What If John Cena's Heel Turn Had Never Happened in 2025?
Credit: WWE / Edited: STAY TRUE LUT
Did John Cena's Heel Turn Failure Tarnish His Farewell Tour?
John Cena's heel turn in 2025 has become one of, if not the most controversial, booking decisions in WWE history. Billed originally as a career-defining moment falling in line with his farewell tour, the turn quickly sparked debates among the WWE Universe about its meaning, importance, and overall impact, questioning whether the move elevated Cena's legacy or left it with an unwanted blemish.
The now-infamous John Cena heel turn episode at this past years Elimination Chamber shocked the wrestling world in the moment, but left audiences feeling divided as time matured. WWE's attempt to reinvent Cena late in his career was a bold move, with many arguing that it derailed the natural farewell story fans wanted during his retirement year.
John Cena Turns Heel and Aligns With The Rock
The moment John Cena turned heel and aligned himself with The Rock after winning Elimination Chamber is an unforgettable memory etched in WWE lore, creating one of WWE's most unexpected partnerships. The storyline, further fueled by celebrity involvement from Travis Scott (who since has had a falling out with WWE) , had all the ingredients for success, initially being compared to Hulk Hogan's heel turn at WCW Bash at the Beach in 1996 and Dennis Rodman's involvement with the nWo in later years, but failed to sustain fan excitement.
John Cena Admits His WWE Heel Turn Promo Was a Failure
Months later, at Fan Expo Chicago, Cena openly admitted that his first promo after the March 2025 heel turn on Cody Rhodes was "a failure", saying that he "bombed but learned from the experience". While the heel turn moment itself was dramatic, he felt the promo lacked substance and didn't connect to the larger story.
This self-critique was only amplified by fans during his future appearances because John Cena could not get booed; he had decades of love from the WWE Universe ingrained in his DNA and was facing a countdown to his in-ring retirement. WWE eventually abandoned the arc altogether, turning Cena back babyface without explanation, a move that pleased fans in the short term but left his farewell tour feeling incomplete.
Why Did John Cena's Heel Turn Even Happen?
So, was John Cena's heel turn successful? For most fans, the answer leans toward no. WWE hoped the change would spark renewed interest, but the backlash and eventual reversal showed the experiment missed the mark. As Cena's farewell tour now faces single-digit dates (unless it gets extended until WrestleMania 42), the failed heel turn has left many in the WWE Universe feeling cheated out of a more fitting goodbye – or maybe, Cena's attempt to "ruin wrestling" isn't quite over yet.
Read more: John Cena Sets Final WWE Dates
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