Former WWE writer Vince Russo recently expressed strong criticism regarding how WWE managed John Cena’s WWE heel turn earlier this year. The controversial villainous phase occurred at the beginning of Cena’s farewell tour, initiated during Elimination Chamber 2025 by The Rock.
The heel run saw Cena, known as The Franchise Player, capturing his 17th world championship as a villain. Despite this, Cena abandoned the heel persona before SummerSlam, revealing he felt pressured to follow a creative direction that was not his own.
Insights into the Creative Team’s Role Behind the Heel Turn
On a recent episode of Sportskeeda’s Writing with Russo podcast, the former writer detailed how WWE’s creative team—including prominent figures like Triple H, Bruce Prichard, Michael Hayes, The Rock, and John Cena himself—deliberated Cena’s heel turn on the show Unreal.
“I was watching episode four of Unreal the other day. It was all about how they came about the idea of Cena to turn heel. So these idiots are all patting each other on the back of what a great idea it is, and they’re staking claim to the idea. Little did they know that six months later, this episode is gonna come out and you’re all gonna look like a bunch of idiots who didn’t know what you’re doing.”
Russo highlighted the team‘s misplaced confidence in the angle, which they enthusiastically promoted only to abandon months later. He suggested that the creative staff treated the storyline with excessive seriousness, comparing their approach to a high-stakes geopolitical decision rather than television entertainment.
“But my point is, they’re going through the process of how they came up with the idea. Bro, you would have thought it was the world leaders meeting as to whether or not to hit the button for World War III. I swear to God, they were so consumed with this. And I’m like, guys, this is a television show. This is an angle for a television show.”
Current Status of John Cena and What Lies Ahead
Despite the failed heel segment, John Cena remains a fan-favorite babyface within WWE’s roster. He is now preparing for a major singles encounter against Brock Lesnar, famously known as The Beast, set to take place at Wrestlepalooza later this month.
This upcoming match could mark a pivotal moment in Cena’s farewell tour, potentially restoring momentum after the criticized heel experiment.
