In one of the recent episodes of the popular podcast “Something To Wrestle With”, wrestling icon JBL opened up about the unexpected but thrilling transition of John Cena from a face to a heel. This sudden shift took place at WWE Elimination Chamber, an event hosted in Toronto.
Below are some noteworthy parts from the podcast:
Digging into John Cena’s heel turn, JBL commented, “As expected, he nailed it. He depicted ‘big match John’ perfectly and lived up to the fanfare. It was clear he was having a whale of a time while doing something he’d been prepared for many years. His impeccable work was in full display. An anecdote shared by RVD about their ECW wrestling days, when Cena had played the villain, came to mind. Cena’s sheer brilliance in cashing in on the opportunity ahead of time certainly stood out. I would like to state cautiously that Cena is an extremely intelligent individual. He did an extraordinary job at the heel, and I’m sure he will continue to do so, all the way to WrestleMania and then ever further, despite the uncertainty of how far things will progress. Looking back, I feel vindicated about my prediction 20 years ago about John, much like my prediction about Rey Mysterio turning into a deadbeat dad.”
JBL was then asked if Cena’s heel turn would have resonated more if it took place within the United States. Responding to this, he stated, “Undoubtedly, yeah. Definitely. That’s because you are in a location where spectators are more excited to have a glimpse of celebrities. They get to witness wrestling at most once a year. So obviously, one would want it to happen within frequent wrestling hotbeds such as Madison Square Garden, or somewhere southward like Atlanta, Chicago, LA. Under such circumstances, it’s likely that the audience response would have been better. However, you have to roll with the punches and do the best with what you have. Interestingly, it seems like Cena was already overseas for a film project, and that could probably have made his participation in Toronto more convenient. But undoubtedly, the reaction would have been more amplified if it was in the US.”
A section from the “Something To Wrestle: Ask JBL Anything” session referencing the heel turn can be found below.