A major WWE star may still be able to bring John Cena back to his babyface role before his retirement tour concludes. Earlier this year at Elimination Chamber, Cena stunned fans by turning heel for the first time in over 20 years when he attacked Cody Rhodes. Since that moment, Cena captured the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 41 and has maintained the title using villainous tactics. This ongoing John Cena babyface return rumor has generated a lot of attention among wrestling fans.
Since embracing his heel persona, Cena has changed his behavior, often insulting fans and vowing to “ruin” wrestling. This darker side contrasts sharply with the heroic character he portrayed for most of his career as the “Last Real Champion.” However, WWE veteran R-Truth insists that Cena’s return to the good side is still possible, and his involvement could be critical.
R-Truth Shares Hope for Cena’s Redemption
The 53-year-old R-Truth has already faced Cena twice since the latter’s heel turn but believes the narrative between them is unfinished. Speaking on Toronto Sun’s No Holds Barred podcast, Truth revealed his thoughts on having one last high-profile match against the 17-time world champion. He expressed a strong hope that Cena will come back to his old self, stating:
“Oh, it ain’t over. He got to turn back [into] who he was. He hurt people’s heart [sic]. You just asked me the good stuff about him. He betrayed people, dog. He betrayed you, me, us, them, everybody, man. He’s not giving us the You Can’t See Me no more (…) He’s not the John Cena that we fell in love with. You know what I’m saying?” Truth said. [2:48 – 3:17]
During their recent encounter at Saturday Night’s Main Event XXXIX, Truth attempted to bring the original Cena back, with what appeared to be some progress. Toward the match’s conclusion, Cena hesitated to use his title belt as a weapon and handed it to the referee—but then turned aggressive again by landing a low blow on Truth to secure the win.
Despite the loss, R-Truth still believes Cena’s transition back to hero status remains essential.
“So he’s taking me on that roller coaster just like he’s taking everybody else. I need John back. Not for me, but for my sanity. For the sanity of R-Truth,” Truth added. [3:18 – 3:28]
R-Truth’s New Role and the Path Ahead
Following the Saturday Night’s Main Event, R-Truth has undergone a reinvention himself after WWE released and rehired him. Now performing under his real name, Ron Killings, on SmackDown, his renewed presence adds further intrigue to the ongoing storyline involving Cena’s character evolution.
With only 15 shows remaining on Cena’s retirement tour, fans are eagerly watching to see if R-Truth will have the chance to help Cena abandon his villainous path and embrace his babyface persona once more.
Upcoming SmackDown Appearance Featuring John Cena
John Cena is set to make his first WWE appearance since Night of Champions on the upcoming episode of SmackDown. The show’s advertised card also includes Cody Rhodes, who holds the King of the Ring title, setting the stage for an anticipated confrontation between the two stars. This will kick off the storyline buildup to their SummerSlam match scheduled for Friday.
Wrestling fans can expect the encounter to deepen the tensions that have come from Cena’s heel turn and the resulting rivalries, potentially providing more clues about the future of both performers’ characters.
This evolving situation heightens anticipation as Cena’s career approaches its final stages, leaving the question of whether R-Truth might play a significant role in reversing the John Cena babyface return rumor before the veteran departs from active competition.
