John Cena had the most memorable moment of 2025.
After being a babyface for over two decades, the Hulk Hogan of this generation turned heel after Cody Rhodes turned down The Rock’s offer to sell his soul. The moment was shocking, yet it created an exciting story heading into WrestleMania 41. It instantly created a buzz that the main event needed.
It’s just a shame that they couldn’t keep up that buzz throughout the build.
John’s Heel Turn Started Out Wrong
As shocking as it was to see Mr. Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect beat the crap out of Cody Rhodes, the segment was filled with plot holes. I emphasized how great of a moment it truly was, but let’s rewind before Cena’s shocking turn.
The Rock wanting Cody to sell his soul was a good idea on paper. The problem was that the execution was simply flawed. One of the biggest mistakes that the company made was randomly ending the Rock/Cody feud out of nowhere. These two were destroying each other during the build to WrestleMania 40.
This was a personal blood feud that went unresolved. Sure, an entire year went by, but that doesn’t change the story. We need to see the development of these characters and how they came to a place of common ground. We didn’t. Instead, we got a random segment on Netflix where Cody and The Rock were best friends out of the blue.
Without showing the development of The Rock and Cody’s relationship, it was hard to buy their dynamic leading into Elimination Chamber. No one ever thought that Cody was going to sell his soul. He had no reason to. He was the face of the WWE. He was the Undisputed Champion. Cody wasn’t in the same position as CM Punk in 2011; meaning, that despite him being the WWE champion, CM Punk was still secondary to John Cena.
Cody’s life was perfect. So the narrative coming into the Elimination Chamber fell flat. Now it makes more sense that Cena would sell his soul to the devil. He was on a losing streak when it came to singles matches. And he was no longer the major face of WWE. That’s Cody and Roman Reigns.
Though it makes sense that John Cena turned heel, there were no seeds planted for this moment. Cena didn’t seem frustrated over his position in the company. Nor was there enough concern expressed over him not winning the Royal Rumble. There really needed to be a sea of change after that shocking loss at the Royal Rumble as the heel turn would’ve had more impact if these characters were developed better.
But The Heel Turn Still Could’ve Worked
But that doesn’t mean this story couldn’t be good. Nothing has to be perfect and as I mentioned before, it makes sense why Cena would turn heel. The problem is that WWE didn’t go in that direction. Instead, they did a “You People” promo; now there’s nothing wrong with that type of promo, but it has to fit the story being told.
Fans have not booed John Cena in over a decade, so it didn’t make sense. And if Cena has been harboring all of this resentment over the fans treating him like crap for years then we need to SEE John’s frustration. The thing is, WWE took the “any reaction is good” approach during Cena’s run at the top and the former WWE Champion never seemed bothered by the negative crowd reaction.
Sure, Cena may have been frustrated behind the scenes, but when the cameras were on, he put on a brilliant poker face. However, the biggest issue was the black cloud hanging over John Cena and Cody Rhodes - The Rock.
Why would John Cena sell his soul to The Rock? The former WWE Champion is the catalyst for Cena’s turn, so we needed to understand what The Rock did to convince Cena to sell his soul. That angle should’ve been explored throughout the build. That should’ve also tied in with Cody Rhodes. What was Cena’s personal vendetta against The “American Nightmare”?
He answers the last question, but the build to their WrestleMania match felt so hollow because it lacked true substance that brought a compelling dimension to both characters. Cody wasn’t angry enough over being screwed by The Rock (again) and John Cena. And Cena’s personal angst had nothing to do with Cody. His anger was against the fans.
His goal was to ruin wrestling for the fans. But those words were tired because Cena wasn’t particularly doing anything that fans would deem despicable. He was all talk and no action.
So Cody had nothing to stop because John wasn’t really ruining wrestling for the fans. Yes, Cody's mission should've been to get revenge, but he didn't seem all too interested in that since he preferred promo battles over getting his hands on the man that left him lying in his own blood. And since Cena’s ties weren't rooted to Cody, all we got was repetitive segments that didn’t do much to advance the little story that this feud had.
There were so many interesting nuggets that WWE could’ve used throughout his run. John mentioned that he needed to do what was “best for business”. He also responded to rumors about burying talents throughout the years. Those could’ve made for a fascinating story thread, but since WWE didn’t properly map out this heel run, it failed to live up to the buzz that it created at Elimination Chamber.
John Cena Needed To Ruin Professional Wrestling For Fans
If heels are going to make grand statements like this then they need to back up their words. This story had mountains of potential.
The Rock could’ve easily explained that he came to respect Cody once he beat his cousin at WrestleMania. He would have a peaceful conversation with the Undisputed Champion (I would definitely do a segment for this) and they became good friends because they share the same mind for the business.
That’s when the Rock proposes his idea of joining forces and doing what’s best for business. Cody thinks about it, but The Rock notices that Cody’s been acting weird. So he goes to his rival John Cena. Both men don’t care for one another, but they want to do what’s best for business.
So Cody turns Rock down, but he knew he would. That’s when Cena attacks the Undisputed Champion. I would get rid of the Elimination Chamber win. Have Cena turn and Rock automatically grant him the Undisputed title shot at WrestleMania.
The build would consist of Cena doing what’s best for business. In his case, John feels that being on top is necessary because he doesn’t see a successful future with the current roster. And he blames the fans for cheering these mediocre talents.
He beats Cody at WrestleMania, with the help of The Rock. Then Cena takes out every young babyface that the fans cheer for. He also disrupts any segment that the fans like because the Rock has granted him the access to do so.
John Cena is trying to ruin professional wrestling because HE believes that he’s what's best for business. Guys like Randy Orton and CM Punk try to stop Cena. He also faces guys like Drew McIntyre, Damian Priest, or Oba Femi, who represent the present and future of WWE.
Cody would still be the guy to end Cena’s reign of terror. But if you’re going to have Cena promise to ruin wrestling then have him try to ruin the present and future.
Unfortunately, WWE didn’t do that. And this isn’t a case where WWE didn’t go with my idea. All Cena did was verbally berate the fans, cheat during his matches, and taunt his opponents. John Cena was nothing more than a generic heel.
John was at the top of his game during his promos, but being a villain is more than just talking a good game. You have to back-up your words. His feuds against Randy Orton, CM Punk, or R-Truth were a fun trip down memory lane, but they didn’t add to Cena’s overall objective.
It’s the main reason Cena didn’t have anything to say when he got back to Cody. Same with Cody, as he was mainly spouting off the same dialogue week after week. Sure, Cody was pissed over being screwed at WrestleMania, but the feud lacked layers that allowed both men to create a compelling arc throughout the Summerslam build.
John Cena’s heel run should’ve been an unforgettable piece in WWE’s history. Instead, it was plagued with lackluster storytelling that wasted a grand opportunity. I hated the lazy way WWE turned Cena back into a face, but at this point, I'm okay with the company abandoning a story that died months ago.