WrestleMania 41: John Cena's Victory and a WWE 1/1 Grail Card
On Sunday April 20th, 2025, during the second night of WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas, John Cena shocked the wrestling world by defeating incumbent champion Cody Rhodes to win his record-breaking 17th WWE World Championship. This win allowed John Cena to surpass Ric Flair (16-time World Champion) and become the most decorated champion in the history of the WWE. Not only did Cena secure his 17th title, he’s also the bearer of what is expected to be the most-sought after event-word patch in the history of WWE collectibles.
RELATED: Topps to Launch Auto 1/1 WWE Patch Cards for WrestleMania and More
Cena’s record-breaking victory came in the midst of one of the most stunning heel turns in WWE history, which also marks his first transition into the dark depths of villainy in nearly two decades and as a result of this transition the match itself was filled with twists and turns. For example, there were a number of predictable ref interactions both inside and outside the ring, there was clear arc of distraction from rapper and producer Travis Scott, and the match wouldn’t be WrestleMania quality without a stunning and controversial victory that could be the basis for storylines yet to come.
RELATED: Topps Unveils WrestleMania 41 Match Posters as Limited-Edition Trading Cards
During the match both Cena and Rhodes wore commemorative WrestleMania 41 patches which will soon be featured in an upcoming 1-of-1 Topps WWE trading card release. One of these ultra-rare cards will highlight Cena’s 17th title victory, creating what is likely to become one of the most sought-after WWE cards of all time. Given the anticipation and excitement of chasing Topps Baseball Rookie Debut Autograph Patches (RDPAs), there’s a very good chance that the WrestleMania 41 patches of both Cena and Rhodes could command high five to low six figures on the secondary market.
RELATED: Travis Scott’s Topps Chrome Cactus Jack Boxes will be Back at WrestleMania 41
Each WWE wrestler on WreslteMania 41 will wear this patch on their gear, which will be put into trading cards pic.twitter.com/N1pKEVD7W6
— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) April 15, 2025
Given the massive success Topps has seen with the chase for such MLB Rookie Debut Patch Autographs as Paul Skenes and Jackson Holliday, they thought it wise to create a new premium tier of cards in the sports entertainment market for virtually everyone to chase.
If the WWE collectibles community embraces these new WWE WrestleMania patch cards in the way the hobby has embraced the MLB RDPAs, collectors could see the emergence of a super high-end wrestling card market driven by exclusive memorabilia and historic moments.
In all honestly, there’s no telling how high these cards could sell for on the secondary market, and for many collectors, just the fact of knowing they’re out their waiting to be found, enhances the WWE collectibles market in ways we’ve never seen before. One thing, however, is certain, and that's the fact that John Cena's Wrestlemania 41 event-worn patch where he became the all-time winningest champion will be sure to go down as a Holy Grail for collectors everywhere.
Passionate sports card collector and writer based in Queens, NY. Lifelong fan of the New York Mets, Jets, and Rangers. Covering sports cards and collectibles with deep industry knowledge and enthusiasm, while bringing a fresh perspective to the ever-evolving hobby world on http://SI.com/collectibles.
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