It’s safe to say that John Cena’s heel turn has everyone talking.
Cena shocked the world at Elimination Chamber by joining The Rock and attacking Cody Rhodes. Cena’s heel turn has been the talk of the wrestling world. It’s also a talking point in the political world now too.
WWE’s Paul “Triple H” Levesque and Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria took part in the 2025 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. Bajaria was asked by the moderator if there was a specific surprise she liked seeing on WWE TV because it drew more fans. Levesque stepped in and talked about just how big John Cena turning heel was WWE and in popular culture.
Triple H described how Cena had been the ultimate good guy on WWE TV for nearly twenty years, but seeing him become a bad guy had a ripple effect on the world.
Triple H highlights just how massive John Cena turning heel was for WWE
“This was one of the biggest stories we’ve ever done in that within a few hours, that moment had over 100 million views on social media. Within hours. He was front and center on SportsCenter, Stephen A. [Smith] brought it up, they were having debates about it,” he explained. “It resonated everywhere. Jon Stewart used it as a vehicle to explain Washington D.C. and political power within the new administration.
“I think it’s no secret that my mother-in-law is the [newly-confirmed US] Secretary of Education,” he continued. “She just had a moment the other day where she was walking out of the State Of The Union. One question someone shouted at her was, ‘Ms. McMahon, as the new Secretary of Education, what do you think about John Cena turning heel?’ It resonated so massively, and when you talk about cross-promotion, in the background of that scene is Travis Scott [with The Rock and Cena]. It transcended everything. It was water cooler talk around the globe and made headlines everywhere.”
Cena still has not explained his actions on WWE TV. Despite being advertised for several episodes of SmackDown in May and June, it’s unknown when his next appearance will be.
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