John Cena discusses business success of his WWE heel turn

John Cena has addressed the creative decisions surrounding his heel turn during his retirement tour. In an interview with Bleacher Report, Cena discussed whether his career would have felt incomplete without the character shift.

Cena noted that while the move may not have been a critical success among fans, it was successful from a business perspective, stating that live events were sold out. He compared the situation to blockbuster movies that receive poor reviews despite high viewership.

The heel turn occurred at Elimination Chamber 2025, where Cena attacked Cody Rhodes and aligned himself with The Rock and Travis Scott. Cena subsequently won the WWE title at WrestleMania before returning to a face role at SummerSlam prior to his rematch against Rhodes.