John Cena Opens Up On His ‘Failed’ Heel Run In 2025

John Cena WWE Raw March 17, 2025 shout
John Cena WWE Raw March 17, 2025 (via WWE)

John Cena turned heel on March 1st, 2025, at Elimination Chamber in Toronto. The WWE Universe was excited to hear what the Cenation Leader had to say for the first time since embracing the heel side. However, his first appearance at Brussels, Belgium, felt right but did not hit like crack. At Fan Expo Chicago 2025, Cena addressed the lukewarm reception he received after that first heel promo.

The 17-time world champion remained unfazed by the crowd’s reaction. “I wasn’t upset. No, I failed,” Cena told an audience member. “Ain’t nothing wrong with that. You can learn from failure, right? I went up there and bombed. Shit happens.” He emphasized that it was not the best he could have done like his earlier Ruthless Aggression gimmick. He jokingly admitted to being neither ruthless nor aggressive here.

“I’ve changed a lot over the years. I’m not the same person I was yesterday,” he added. While Cena acknowledged the promo’s failure, he chose not to share his thoughts on the heel turn itself, citing respect for WWE’s storytelling. However more can be known about his heel turn on the fourth episode of WWE: Unreal on Netflix.

The five months he spent as a heel saw him defeating Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41 to win the Undisputed WWE Championship. In that reign, he defeated some ghosts of his past with the likes of Randy Orton, R-Truth, and CM Punk. However, all that shtick came to an end towards the end of July. Only for him to lose the title but gain back the babyface persona and fans’ love at SummerSlam 2025.

John Cena comments on any alternate route in the heel turn

At Fan Expo Chicago 2025, John Cena was asked how he would have altered his heel turn promo, given that The Rock did not follow up after Elimination Chamber. Cena dismissed the hypothetical, saying, “Hindsight’s a waste of time. What I’m hearing is, in some alternate universe, what choices would I make? I’d rather focus on the present.”

With only 11 dates left in his WWE farewell tour before his retirement in December 2025, Cena emphasized living in the moment. “We’ve taken the audience on a hell of a ride this year, and there’s still more to come,” he said, expressing excitement for the journey ahead. “We’ll talk about all this bupkis in January when it’s over,” he added, prioritizing the ongoing storyline and fan experience.

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