John Cena made his controversial heel turn in WWE back in March by delivering a low blow to Cody Rhodes after winning the Elimination Chamber match. Since then, Cena’s shift to a villainous character has been met with mixed reactions from fans, many of whom have been reluctant to boo the iconic wrestler during his ongoing retirement tour. Ahead of his Summerslam match against Rhodes, WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray and Dave Lagureka discussed the challenges of Cena’s heel turn on “Busted Open Radio.” Bully Ray pointed out that Cena’s immense popularity as a genuinely good person makes it difficult for fans to truly hate him. He compared Cena’s turn to Hulk Hogan’s heel turn in 1996 but noted that Hogan had an even bigger fanbase to turn against at that time. Lagureka added that fans struggled with Cena’s absence before this heel turn, which further complicated the reaction. The duo also questioned WWE’s strategy beyond announcing Cena’s farewell tour, as Cena has roughly 12 days left before retiring after SummerSlam.
Fan Take: This heel turn is a pivotal moment because it tests the limits of Cena’s star power and WWE’s ability to evolve storylines once an icon is involved. How fans respond could impact how WWE handles legacy stars going forward and shape the future of wrestling narratives.
