WWE Allegedly Took Over John Cena’s Retirement Storyline After The Rock Backed Out

John Cena’s career comes to a close this weekend at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event, ending a historic run that began over two decades ago. But as the final match approaches, former WWE writer Vince Russo is claiming the company completely took over Cena’s creative direction mid-run — and that’s why the farewell didn’t land the way fans expected.

During an appearance on The Coach and Bro Show via Behind The Turnbuckle Studios, Russo said that a well-known WWE talent told him Cena was initially calling his own shots at the start of the farewell tour, but things drastically changed after plans involving The Rock and Triple H fell apart.

According to Russo, Cena was originally in full control of his heel turn and the road to WrestleMania 41 — a move that stunned fans since Cena hadn’t played a villain since the early 2000s. But when the rumored Rock-Cena alliance fizzled, Russo claims Cena checked out creatively and handed the keys back to WWE’s writers.

“At the beginning of this, I spoke to a talent at WWE, and it’s an established name. And he assured me at the beginning of this thing, Cena was calling the shots. Cena was laying out the creative… Because I was told he was fully in control of the creative,” Russo said.

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He then claimed Cena gave up after the collapse of what was supposed to be a major story arc involving The Rock and Triple H:

“I think when The Rock and Hunter thing went down, and this went totally AWOL, and he had to make chicken salad out of chicken s**t, I think at that point Cena said, ‘Bro, do whatever you want. We killed this with The Rock thing. We’re not going to rebound from this. Do whatever you want.’ I think at that point, he just went along with whatever they gave him.”

John Cena’s heel turn led to several controversial moments before he eventually softened his character again in time for his SummerSlam rematch with Cody Rhodes. He’s now set to wrestle GUNTHER in his final match.

If what Russo is saying is true, Cena may have been sidelined in the final chapter of his own story.

What do you think about Russo’s claim that John Cena lost control of his retirement tour? Should WWE have let him finish it his way? Let us know in the comments.