John Cena making WWE history was poetic. But trust MLB to somehow make it about the Dodgers. On Sunday night, the WWE superstar and legend clinched his record-breaking WWE World Championship, and while fans across the globe flooded social media with congratulations, well, MLB also thought to join the party… but with a twist that made social media respond with, uh, what?
On WrestleMania Night 2 at Allegiant Stadium, Cena beat Cody Rhodes and became the first-ever 17-time WWE World Champion, breaking Ric Flair’s iconic record. After years in Hollywood, starring in blockbusters and stealing the spotlight on the big screen, the 47-year-old legend winning this title was emotional for the whole fandom. A legacy-defining moment for The Prototype.
While the social media were swooning over Cena with congratulations, MLB chose to repurpose an image from 2009, when Cena threw the ceremonial first pitch at a Los Angeles Dodgers game. The edited image showed floating shoes, shorts, and a Dodgers cap, playing off Cena’s signature “You Can’t See Me” catchphrase. Sure, you can’t see John Cena, but you can clearly see Dodgers?!
His time is now!
Congrats to John Cena on his record-breaking 17th WWE World Championship #WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/Ow5w7bKfWD
— MLB (@MLB) April 21, 2025
And that’s why the post quickly drew ire from fans. They wonder, why the Dodgers jersey? Because there are pics where he is wearing the merch of the Blue Jays, Padres, Astros, Yankees, and, of course, Red Sox.
Now, Cena, born and raised in Massachusetts, was a Boston Red Sox fan for a long time. He has been vocal about his allegiance to the team, well, at least until 2012. Then, he revealed that he shifted his loyalties to the Tampa Bay Rays. “They just somehow make it happen,” Cena said about the Rays. “They’re what the Red Sox used to be.”
Now, if the Dodgers can be what the Red Sox used to be for Cena, we’ve got no problem. Yet, fans saw MLB’s choice to post a photo of Cena in Dodgers gear, especially after their recent World Series win, as tone-deaf and indicative of deeper favoritism within the league’s media strategy.
This isn’t a one-off… It’s a pattern, fans react
Fans weren’t just mad about this post. They were mad about everything. Apparently, MLB’s love affair with the Dodgers has been going on longer than some people’s marriages. “And you posted him in a Dodgers uni? Go f–k yourselves.” Being the perennial contenders, and their star power and brand value, the perception of MLB showing favoritism towards them has been brewing for a long time now.
And you posted him in a dodgers uni? Go fuck yourselves
— omsportsburner (@omsportsburner) April 21, 2025
Then came more funny digs: “OF COURSE THE DODGERS HAVE JOHN CENA” World Series Champions for another world champ, alright. But the Dodgers, who land big names and star power with aggressive spending, seemed to get more benefits, like favorable scheduling and more rest days.
“Shameless dodgers plug.” It’s nothing new—even in the past, whenever a Dodgers player performed brilliantly, MLB always used the “Caps Lock” button to display their excitement. But the competitive imbalance within MLB has been the talk of the town. The Dodgers have deferred salary commitments of approximately $915.5 million across key players, including Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts. And no action from MLB.
“Got to include the dodgers somehow,” another fan called out, as the majority of their social media posts featured some information about the Dodgers. Pointing fingers at how MLB stayed quiet after the Cubs smacked the same LA 16-0 recently. Barely a peep on socials.
“Can’t even post about wrestling without glazing the Dodgers smh.” Fans think they could’ve used literally any other team’s jersey, or better; how about a shot of Cena delivering an Attitude Adjustment to Cody? Instead, we got “Invisible Dodger Man,” and the fans saw right through it.
Now drop your take below: Did the John Cena post have you laughing… or launching a chair into left field?
The post “Glazing the Dodgers”: MLB Applauds John Cena for 17th WWE Title but Fans Are Getting Tired of Obvious Dodgers Bias appeared first on EssentiallySports.
