John Cena’s recent heel turn has drawn parallels with Hulk Hogan’s infamous heel turn at the 1996 WCW Bash at the Beach. However, Eric Bischoff, on an episode of his “83 Weeks” podcast, contends that the comparisons do not hold water.
Bischoff opines, “Different era, different context — everything was different… Observe the reaction after it’s all done, look at the spectators around the ring. It generated a significant response, but it’s not on the same level as Hogan’s.”
Bischoff further hints at the anticipation building over Cena’s heel turn, which, according to him, could never have the shock value of Hogan’s sudden character flip. Bischoff explains,
“The Hogan turn had a more profound impact in the grand scheme of things. I concur with the person who proposed this idea. But it’s not because Cena’s switch wasn’t impressively executed — it’s solely down to timing. The preferences of fans have changed. It’s certainly more monumental, but the context is distinct, as it is with movies and TV shows.”
John Cena is set to lock horns with reigning WWE Champion Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41, eyeing his 17th WWE World Championship reign.
Hogan most recently surfaced on WWE during the premiere of RAW on Netflix. Surprisingly, the fans, who Hogan once referred to as his greatest tag team partner, gave him a resounding jeering.
Here’s the video of Eric Bischoff sharing his thoughts on John Cena’s heel turn: