Eric Bischoff has seen plenty of shocking character shifts in wrestling, but even he wasn’t expecting John Cena’s heel turn to go down the way it did.
On his 83 Weeks podcast, the former WCW executive broke down how he would’ve handled this new version of Cena—and let’s just say, it’s not what WWE went with.
“What could be the most different … narrative and tone that this version of John Cena has?” Bischoff asked. “I’d lean into less is more, at least initially. I’d weigh in heavily on kind of mysterious. Don’t be definitive. Don’t come out and tell me week one why. You’ve already left me hanging. You’ve kind of planted that hook. Leave it in as long as you can.”
Instead, Cena went all in on RAW. His promo was anything but mysterious—he was whiny, abrasive, and shifted blame onto everyone but himself. The crowd torched him with boos and “you sold out” chants, leading Cody Rhodes to storm out and demand the return of the old Cena.
This marks the first time Cena has been a villain in over 20 years, and he’s not doing it alone. He’s aligned with The Rock, creating a dangerous combination of past grudges and future dominance. Meanwhile, Rhodes is preparing for the biggest challenge of his career as he defends the Undisputed WWE Championship against Cena at WrestleMania 41. With The Rock in Cena’s corner and Rhodes’ allies tangled up in their own battles, the big question is—will Cody be walking into a two-on-one fight?
Should WWE have gone with Bischoff’s slow-burn approach, or was Cena’s immediate breakdown the right move? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.