Santa Claus isn’t real, good guys don’t always finish last, and John Cena is not who you thought he was for over 20 years. On March 1 at WWE’s Elimination Chamber, Cena rocked the wrestling world, and likely gave a generation of pre-teens a glimpse of the disappointment they can expect in adulthood, by selling his soul to The Rock and brutally turning on Cody Rhodes with the grimmest look he’s ever sported in his entire career. Yes, John Cena is a heel. Today, he made his first public appearance as a bad guy on WWE Raw to the shock, awe, and disgust of the entire wrestling world. Including one small child nearly brought to tears.
Since the heel turn that will live in infamy, the derided superstar has been leaving a trail of messages on X (formerly known as Twitter) leading us to the eventual unveiling of his new, evil persona. He’s educated supporters and haters alike on the discipline it takes to make uncomfortable choices for the greater good, reduced any criticism of him to a reflection of the critics’ failings, and essentially told us that, in due time, history will vindicate his decisions. Less than 12 hours before his first televised appearance since Elimination Chamber, Cena took to X to send one last cryptic message before the Evil Cena era begins:
At Raw, live from Belgium, Cena’s theme music was the same, but it was accompanied by a chorus of fans yelling “John Cena sucks” to the tune of “the time is now,” before the arena was flooded with a wave of boos. And the internet basked in it all.
When it finally came time for Cena to answer for his sins and explain the most inexplicable heel turn ever, the 47-year-old attributed his switch to the 25 years of fans constantly asking for more from John Cena the wrestler regardless of how he felt as John Cena the man. “For 25 years, I’ve been the victim of an abusive relationship,” he began explaining. “All you’ve ever done is bully me into being your damn puppet and expect me to do it with a smile on my face.” To him, he’s not babyface or a heel. He’s a human being. But, to wrestling fans, he’s unrecognizable.
As is often the case, the fans’ Cena hate is just unrequited love, especially after the 16-time WWE Champion said he’s dissolving the 25-year relationship he’s had with them. You can’t erase decades of dedication in a few weeks or one promo. To say the least, people were delirious with mixed emotions, and one child realized his hero hated him.
If this is how Evil Cena’s era will start, we’re in for some generational hating, and possibly the birth of the most hated wrestler in WWE history.
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