It’s something WWE fans have said could be really cool for decades, but not something we ever thought would actually happen.
…Or could it?…
John Cena did an interview with GQ where he not only pointed out that he was open to a character change, but flat out stated that he “thinks there’s another 10 years of story there” if it were done.
But the question is, could it really be done?
Well, maybe the question isn’t “could it be done”, but more, “Will Vince McMahon actually allow it to be done”?
Despite his presence on WWE television being very minimal to almost non existent at this point, John Cena is still pretty much the face of the company. He’s carved himself out one of the biggest baby face runs in all of wrestling history. He’s their ultimate good guy, both in and out of the ring. And he’s genuine too. He’s done so much work for charity, including the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
So would Vince do it?
If you’d have asked me a year ago, I’d probably say you’re crazy. But their biggest competitor, AEW, has been stealing the spotlight from WWE consistently for about a year or two now. I gotta believe Vince is growing tired of that happening. John Cena is certainly right to say that there’s 10 years of story in it, because there definitely is, especially if done right.
Of course, the greatest heel turn of all time goes to Hulk Hogan, when he founded the n.W.o with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash. It’s worth remembering that Hogan, much like Cena, had carved himself into the ultimate good guy up until this point. That’s part of what made that moment so impactful. At this point, the only person who could have a heel turn to rival this would be John Cena.
It’s also worth remembering that Vince McMahon wasn’t the one who came up with this idea. This happened in WCW, which may be owned by WWE now, but wasn’t when this occurred. So I have my doubts if Vince can book this heel turn right. Lord knows I can’t trust him to book other things correctly right now. That’s why AEW has been doing so well this last year in the first place.
So can it be done? Yes. Should it be done? Yes.
Will it be done? God, I hope so. But that remains to be seen.
Cover Photo Credit: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
