On the SmackDown before SummerSlam, John Cena stunned fans by reverting to a babyface persona. That shift set the stage for his SummerSlam match, where he played clean and thus was defeated by Cody Rhodes. The following Friday, Logan Paul challenged the Greatest of All Time for a match Clash In Paris, which Cena readily accepted. Logan’s main reason to oppose John was the fact that just two months before, they teamed up but now the latter has changed.
Logan Paul, speaking on his Impaulsive podcast, shared his candid thoughts on the 17-time world champion’s sudden babyface turn. Paul expressed disappointment, suggesting that Cena’s decision reflected a personal crisis rather than authenticity. He remarked that Cena’s heel turn initially seemed like a bold move to embrace his true self, which Paul respected. However, the pivot back to a fan-favorite role felt like a quest again for external validation, driven by the audience rather than personal conviction.
Paul, famously being the heat magnet and extremely disrespectful towards the fans, felt it was unsettling. He calls it Cena’s midlife crisis presented on screen. “Are you just doing it because the final boss says it or Triple H says it? Are you being puppeteered by the powers that be?“ Paul questions him. Then, to conclude, Paul encouraged Cena to embrace his status and be himself rather than serving the fans!
John Cena is excited to witness the France crowd
This month end on August 31st, 2025, WWE has scheduled their Clash in Paris PLE in the eponymous city. Last year, when WWE held their Backlash PLE at Lyon, they were more than happy to witness that energetic crowd. Both on the SmackDown before Backlash and on the night of Backlash, too, that French crowd blew off the roof. Now this time, Lyon sees only the SmackDown, and John Cena is excited for that.
During his appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Cena was the guest who talked about WWE. He cited the Lyon crowd as the ‘so-called greatest crowd’ in WWE history. Fans came to know about it last year, but now the GOAT will himself be there to experience it. “So even on this tail-end stretch, I’m still learning, I’m still experiencing new things, and I’m still grateful to do it,” said Cena.
As aforementioned, Cena would be facing Paul at Clash in Paris. That’s the greatest way for the former Undisputed Champion to hear how greatly the crowd resonates, as they would be booing the hell out of Logan. Whereas it would be their last chance to witness Cena live in the ring, France would erupt with cheers for him. The dichotomy would be clear in Paris, and those two nights, would be deafening!