At WWE Elimination Chamber, John Cena unexpectedly turned heel when he aligned with The Rock and Travis Scott to violently attack Cody Rhodes. This heel turn led Cena to capture his 17th World Championship at WrestleMania 41 by defeating The American Nightmare, signaling potential success with his new villainous direction.
However, despite such an auspicious beginning, Cena’s run as a heel failed to resonate with fans. Inconsistent storytelling combined with questionable booking undercut the momentum, leading to dwindling audience engagement. With the absence of key allies like The Rock and Travis Scott, Cena’s villainous character quickly lost credibility. On a recent WWE SmackDown episode, Cena publicly apologized for abandoning his core values and declared a return to his well-known babyface persona.
It is quite perplexing that a performer of Cena’s caliber struggled to deliver a convincing heel character. While his work as a hero remains compelling, his five-month stint as a villain has cast doubt on his effectiveness in that role. Contrastingly, several AEW stars have earned acclaim for excelling as heels, often surpassing Cena’s recent efforts. Here, we examine four AEW wrestlers who have displayed superior villainy compared to Cena’s WWE heel run.
Christian Cage’s Darker Side Emerges in AEW
Christian Cage began his AEW career portraying a heroic figure known as Captain Charisma. Though effective in that role, his true impact emerged after his 2022 heel turn. Cage shocked fans by betraying Jack Perry and transforming into an unrelenting villain willing to cross all limits to punish his adversaries.
The seasoned competitor embraced a sinister persona, even mocking deceased family members of his opponents to intensify his villainy. His promos took on a profane and disrespectful tone, reflecting an aggressive psychological approach rarely seen in Cena’s heel efforts. Unlike Cena’s comparatively dull and repetitive promos, Cage consistently introduced fresh, intriguing elements into his character.
Christian Cage also played a crucial role in elevating younger stars such as Jack Perry, Darby Allin, and Nick Wayne, demonstrating leadership that Cena’s heel run lacked. His combination of intense in-ring performance and complex mind games firmly established him as one of AEW’s most effective heels.
MJF’s Mastery as AEW’s Most Detestable Villain
Though John Cena boasts decades of wrestling experience, he falls short when measured against MJF in delivering an engaging heel persona. Known as The Salt of the Earth, MJF has developed a reputation as one of AEW’s most contemptible villains. Like Cage, MJF betrayed Cody Rhodes to assert his heel status in AEW’s Jacksonville base.
MJF’s heel character displays cockiness, arrogance, and condescension, offering far more depth than Cena’s limited portrayal grounded mainly in disdain for WWE fans. While both men have acknowledged a contentious relationship with their audience, MJF consistently produces more compelling content in promos, making him far more entertaining to watch.
His layered personality invites greater fan investment and a stronger emotional response than Cena’s portrayal, positioning MJF as a far more effective antagonist in modern wrestling.
Jon Moxley’s Intense Violence vs. Cena’s Opportunism
Jon Moxley and John Cena adopted completely different approaches during their recent heel runs. While Cena portrayed a cowardly yet opportunistic villain who survived by cheating, Moxley embraced a ruthless, violent persona as a cold-blooded assassin.
Cena’s heel storytelling grew stale as he repeatedly lost matches but retained titles through underhanded tactics, which failed to maintain long-term audience interest. In contrast, Moxley dominated the AEW roster with brutal attacks, assembling The Death Riders to carry out savage beatdowns on prominent faces such as Bryan Danielson, Will Ospreay, and Darby Allin.
Moxley’s menacing image never appeared weak or cowardly. Instead, his dangerous aura peaked with his shocking defeat at All In, a moment celebrated for its significance. Unlike Cena, who was once beloved as a babyface but faltered as a heel, Moxley successfully navigated the transition to an intimidating villain, enhancing his legacy in AEW.
Hangman Page’s Compelling Descent into Darkness
Hangman Page shares similarities with John Cena as a leading babyface who embodies resilience and a “Never Give Up” spirit. However, their heel turns starkly contrast in execution and impact. Despite his legendary career, Cena chose a more conventional path into villainy, meanwhile, Hangman Page was driven into madness by Swerve Strickland.
Hangman adopted an entirely new look and aggressive attitude following his heel turn, marking a clear departure from his previous image. His quest for revenge grew increasingly violent, culminating in intense rivalries with veterans like Jeff Jarrett and Christopher Daniels. Though he experienced regret after harming The Fallen Angel, his fury only deepened, fueling an intense heel run.
This storyline was meticulously booked, allowing Page’s eventual redemption as a hero to feel earned and emotionally impactful. Page’s capacity to perform effectively as both a heel and babyface highlights his versatility, positioning him as a more dynamic performer compared to Cena’s limited heel efforts.
The Significance of AEW’s Superior Heels Compared to Cena’s WWE Run
John Cena’s recent heel run sparked high expectations given his stature and previous success, but ultimately resulted in disappointment due to lackluster character work and storytelling. Meanwhile, AEW has showcased several wrestlers who consistently deliver captivating and multi-dimensional villains, as seen with Christian Cage, MJF, Jon Moxley, and Hangman Page.
These AEW stars demonstrate that embracing complex personas, emotional depth, and bold storytelling can create memorable heel characters that command fan attention and elevate the overall product. Their successes underscore the challenges even legendary figures like Cena can face in reinventing themselves as heels.
As wrestling audiences continue to evolve, the ability to portray convincing antagonists remains crucial. AEW’s roster provides a powerful example of how fresh approaches and strong storytelling can forge compelling villains, raising the bar for performers across the industry.
