What’s the story?
Peter Rosenberg had an interesting guest on his Cheap Heat podcast. WWE Chief Brand Officer and Raw Commissioner Stephanie McMahon graced the podcast and spoke about some interesting issues, including a potential John Cena heel turn.
In case you didn’t know...
Peter Rosenberg is an eminent personality in the world of professional wrestling podcasts. He had a show called Wresting With Rosenberg where he interviewed numerous WWE Hall of Famers such as Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, Jesse ‘the Body’ Ventura, and Mick Foley. He now hosts the Cheap Heat podcast for ESPN.
He also served as an announcer for Ring of Honor’s Final Battle pay per view in 2009. Rosenberg has hosted the first two episodes of Bring it to the Table on the WWE Network.
The heart of the matter
Stephanie McMahon told Rosenberg that she wanted John Cena to turn heel. She said that as a fan, she wanted to see how Cena would have fared as a heel. However, she acknowledged that she may have been wrong and a heel turn for Cena might have killed his career.
Also read: WWE WrestleMania 33 Rumors: John Cena's proposal to Nikki Bella is believed to be a bigger deal than a match with The Undertaker
Rosenberg tried his best to get a scoop when he asked Stephanie whether she fought for Cena’s heel turn. Stephanie agreed to the fact that she was a vehement supporter of a John Cena heel turn and even debated the issue with the higher-ups in the company. Stephanie said that turning Cena heel now would carry very little meaning as the time has passed. However, she kept the possibility alive when she said:
“I think now it would be odd for John to turn heel. I guess never say never because anything can happen in WWE but I don't think I would really miss it. I think that we would miss him, I don't know that we would miss the heel turn.”
What’s next?
Stephanie will have a lot on her plate as WrestleMania weekend approaches. As Chief Brand Officer of the company she will be present at WrestleMania Axxess, the Hall of Fame Ceremony, NXT TakeOver, and of course WrestleMania 33 at the Camping World Stadium in Orlando.
Author's Take
John Cena has often teased a heel, but it has never actually happened. Most recently, Cena had an air of indifference to him when he returned to take on AJ Styles at the Royal Rumble. Cena won the WWE Championship for the sixteenth time at the Rumble but never really turned heel.
Merchandise sales have been the biggest reason for not turning Cena heel. In hindsight, turning Cena heel might not have made business sense for the company.
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