John Cena Had Gear ‘Ready And Waiting’ For A Potential Heel Turn
Photo Credit: WWE
John Cena may have ditched the jorts if he ever turned to the dark side in WWE as the former champion apparently had gear ready for such an occasion.
On the most recent episode of “We Watch Wrestling Podcast” starring former WWE writer Matt McCarthy and comedian Vince Averill, Cena‘s potential “evil in waiting” was brought up as they were discussing Cody Rhodes’ current babyface run. McCarthy, who wrote for WWE on two separate occasions, said a Cena heel turn was discussed behind the scenes, but McMahon had merchandise sales on the mind. Therefore, Vinny Mac tried to formulate an “in-between” of sorts akin to a 1997 Bret Hart.
“Vince kept trying to figure out how do we do like a Bret Hart thing? Where he’s a heel in some places, but he’s a babyface in the rest of the places,” stated McCarthy, but Cena wasn’t down for any middle ground.
“Cena was like, ‘If I’m going heel, I want to go full heel,’ and it did get close enough to the point where, and I’m sure he still has this gear, like Cena had gear made for the heel turn, you know? No longer the jorts,” McCarthy said.
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“I don’t know what the gear was, but he had specific gear made ready and waiting and then obviously we know it never happened, and there was a point in the discussions where it was like, ‘Well, the people who are gonna cheer him are going to continue to cheer him,’ (as he is now, as he is, you know, “Never Give Up,”) ‘and the people who are gonna boo him, are just gonna keep booing him.’ So the thinking was, that’s the most heelish thing he can do is to stay that white meat, smiling, pure babyface…”
“Cena obviously never had a problem getting booed by a large percentage of the audience and it is that, ‘I’m the most patriotic, I’m the most “do-gooder” guy there ever was,’ and for some reason that makes some people mad,” Averill added.
“And he was so great at cutting promos and just like sticking it to the people who couldn’t stand him. He was incredible at it,” stated Matt.
Listen to the full episode of We Watch Wrestling below, but if you happen to be in the Chicago area for AEW All Out weekend, Averill and McCarthy will be doing a live show on Saturday, September 4 (TICKETS AVAIBLE HERE). Also be sure to check out McCarthy’s latest comedy album, Sober Dad, available now.
Transcription credit should go to @DominicDeAngelo of WrestleZone