John Cena’s heel turn has not gone down well with some of his younger fans.
The 16-time WWE Champion turned heel for the first time in decades at Elimination Chamber last week. After Cody Rhodes rejected the offer to sell his soul to The Rock, he received a kick in the nuts from John Cena who aligned himself with the People’s Champion in Toronto.
On Instagram, a young fan named Ryder Reviews did not take the heel turn well. A video showed him throwing various John Cena merchandise down the stairs, including action figures and t-shirt bearing Cena’s famous catchphrase
When questioned what he was doing, Ryder did a mock “You Can’t See Me” before booting a John Cena brawling buddy down the stairs. There was real anger to the kick and it really showed how the heel turn has affected John Cena’s fan base.
It is clear how much it hurt Ryder from his reaction to Elimination Chamber. Another clip posted to their Instagram showed him looking annoyed at John Cena’s heel turn.
Ryder held his head in his hands and asked “is this AI generated” after watching Cena kick Cody Rhodes in the testicles. He then began to get angry, shouting “this is bullshit!” as the reality of what just happened set in.
John Cena’s Heel Turn Is Going To Work, Hulk Hogan Says
Ryder might have been upset about John Cena’s turn to the dark side, but some people think it’s a great thing for pro wrestling. In an interview with Justin Barrasso for Undisputed, Hulk Hogan discussed John Cena’s heel turn and praised how it went down.
“Well, we definitely can see Cena now, can’t we?” Hogan said. “We know who he is now. He’s not signing autographs or doing what he’s been doing. That’s bigger than a wrestling angle.”
“It’s one of the best heel turns I’ve seen in a long, long time,” said Hogan. “All the major players were involved. I can’t say enough about The Rock, too–he was incredible. They did it right, I’ll tell you that.”
“It’s going to work as long as John wants to stay plugged in,” Hogan said. “I don’t know his schedule or how many days he’ll work, but he definitely has everyone’s attention. Plus, The Rock is involved, too. This could heat up more than anyone is expecting. It could be so hot that it’s crazy, which will lead to a WrestleMania match you’ll never forget.”
