John Cena says WWE booked his heel turn because the company “just wanted to make a moment”
As seen during the 2025 WWE Elimination Chamber PLE, John Cena officially turned heel against Cody Rhodes and “sold his soul” to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. While speaking to Cody Rhodes after his retirement, Cena reflected on the storyline…
“The change in demeanor when I kicked you in the nuts was easy. I am known for smiling in the face of adversity, in the face of polarization, taking it all in stride, not taking myself too seriously. Then you make this announcement, and then you have a six-month pause, and then you have Jan 6 into it where it’s like, ‘All right, we’re going to have some fun.’ Then you have [Royal] Rumble, and I come so close. Going into Rumble, the story is like, ‘I’m always happy to be here. I want to make out the year in one piece.’ Then I almost win, and I lose because of stupid confidence. I hit the mat not selling, upright, and look back and be like, ‘Oh, my God, I almost had it.’ Then I get an opportunity in the press conference to let people know that I’m serious, I’m goal-focused, I want to win that again. I’ve changed my perspective. This is not a farewell handshake tour. Flash forward to Elimination Chamber.
They wanted to make Elimination Chamber a moment. I get it. The business is about making moments. There’s nothing wrong with that. You don’t always have to have a nine-month trajectory. You can understand that, Yo, we got a ton of eyes on tonight. Let’s do something impactful, and then you as artists can run through the maze and figure it out. In February, they just wanted to make a moment, and they asked me to be part of it. Holy hell, what a challenge to me creatively. The loss of that good side at all costs to get that was easy to explain. When we all talked about it, the one detail I made, I’ll do whatever the f*ck you guys want, just stay on the face for longer than you think. That’s the one thing I said. It’s going to feel weird. Just stay.”
John Cena opens up about his heel turn at Elimination Chamber:
“In February, they just wanted to make a moment”
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— FADE (@FadeAwayMedia) December 18, 2025