John Cena has finally turned heel, and the entire wrestling world has lost its mind. This is the dream scenario for every WWE fan who once loved the Doctor of Thuganomics but grew tired of his squeaky-clean, Fruity Pebble superhero act. Cena’s heel turn isn’t just a massive creative shift—it’s a potential merch killer, which makes it even more significant.
It looks like the 2025 farewell tour is all a HEEL act.
This new Cena-Rock alliance feels like WWE’s version of Hulk Hogan’s infamous NWO turn, with Travis Scott lurking around to push the whole “corporate means Hollywood” narrative. It’s also clear that Cena was pushed into this role, which I actually like.
Sure, Cena went after Cody pretty hard, but let’s not forget, he might end up retiring as a Dolph Ziggler-type stepping stone for WWE’s next big stars.
Let’s talk about Cena’s track record since 2020. He’s lost every one-on-one match he’s had. Losing to Bray Wyatt’s Fiend and Roman Reigns? Understandable. But Austin Theory and Solo Sikoa? That just cements his role as a glorified nostalgia act.
During that same stretch, he’s won and lost tag and multi-man matches alongside the likes of The Mysterios, Awesome Truth, and LA Knight—facing second-tier versions of The Bloodline, Jinder Mahal’s crew, and Imperium without Gunther.
If not for Seth Rollins’ interference on CM Punk, this could have been the second straight premium live event where Cena ended up shaking hands with the eventual winner.
The guy’s been reduced to a cameo attraction. His thinning hair, pale tan, and ever-present jorts scream stuck in time. If nothing else, this heel turn should at least convince WWE to make him shave his head and ditch the jorts.
This also throws a curveball into Cody Rhodes’ story. Cody has never main-evented WrestleMania until his return to the company after establishing a rival promotion. Since finishing his so-called story, Cody has started to feel like the classic stale babyface primed for an eventual heel turn.
Being the face of the company comes with its perks, but for Cody Rhodes, it also means making a lot of enemies. In hindsight, The Rock’s post-WrestleMania handshake with Cody makes perfect sense. The Rock isn’t just a WWE legend—he’s one of the most powerful figures in Hollywood, and WWE is just a small part of his world. That means he plays by his own rules, and anyone who steps out of line has to face the consequences.
Cena’s heel turn also fits into this puzzle. The Rock paved the way for wrestlers to break into Hollywood, and Cena followed that blueprint. While Hulk Hogan and Roddy Piper had their iconic movie moments back in the day, today’s wrestlers aren’t just stuck in action roles—they have legitimate crossover appeal. This shift adds another layer of depth to Cena’s alignment with The Rock, making it feel less like a random turn and more like an inevitable evolution.
Let’s not forget that in the 2010s, Cody was slapped onto every midcard gimmick while all the real feuds revolved around Cena. Cena became Super Cena because his rapper persona—something he chose—was organically over. Meanwhile, Rhodes was saddled with a blend of his dad’s and brother’s personas instead of being allowed to develop his own post-Dashing identity.
Before this turn, I was expecting CM Punk, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns to all collide with Cody in a massive Fatal 4-Way at WrestleMania. I even imagined Cena jokingly name-dropping Joe Hendry to set up a historic first—having the TNA Champion defend his title at WrestleMania.
But now?
This changes the game.
This changes everything.
I’m not sure how this will affect his charity work, but WWE needs to push him out of his Peter Pan phase and make his final run one for the ages. This is the perfect shift for Cena at the perfect time, and Cody Rhodes is the perfect opponent for this.
The Elimination Chamber premium live event was executed flawlessly, serving as the perfect bridge between the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania. It wasn’t just about big matches—it was about elevating ongoing storylines to the next level. Randy Orton officially made his presence felt, targeting Kevin Owens, while the mystery of Jade Cargill’s attacker was finally solved—Naomi was behind it, with Bianca Belair caught in the crossfire.
The Elimination Chamber premium live event also introduced several intriguing nuances. CM Punk once again finds himself missing out on a WrestleMania main event, while Roman Reigns, for the first time in years, won’t be headlining the Show of Shows.
Wait… did CM Punk really tap out to Cena, or was that a screwjob?
ANYWAY!
The fallout also deepened The Bloodline’s internal dynamics, particularly the connection between The Rock and Jey Uso after the night’s events. Meanwhile, the role of Seth Rollins in all of this remains a major question mark, adding another layer of unpredictability to the road to WrestleMania.
Cena vs. Cody is a huge matchup in itself, but there wasn’t much of a feud there...
...until now.