While John Cena originally established his “Doctor of Thuganomics” character as a heel, leading to his breakneck rise to the top, the former WWE Champion was mostly known as a babyface, until 2025, when he turned heel briefly during his retirement tour. According to the veteran himself in an interview on “The Rich Eisen Show,” he did everything he could to make the angle work.
“I tried to do it in the most realistic manner,” he proclaimed. “There are many different ways I could have gone, but I kind of stayed as myself…I didn’t change up the uniform, I didn’t change up the music, and I started to try to find a real place of why I would choose a non-virtuous path.”
Cena explained that he believed a version of himself actually responding to all the criticism he faced for being a good guy was the optimal path, but admits he decided to listen to the fans and become ‘The Champ’ again.
When asked whether he pushed back at the sudden face turn, Cena claimed he’s never argued with creative about the direction of his character.
“I’ve always tried to embrace it and do the best I can,” he stated. “Right up until my final moment of tapping out with fulfillment on my face, which was, you know, very mixed reviews on that as well. I always enjoy a creative challenge. I’m not afraid to take those risks.”
‘The best you can do is do all you can’
John Cena seems to be very aware of the fan backlash to his heel run in 2025, as well as all the things that fans have taken issue with him across his WWE run, but the veteran admits that he’s also aware that everything he says causes chatter online, but there’s no way to please everyone, especially when it came to his retirement tour.
“You know, our fans have invited me into their living room, 52 weeks a year plus ancillary Premium Live Events, for 23-24 years,” Cena pointed out. “The best you can do is do all you can, and that – honestly – that’s where the moment of clarity and fulfillment came from.”
Regardless, Cena further admitted that going out the way he did and turning heel at Elimination Chamber 2025 were both bold decisions. He’s ultimately happy that WWE fans are both very vocal and very involved.
“It’s those moments where you do take a risk, you do travel outside the predictable norm, and that incites conversation, and you got to be ready for all angles of that,” Cena concluded.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “The Rich Eisen Show” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
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