The Night the Intercontinental Title Turned Upside Down
Survivor Series: WarGames 2025 at Petco Park was already loaded with emotion. John Cena was wrestling in what’s being billed as his final Premium Live Event, walking in as Intercontinental Champion, hometown crowd roaring, legacy on the line. Across from him stood Dominik Mysterio, hungry for redemption and desperate to reclaim the gold he’d just lost to Cena a little over two weeks earlier. No one expected the match to end with one of the wildest betrayals of the year — courtesy of a returning Liv Morgan.
Cena vs. Dominik: A Story of Revenge and Home Turf
The rematch wasn’t thrown together. Dominik had gone into Boston on Raw, tried to show up the legend in his own backyard, and instead walked out without the Intercontinental Title. This San Diego showdown was his chance to flip the script in his hometown. Cena, on the other hand, was fighting like a man determined to prove that even at the tail end of his career, he could still outlast the new generation. The crowd knew they were watching a passing-of-the-torch moment — they just didn’t know who would be holding the flame at the end.
Judgment Day Chaos: Numbers Game from the Opening Bell
From the start, the deck was stacked against Cena. Dominik didn’t come alone — Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez were right there at ringside, and later, Finn Bálor and JD McDonagh got involved too. At different points, Perez clipped Cena’s leg, Rodriguez took cheap shots while the referee was distracted, and the whole thing flirted with falling apart completely. Still, in classic Cena fashion, he kept swinging back, fighting off the interference and making it look like sheer willpower might be enough to carry him to another miracle win.
The Ref Goes Down, and the Door Swings Wide Open
Everything changed with one collision. A shoulder tackle accidentally wiped out referee Chad Patton, and suddenly the match had no law, no order, and no limit on chaos. This is the moment every heel dreams about — and every hero dreads. With the official down, anything could happen. Dominik and Cena were both struggling for control, the crowd buzzing with nerves… and then a very familiar entrance theme hit.
“She’s Back!”: Liv Morgan Returns Ahead of Schedule
Liv Morgan hadn’t been seen in months. She’d badly injured her shoulder back in June during a match on Raw and required surgery, with expectations that she wouldn’t return until early 2026. So when her music hit and she sprinted down the ramp at Survivor Series, it felt like the roof came off Petco Park. Fans weren’t just surprised — they were stunned. This wasn’t supposed to happen yet.
A Slap, a Hug… and the Cruelest Swerve
What happened next was pure wrestling theatre. Liv slid into the ring and confronted Dominik, staring him down before suddenly slapping him across the face. The crowd popped — it looked like she’d come back for revenge, maybe furious at how she’d been replaced and forgotten while injured. She then turned and embraced Cena, drawing even bigger cheers. For a brief, perfect second, it looked like the hero had found an unlikely ally.
Then came the twist. Liv jumped out of Cena’s arms, nailed him with a low blow, and cracked him with the Intercontinental Championship. Just like that, every fan who had just cheered for her was left with their jaw on the floor. The slap to Dominik? A smokescreen. The hug? A trap. She wasn’t there to save Cena — she was there to seal his fate.
6-1-9, Frog Splash, New Champion
With Cena doubled over and the referee still groggy, the rest was academic. Cena collapsed onto the middle rope, giving Dominik the perfect opening. One 6-1-9 later, Dominik flew off the top with a frog splash that would’ve made his father proud. Liv rolled the referee back into the ring, and Chad Patton counted the three. Dominik Mysterio was officially a two-time Intercontinental Champion, regaining the title in his hometown on one of the biggest stages of the year — and he owed it all to Liv Morgan’s ruthless return.
What Liv’s Heel Turn Really Means
Liv’s comeback wasn’t just a cool surprise; it reshaped the landscape. Instead of returning as the underdog fan favorite, she came back as the chaos agent aligned with one of WWE’s most despised stars. After months on the shelf, she didn’t ease into the picture — she walked in and changed the outcome of a historic match. There’s still a question mark over whether she’s medically cleared for full in-ring competition or serving as a manager/enforcer for now, but one thing is obvious: she’s going to be at the center of things heading toward WrestleMania season.
Dominik Mysterio: From Punchline to Power Player
Dominik’s second reign with the Intercontinental Title feels very different from his first. The first time, he was the bratty heir riding the wave of Judgment Day. This time, he has an even darker, more manipulative energy around him — surrounded by allies like Liv, Raquel, Roxanne, and the rest of the faction. Taking the belt back from Cena in the legend’s final PLE appearance instantly boosts Dominik’s credibility. It’s the kind of win that defines a career, no matter how tainted the victory might be.
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Cena’s Last Chapter Gets a Bitter Twist
For John Cena, the loss adds a sharp edge to his farewell tour. Survivor Series was his 178th and final Premium Live Event match. He’s got one bout left — Saturday Night’s Main Event in Washington, D.C. — against the winner of the “Last Time Is Now” tournament, and then it’s lights out on one of the greatest careers in wrestling history. Losing the Intercontinental Title in such a controversial way sets the stage for his last match to be drenched in emotion. Does he go out seeking revenge? Closure? One last clean win? That’s the story now.
A New Power Couple of Chaos
As Survivor Series went off the air, one image lingered: Dominik Mysterio and Liv Morgan, side by side, soaking in the hatred and disbelief from the crowd. If this is the new alliance, the mid-card just got a lot more dangerous — and a lot more entertaining. She shattered Cena’s dream, he walked out with gold, and together they’ve instantly become one of WWE’s most intriguing on-screen pairings.
The Intercontinental Championship picture is wide open, Cena’s farewell story just got a painful wrinkle, and Liv Morgan’s return has flipped the board heading into 2026. In one perfectly timed kick and a cold-blooded smile, she proved something huge: sometimes the biggest babyface comeback… is a villain.
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