In a moment that sent shockwaves through the professional wrestling world, John Cena—WWE’s longtime virtuous standard-bearer—embraced the dark side at Elimination Chamber 2025 on March 1. After nearly two decades as the company’s premier babyface, Cena’s alliance with The Rock and subsequent attack on Cody Rhodes marked one of the most dramatic character shifts in WWE history.
Wrestling World Reacts To John Cena’s Shocking Heel Turn
The Breadcrumb Trail: Clues Leading to the Turn
While the turn stunned many fans, a closer examination reveals that WWE had been planting the seeds for this transformation for months.
Earliest Signs: On a March 2024 episode of WWE Raw, The Rock manhandled Cody Rhodes with a shot of John Cena’s image on a WWE production truck in the background. WWE has utilized similar foreshadowing techniques before, and while it seemed inconsequential at the time, it may prove to be more than coincidental.
Royal Rumble Fallout: Cena’s elimination as the final competitor in the 2025 Royal Rumble match proved pivotal. Rather than accepting defeat gracefully as his babyface persona typically would, Cena immediately declared himself for the Elimination Chamber match—displaying an uncharacteristic desperation that hinted at his shifting priorities.
Ari Emuanuel on Pat McAfee Show: TKO Group head honcho Ari Emanuel appeared on the Pat McAfee show in early February 2025 and teased that significant things were brewing for Elimination Chamber.
Promotional Materials for Elimination Chamber: The official Elimination Chamber poster prominently featured Cena alongside The Rock and Travis Scott—a trio that would later unite during the heel turn. This visual connection, initially dismissed as coincidental, proved to be deliberate foreshadowing.
Telling Post-Rumble Rhetoric: In media appearances following the Royal Rumble, Cena repeatedly used the phrase “what’s best for business”—terminology historically associated with heel authority figures and morally compromised characters in WWE storytelling.
Internal Security Measures: WWE took extraordinary steps to protect the surprise, including falsifying production schedules to mislead backstage personnel about the timing of key segments involving Cody Rhodes and The Rock.
The Moment of Betrayal
The turn itself occurred after Cena secured victory in the Elimination Chamber match by defeating CM Punk. As the show appeared to be ending, Cena witnessed Cody Rhodes reject The Rock’s offer to “sell his soul.”
In a shocking twist, Cena blindsided Rhodes with an attack, symbolically accepting the same corrupt bargain Rhodes had just refused. The sight of Cena standing tall alongside The Rock and Travis Scott closed the show, cementing his transition to villainy.
Understanding the Motivation
Cena’s heel turn appears driven by several compelling factors:
Championship Obsession: The pursuit of a record-breaking 17th world championship to surpass Ric Flair’s legacy has consumed Cena. After coming tantalizingly close at the Royal Rumble, his desperation reached a breaking point.
Reinventing His Farewell Tour: What began as a nostalgic celebration of Cena’s career has transformed into something more complex and dramatically satisfying, rejecting predictable storytelling in favor of a fresh narrative direction.
Strategic Alliance: By aligning with The Rock, Cena gained a powerful advocate in his quest for championship glory while creating a formidable opposition to WWE’s top hero, Cody Rhodes.
Storytelling Dynamics: A babyface versus babyface match between Cena and Rhodes risked splitting audience loyalty. Turning Cena heel creates a clear emotional dynamic heading into their inevitable WrestleMania confrontation.
Meta-Narrative Elements: After years of polarizing audience reactions despite his virtuous character, Cena’s turn allows him to channel real-life frustrations into his on-screen persona.
How this Ends
With Cena already two months into his announced 2025 retirement tour, this heel turn represents a calculated risk in the twilight of his career. While it would be the ultimate villainous act to break his vow to retire in December, all indications suggest this is indeed Cena’s final year in WWE—just not the farewell anyone anticipated.
What’s becoming clear is that Cena, The Rock, and WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H have orchestrated a masterful subversion of expectations. Rather than a predictable victory lap filled with nostalgia and tearful goodbyes, they’ve chosen to send WWE’s biggest box office attraction of the modern era out with an unprecedented character arc.
Fans will witness a side of John Cena never before seen in his two-decade career—the fallen hero corrupted by ambition. Yet despite this dark turn, it seems almost unthinkable that Cena would exit WWE permanently without redemption. The most likely scenario sees him eventually recognizing his moral compromise and finding a path to atonement, ultimately allowing him to retire as the heroic figure generations of WWE fans have cherished.
Whatever path this storyline takes through 2025, one thing is certain: WWE fans should buckle up for a thrilling and emotionally complex conclusion to one of professional wrestling’s most celebrated careers.
As WWE builds toward WrestleMania 41, this unexpected character evolution promises to deliver one of the most compelling final chapters possible for Cena’s legendary career while creating an electrifying showdown with Rhodes on wrestling’s grandest stage.
