5 Reasons why this is the perfect time to turn John Cena heel
There was a time, not too long ago, when John Cena’s entrance theme would be drowned out by a cacophony of boos cascading down the arena. Fans threatened to riot if he won another match and desperately threw their weight behind each of his opponents, hoping against hope that he would finally lose.
And yet, the John Cena machine chugged on impervious to hate, the vitriol from the fans sliding off his back like water off a duck’s as he continued amassing one Title after another.
Naturally, fed up of the repetitive nature of his booking, the fans then started baying for him to “embrace the hate” and turn heel. Apart from slightly hinting at it during one particularly testy feud against Bray Wyatt, the WWE didn't sign off on that either.
So, it was settled. John Cena’s shining armour remained spotlessly white and the fans were left to deal with their disenchantment time and again.
However – thankfully – that time has passed.
Today, the climate in and around the WWE is so starkly dissimilar to the PG era that the proposition of a John Cena heel turn wouldn’t be out of place at all. In fact, if you’d care to read on, I’m pretty convinced that this is the perfect time to pull the trigger on it if it ever has to happen.
And here are 5 reasons why.
#1 We’ve moved on from the PG era
Who John Cena is as a character – for better or for worse – is inextricably linked to the PG era.
But for a man who was synonymous with the nature of the WWE product in those years, the realistic edge of today’s product offers a golden opportunity. Without having to be so politically correct and children-friendly, perhaps this is the best chance for John Cena to touch base with the hitherto unexplored facets of his gimmick.
Although it is still a largely kid-friendly product, it’s quite palpable that the target age demographic of the WWE has shifted today.
John Cena religiously adhered to Hustle, Loyalty and Respect for the millions of children over the world that watched WWE because of him. Now that the product itself has moved on, perhaps it is time that he does too.