Awhile back, a video surfaced online of John Cena working out with trainer Mark Bell at Supertraining Gym in Sacramento. During the video, Cena proclaimed he will never turn heel when he said the following:
“[A heel turn] will never happen. Oh I’ve got it in me for sure…I do what they tell me, boss.”
According to The Wrestling Observer, there are many reasons why a John Cena heel turn is not “best for business,” and all of them are financial.
With Daniel Bryan injured and CM Punk gone from the company, John Cena’s merchandise is said to be outselling that of the rest of the WWE roster combined.
Additionally, WWE live events which feature John Cena average about $60,000 more than live events which do not feature Cena. Furthermore, in cities WWE has run several times in the past, shows in which Cena appears do much better than non-Cena events.
Paglino: There you have it folks. The age old argument of whether or not John Cena turns heel in WWE is really an argument of creativity vs business. Which is an age old argument itself.
The viewers don’t care about merchandise numbers, or live event gates, or how much money someone makes for a company, they care about good storytelling and the most creative TV show possible. So yes, from a creative standpoint a John Cena heel turn should have happened a long time ago. Or at the very least some kind of freshening up of Cena’s persona.
But from a business standpoint, and in the end it all comes down to money, John Cena must remain a babyface as long as it’s working financially.
Could the argument be made that a John Cena heel turn might eventually draw more viewers/money because it might re-interest fans who have tuned out? Maybe, but with Cena numbers so strong as a babyface, it’s a risk not worth taking.
Of course, if WWE put more confidence in its up-and-coming stars, and built new main event level talent, maybe they wouldn’t consistently have to rely on Cena being the top draw.
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
