While John Cena is met with cheers from fans these days, there was a time when crowds would be split right down the middle with duelling chants of "Let's Go Cena/Cena Sucks."
There was even a time when his theme song was accompanied by people singing "John Cena Sucks," and we've wondered for years why WWE never capitalised on that by turning him heel. Now, Cena has confirmed the company very nearly pulled the trigger on that, going so far as to prepare new ring gear and entrance music.
However, it appears WWE and Cena both ultimately decided it was the wrong direction to head in.
"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, and a 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 what I could do with the story. 'Okay, what is a heel? A heel is not just new gear.' The objectivity, or the message behind the singlet and the boxing robes and the boots is the exact opposite of what you saw with the street gear, the jeans shorts, the t-shirt, the ball cap, the sneakers. Go the opposite route and now lean into the opposite of everything you stand for. So I would begin to not work as hard. I would show up less. I would be untrustworthy and unloyal. I would lack respect in what I did. I would give up a lot."
"All those things you can take and make interesting stories and this is the stuff that's running through my head, not what moves can I do. It's like, how can I take the intellectual property that people are familiar with and twist it so it's like, this guy's f*cking insane. It's everything I've come to love and now I genuinely hate it and being a real bad guy, and I think that was the conversation that was eventually had where it's like, 'Okay, it's a bad idea.'"
"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.' 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."
This would have been quite something to see, but at the same time, it's easy enough to see where Cena is coming from.
Recently, he's confirmed his in-ring career is starting to wind down and that his final run is likely somewhere on the horizon. We expect him to go out as a babyface, of course, but with even The Rock turning heel, surely we could see the Leader of the Cenation break bad, even if it's just for a little while.
Check out the full interview below.