Tyrese Haliburton left stranded as John Cena steals Pacers star’s crutches in stunning WWE SummerSlam moment

Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton had a brief moment in the spotlight at WWE SummerSlam on Saturday night at MetLife Stadium as he continues to rehab from the Achilles injury he sustained in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals.

During the headline match for the undisputed WWE title between John Cena and former champ Cody Rhodes, Cena noticed Haliburton sitting courtside, threw his trademark “You can’t see me” taunt at him, then took one of Haliburton’s crutches.

Cena turned the crutch into a prop, using it as a weapon against Rhodes, which got a thunderous reaction from the hyped New Jersey crowd.

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But just like Haliburton’s own fate in the Finals at the hands of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the OKC Thunder, Cena fell short, losing his title to Rhodes.

Haliburton reacted to the viral moment on X:

“Smh all you had to do was ask @JohnCena.”

All night, Haliburton drew heavy boos from fans at SummerSlam, playing up his role as a New York villain, a persona he embraced during the playoffs, especially when he trolled Knicks fans with the infamous Reggie Miller “choke” celebration en route to Indiana eliminating New York in six games.

Tyrese Haliburton still on long road to recovery after Achilles injury

Tyrese Haliburton will need those crutches for a while, as his recovery timeline remains lengthy.

Haliburton’s injury comes with major consequences for the NBA heading into the 2025-26 season, already affecting the Pacers' decisions, most notably their choice to let Myles Turner walk rather than dip into the luxury tax.

Just last month, Pacers president Kevin Pritchard shut down any hope of Haliburton suiting up next season, but expressed full confidence in his long-term comeback.

“I have no doubt that he will be back better than ever. The surgery went well,” Pritchard said (per CNN).

“It was a little higher and he gets more blood to that (as he recovers). He will not play next year though. We would not jeopardize that now, so don’t get any hopes up that he will play.”

Tyrese Haliburton, meanwhile, has said that his recovery is progressing and shared that he’s been leaning on advice from Kevin Durant, who bounced back from the same injury to return to elite form.

Like Durant, Haliburton first suffered a right calf strain midway through the Finals but played through it until tearing his Achilles, which forced him out of Game 7 early.

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About the author

John Ezekiel Hirro

John Ezekiel Hirro is an experienced NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda, with over five years in the field as a news correspondent, sports writer, and Editor-in-Chief. His sports writing career began in high school, where he garnered numerous accolades, including being named the national sports writing champion in 2016.

He earned his journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 2024 and served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Varsitarian, the university's official student publication, for four years—the longest in history.

A passionate basketball enthusiast, he became a fan of the OKC Thunder during the Russ-KD-Harden era. Russell Westbrook, his all-time favorite athlete, impressed him by stepping up as MVP after Kevin Durant's departure. His current favorite players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who he believes are the future of the OKC franchise.

He excels in game analysis and rapid news story turnaround, drawing inspiration from the journalistic styles of Woj and Shams. He emphasizes thorough research to ensure accuracy in his articles. One of his most memorable moments is Russell Westbrook breaking Oscar Robertson's record with his 42nd triple-double and securing a 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Outside of writing, he enjoys listening to music and creating Spotify playlists.

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