In a recent episode of his “1 Of A Kind” podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam shared his thoughts on John Cena maintaining his classic look, even though his character turned heel in the wrestling storyline. Due to the uniqueness of this discussion, highlights from the podcast have been compiled below:
Discussing the fact that John Cena kept his signature look despite his heel turn, Van Dam said, “A new look could indeed work well, you know? If he opts to retain his present appearance, that’s fine. I haven’t altered my look throughout my entire career. However, I can envision a scenario where he suddenly sports an entirely new look, say jet black hair, and this drastic change in appearance would underscore the shift in his character quite noticeably. This would also depict that he’s undergoing some mental transformations. I reckon people go through such changes and decide to do something significant like dyeing their hair purple. So, yeah, seeing a goth John Cena embodying a heel could indeed be an interesting turn.”
Further, Van Dam shared an insightful learning experience from his time in ECW. He said, “Back in ECW days, I yearned for more eyeballs on our work, hoping that might save me from being picked up by one of the bigger companies. Looking back, I realize that ECW was destined to cater to a niche audience — an audience I was a part of. We, in ECW, considered it to be the epitome of entertainment. Now, I understand that the mainstream audience might differ in their view, which is why we would never manage to compete with top companies doing mainstream styles, irrespective of perfect setups. However, we managed to attract a specific niche that resonated with our ideologies. Majority needs things more simplified, more dramatized and essentially, more mainstream. Being mainstream, after all, means catering to a broader demographic, including children.”
The podcast episode can be listened in entirety: “Leggo My Ego” | 1 Of A Kind With RVD Ep. 96.