Pro wrestler Sonya Deville shared her thoughts on John Cena’s retirement journey and surprising move to a villainous character during WWE’s Elimination Chamber event in 2025, during a recent conversation on “The Ariel Helwani Show.”
The conversation had some interesting insights as highlighted below:
On Cena’s switch to a ‘heel’ character: “Frankly, I won’t be amazed by whatever unfolds during his final stint in WWE. It should be dramatic, surprising, and extraordinary.” Deville also expressed that she missed some parts of Cena’s turn to a heel, citing her current efforts to distance herself from WWE after her departure in February. “I caught snippets… I can compartmentalize things well. If it stirs discomfort, I’d rather not deal with it right now… I need to put my mind elsewhere at the moment.”
On her admiration for Cena: “I’m a huge fan of Cena, in fact, he has given me quite a few pieces of advice. I’m thrilled but somewhat sorrowful about his farewell tour. The thought of a wrestling world without sporadic inputs from John Cena is unimaginable.”
In a related development, AJ Styles parted ways with TNA Wrestling in 2014.
During an interview with Chris Van Vliet on the “Insight” podcast, Styles discussed his reasons for leaving the company.
Here are some key points from the conversation:
On TNA experiencing financial difficulties during his departure: “They brought on Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff, and Eric was aiming at seeing how we could grab more eyeballs and grow, but unfortunately, it didn’t pan out as expected. The company took a financial hit… They expected me to agree to a salary cut. No changes in the number of working days were promised… The travel schedule remained just as hectic, so I felt it wasn’t fair. I left out of principle.”
On nearly severing ties with TNA earlier in 2008: “During a crucial meeting, Dixie suggested that anyone not comfortable could leave. I was curious to see Christian [Cage]’s reaction…I admired Christian, a skilled performer, indeed. If he had chosen to leave…I honestly felt like Dixie was implying ‘you’re free to go.’ If he had stood up, I would have followed, hoping that he would help me make an entrance in WWE.”
NOTE: For anyone who wishes to share news tips or podcast summaries for publication (full credit assured), please reach out to me at [email protected].