The biggest ‘What If’ scenario in WWE revolves around the decision to keep John Cena as the face of the promotion, despite initial plans for a potential heel turn.
Recently, the Leader of Cenation shed light on the abandoned plans, revealing that it would have involved another major star.
Earlier this year, The Rock made a heel turn upon his return to WWE, influenced by the audience’s overwhelming support for Cody Rhodes. This move aligned him with The Bloodline faction.
Reflecting on the past, John Cena shared insights into the scrapped plans for a heel turn during his feud with The Rock in 2012.
In a conversation with Chris Van Vliet on INSIGHT, Cena discussed the last-minute changes and preparations he made for the anticipated heel turn:
“It was Cena/Rock 1. I got word that they were going to do it. I went out and recorded a new song. I went out and got all new gear. I wasn’t prepared for ruthless aggression, that was the last time I wasn’t prepared. I mean, I heard rumblings of we’re going to do it. And in 48 hours, I had a new track, a new studio mix theme song, final mix. I had seven new singlets, low-cut singlets with boxing-type robes. I already had the boots in storage, so I dusted them off. I was ready to go and already thinking about like what I could do with the story.” [H/T – INSIGHT]
Despite his readiness for the heel turn, the plans were scrapped, and Cena, the biggest face in the promotion, continued in that role.
Tomorrow’s guest on Insight: @JohnCena 👋 pic.twitter.com/POfgYimXhx
— Chris Van Vliet (@ChrisVanVliet) March 4, 2024
In the same interview, he clarified the reasons behind the decision, expressing that commitments like merchandise sales, appearances, and charitable activities would have been affected had he turned heel:
“I’m like, Hey, I know this is going to sting but I’m not going to sell another T-shirt. I’m going to take all merchandise off the market. I’m not going to put out anything new. I’m not going to do any more appearances. I’m not going to do any Make-A-Wish. I’m not going to do anything like that. I’m going to be a bad guy to make your good guy so your good guy does all that. And that’s when I was like we’re kind of in too deep. So it worked out the way it worked out. But bro, I was ready.” [H/T – INSIGHT]
The revelation leaves fans still pondering the possibility of a John Cena heel turn, adding another layer to his storied WWE career.
