s plans for The Last Real Champion.

Cena won the Undisputed WWE Championship from Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41 last month. His victory over Orton at Backlash: St. Louis was facilitated by interference from R-Truth, leading some fans to question the direction of Cena’s current heel character and the potential duration of his reign.

However, the report from Fightful indicates that WWE has planned a lengthy title reign for Cena.

According to sources, “the claim from people within the company was that John Cena’s title reign would continue into Summer.”

This suggests that his title reign will be a focal point of the remaining dates on his farewell tour.

The report also sheds light on Cena’s ongoing character arc, noting that WWE teased his heel turn at the 2025 Royal Rumble when he nearly attacked Jey Uso.

It is implied that establishing this new persona and any possible transition back to a fan favorite “will also take some time.”

Many fans speculate that Cody will ultimately be the one to dethrone Cena upon his return to WWE programming.

Click here to read more about the date and location for Cena’s retirement match.