Jim Ross on John Cena possibly changing his WWE character again

John Cena defeated Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41 on April 20 to become a record-breaking 17-time World Champion. In a recent podcast episode, legendary WWE commentator Jim Ross gave his thoughts on the villainous star's future.

Cena plans to retire from in-ring competition at the end of 2025. On March 1, the 48-year-old stunned fans by turning heel for the first time in two decades. Since then, he has repeatedly blamed WWE fans for being "toxic" throughout his career.

Many have predicted that Cena will become a good guy again before his final match. However, Ross said on his Grilling JR podcast that another character change should not happen yet:

"He has a lot of positive qualities, including being a babyface again, but I think we shouldn't get any hurry on that. He does a great job of representing himself and the brand and the business, so I have a lot of confidence that John's gonna always end up doing the right thing, and the right thing is whatever is right for John." [17:51 – 18:21]

Cena's victory over Rhodes was widely criticized due to The Rock's absence. The Final Boss aligned with Cena and rapper Travis Scott at Elimination Chamber, but The Brahma Bull did not appear at WrestleMania 41.

Jim Ross on John Cena's "perfect" WWE persona

On May 10, John Cena will defend the Undisputed WWE Championship against Randy Orton at Backlash. The legendary rivals have not faced off in one-on-one competition since 2017.

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According to Jim Ross, Cena's character change has been a success so far:

"He's a smart guy. However way he decides to end it, him being a heel is cool. I don't have any problem with that. I think he's just perfect for that role. It keeps you on your toes, and he'll stay on his toes representing the business as he is. I'm a big believer in John Cena, the John Cena brand he's worked very diligently to build." [18:37 – 19:12]

In a recent interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling, WWE star Liv Morgan accused Cena of copying her Revenge Tour idea.

Please credit Grilling JR and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.

About the author

Danny Hart is a journalist who has been reporting on pro wrestling (WWE) at Sportskeeda since 2017. He grew up as a massive fan of football/soccer and wrestling, leading him to pursue a career in sports journalism.

Before assuming his current role, Hart worked as a football writer at Goal.com between 2009 and 2016. He prides himself on writing original content that is fact-based and highly accurate. Hart thoroughly proofreads his work before submitting it and relies only on credible sources for information.

Hart’s favorite pro wrestler is The Undertaker. He admires the 2022 WWE Hall of Famer’s ability to reinvent his character and remain relevant across his decades-long career. If given the keys to WWE’s creative department, he would bring back The Phenom for a farewell bout against AJ Styles in a stadium full of fans. Not only that, but he would love to have the multi-time world champion’s greatest rivals seated at ringside for the spectacle.

When not watching and covering sports, Hart enjoys long-distance running, playing video games, and listening to audiobooks and podcasts.

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Edited by Danny Hart