WWE star says fans still hate him for John Cena move pulled 25 years ago after hitting out at new Top 30 list
If wrestling fans are going to take a while to forgive John Cena, there are others who can identify with how he feels. Global star Cena, for decades having been headlining WWE as one of its best ever babyfaces – good guys on screen – shattered the hearts of his fanbase with a dramatic heel turn at Elimination Chamber earlier this month. Cena turned heel by attacking Cody Rhodes at Elimination ChamberGetty No longer the hero of the piece, Cena ended a historic run as a crowd pleaser when, in Canada, he left Cody Rhodes bloodied and battered, aligning with The Rock in a stunning turn of events. The unexpected plot twist made headlines around the world; all the stars involved heavily praised for how they pulled it off in true soap opera turned cinema style masterpiece. Now, though, Cena will have to get used to being booed again – at least that’s the idea. ‘Faces’ turning ‘heel’ in wrestling is far from new, even if Cena’s is widely regarded as one of the best switches ever executed. For decades, villains have been winning over their critics while good guys up and down the land have gone bad; Hulk Hogan, Owen Hart, Shawn Michaels and Dominik Mysterio have all enjoyed memorable ‘turns’ under the WWE or WCW umbrella. WWE recently released an all-new list of the ‘30 most villainous turns of all time’ and, perhaps unsurprisingly, Cena on Rhodes tops the compilation. Hogan joining the NWO sits behind it in second, while Seth Rollins turning his back on The Shield completes the proverbial podium. It’s undoubtedly a 30-strong list of iconic moments but, as ever, some bit hits have missed the list altogether, and some are having a real grumble over it. Andre The Giant and Sgt. Slaughter and their respective turns on Hogan don’t make the cut, for instance, while there’s the bizarre omission of Stone Cold Steve Austin and his alignment with arch enemy Vince McMahon at the expense of The Rock. Attitude Era aficionados out there might point to the absence of Sean ‘X Pac’ Waltman and his dastardly heel turn on Kane in 1999 – just months after Triple H had done the same to his former DX team mate. Sean ‘X Pac’ Waltman is a two-time WWE Hall of FamerWWE The DX band was back together when X-Pac low-blowed Kane during a match – leaving the legendary performer and Hall of Famer to question just why it wasn’t on the list. Posting rather diplomatically on X, he noted: “Considering some of the heel turns that made the list, I’d say they forgot a few.” The words were accompanied by images of him being betrayed by Triple H and his own treatment of Kane – the latter being something, he says, fans have yet to forgive him for, more than 25 years since it happened. In a follow-up, the now 52-year-old said: “There are a surprisingly large number of people still p***** at me for turning on Kane. “Even knowing it’s all a show, they still can’t help being mad about that.” Elsewhere on WWE’s hotly disputed list sits Shane McMahon turning on The Miz, The New Day turning their back on Big E and the brutal heartbreak Chris Jericho suffered at the hands of Trish Stratus. Waltman and Kane were tag team champions in WWE before things turned sourWWE John Cena’s heel turn topped the new WWE top 30 but there was no place for Waltman’s double-crossGetty/X-therealxpac Other noted bad guys on the list include Becky Lynch, Nikki Bella, Paul Bearer and CM Punk. For some, the idea of Cena still being a heel at all might take a while to digest. If they’re still angry about it in 25 years’ time, though, Cena at least knows who to call for advice…
If wrestling fans are going to take a while to forgive John Cena, there are others who can identify with how he feels.
Global star Cena, for decades having been headlining WWE as one of its best ever babyfaces – good guys on screen – shattered the hearts of his fanbase with a dramatic heel turn at Elimination Chamber earlier this month.
No longer the hero of the piece, Cena ended a historic run as a crowd pleaser when, in Canada, he left Cody Rhodes bloodied and battered, aligning with The Rock in a stunning turn of events.
The unexpected plot twist made headlines around the world; all the stars involved heavily praised for how they pulled it off in true soap opera turned cinema style masterpiece.
Now, though, Cena will have to get used to being booed again – at least that’s the idea.
‘Faces’ turning ‘heel’ in wrestling is far from new, even if Cena’s is widely regarded as one of the best switches ever executed.
For decades, villains have been winning over their critics while good guys up and down the land have gone bad; Hulk Hogan, Owen Hart, Shawn Michaels and Dominik Mysterio have all enjoyed memorable ‘turns’ under the WWE or WCW umbrella.
WWE recently released an all-new list of the ‘30 most villainous turns of all time’ and, perhaps unsurprisingly, Cena on Rhodes tops the compilation.
Hogan joining the NWO sits behind it in second, while Seth Rollins turning his back on The Shield completes the proverbial podium.
It’s undoubtedly a 30-strong list of iconic moments but, as ever, some bit hits have missed the list altogether, and some are having a real grumble over it.
Andre The Giant and Sgt. Slaughter and their respective turns on Hogan don’t make the cut, for instance, while there’s the bizarre omission of Stone Cold Steve Austin and his alignment with arch enemy Vince McMahon at the expense of The Rock.
Attitude Era aficionados out there might point to the absence of Sean ‘X Pac’ Waltman and his dastardly heel turn on Kane in 1999 – just months after Triple H had done the same to his former DX team mate.
The DX band was back together when X-Pac low-blowed Kane during a match – leaving the legendary performer and Hall of Famer to question just why it wasn’t on the list.
Posting rather diplomatically on X, he noted: “Considering some of the heel turns that made the list, I’d say they forgot a few.”
The words were accompanied by images of him being betrayed by Triple H and his own treatment of Kane – the latter being something, he says, fans have yet to forgive him for, more than 25 years since it happened.
In a follow-up, the now 52-year-old said: “There are a surprisingly large number of people still p***** at me for turning on Kane.
“Even knowing it’s all a show, they still can’t help being mad about that.”
Elsewhere on WWE’s hotly disputed list sits Shane McMahon turning on The Miz, The New Day turning their back on Big E and the brutal heartbreak Chris Jericho suffered at the hands of Trish Stratus.
Other noted bad guys on the list include Becky Lynch, Nikki Bella, Paul Bearer and CM Punk.
For some, the idea of Cena still being a heel at all might take a while to digest.
If they’re still angry about it in 25 years’ time, though, Cena at least knows who to call for advice…
