During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, WWE’s Paul Heyman shared his thoughts on the highly anticipated, and short-lived, heel run of John Cena earlier this year.
The five-month character shift, which ran from Elimination Chamber in March until just before SummerSlam, marked the first time in decades that Cena embraced a villainous persona on WWE television.
Helwani suggested that Cena’s babyface return before SummerSlam signaled “the end of Heel Cena,” prompting Heyman to clarify: “I think John Cena abandoned the Heel Cena character the Friday night before SummerSlam.”
When asked whether the heel turn was a mistake, Heyman firmly said no — but admitted it didn’t go exactly as expected. “No, neither [was it a mistake nor what I thought it would be]. Because it opened my eyes to the fact that this is an audience that is here to see stars and performances… they are there to appreciate the twisted performance art known as professional wrestling in WWE.”
Heyman described the electric atmosphere whenever Cena appeared, comparing his reactions to the legendary “Road Warrior pop” once reserved for the biggest names in wrestling history. “The moment John Cena comes out, that place went nuts. Star pop, of a magnitude few have ever experienced — Austin, Rock, Cena, Roman Reigns, that level. Then… ‘John Cena sucks, John Cena sucks.’ Boo him out of the building as a heel. The moment the show was over, they all gave him a standing ovation… chanting, ‘Thank you, Cena.’”
For Heyman, the experiment showcased how modern WWE audiences play their part in the performance — booing the character during the show, but appreciating the performer once the lights go down. “The audience knew their role… I’m glad he got to do it, too, because I hate what-ifs.”
