John Cena on Being Initially Hated for His Persona and 2025 Heel Turn
Former WWE wrestler John Cena has spoken about how he initially came into the business, as well as how he adapted to becoming a heel earlier this year.
John Cena has officially retired from professional wrestling in the wake of his send-off at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event. Given the promise he made to no longer compete after his retirement tour, it’s safe to assume that we won’t be seeing him in active competition anymore.
However, that doesn’t mean he will ever be out of stories to tell. In a recent interview with Joe Rogan, John Cena opened up on several topics related to both his entry into pro wrestling and some of the ideas behind his 2025 heel turn.
John Cena discusses WWE journey
“One thing about WWE, for all the arguments of backstage politicking, everybody understands the sound of money and no one refuses it. Like, ‘I hate this guy, but I’ve got to give him another match.’ You may not want to, you may not want to give them a ten‑year contract, but when they go out there, if the noise is there – even if they hate you – you get another match. I am proof positive of that meritocracy at work. Everybody hated me. I was just really different.”
“I got the sit‑down of, ‘Hey, we’re going to cut you because it’s not working. You’re out there for your matches, you hear the same thing, it’s not working.’ And there’s no argument. I’m like, ‘Alright, I got to touch the sun. I got to play for the Yankees. I got my one at‑bat. I’m Moonlight Graham.’ Then they heard me rap in the back of the bus. Stephanie heard me rap in the back of the bus and was like, ‘Yo, you want to do that on TV?’ I’m like, ‘Lose my job or rap? Yeah, let’s go. Let’s do this.’ It was an accident. It was my final overseas tour.
“The boys are freestyling in the back, I normally keep to myself, and I just folded up my laptop and went to the back of the bus and waited my turn. I went through like twelve guys. Stephanie was like, ‘How did you remember all that?’ I said, ‘No, it’s freestyle, you just make it up.’ She goes, ‘Make up something about me.’ We’re boarding a plane and I use the plane, the people, what she’s wearing, what she’s eating. She says, ‘Would you do this on TV?’ and that’s where I got a chance.”
“For that WrestleMania heel turn, I used to come out like a Tasmanian devil and then we just reversed it all. It seems like nothing, but it’s iconic. Everyone else for four hours is coming out with colorful music and pyro and all this stuff, and there’s the guy that normally did it the best and the biggest just really not giving a damn. No music, black background, in white letters it just said ‘Cena,’ and I just walked out. The statement was basically, ‘I’m not here to entertain you people.’ WrestleMania is where you give your best entrance and we were going for the shittiest one. But it rang the opposite – simple and true.”
