Unexpectedly, John Cena appeared to turn babyface during a promo in Smackdown, thanking Rhodes and criticizing The Rock. He emphasized his love for wrestling, concluding the segment with a celebratory moment with Rhodes.

The WWE Champion came down to the ring to start off the show but was immediately cut off by his SummerSlam opponent Cody Rhodes. Cena did most of the talking in the promo, stunning everyone by saying that after he had been attacked on SmackDown, he only had one thing to say to Rhodes: “Thank you.”