On a recent edition of the “Insight” podcast, wrestler-turned-Hollywood actor John Cena discussed his scrapped WWE heel turn, his Firefly Funhouse match with the late Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania 36, and more.
Cena’s heel turn was originally planned for his first match with The Rock at WrestleMania 28. However, those plans ultimately fell through and The Champ remained a babyface.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On the ideas he had for his scrapped heel turn: “It was Cena Rock 1. I got word that they were going to do it. I went out and recorded a new song. I went out and got all new gear. I wasn’t prepared for ruthless aggression, that was the last time I wasn’t prepared. I mean, I heard rumblings of we’re going to do it. And in 48 hours, I had a new track, a new studio mix theme song, final mix. I had seven new singlets, low-cut singlets with boxing-type robes. I already had the boots in storage, so I dusted them off. I was ready to go and already thinking about like what I could do with the story. Okay, what is a heel? A heel is not just new gear. The objectivity, or the message behind the singlet and the boxing robes and the boots is the exact opposite of what you saw with the street gear, the jeans shorts, the t-shirt, the ball cap, the sneakers. Go the opposite route and now lean into the opposite of everything you stand for. So I would begin to not work as hard. I would show up less, I would be untrustworthy and unloyal. I would lack respect in what I did. Like all you have to do is turn that on its [head]. I would give up a lot. All those things you can take and make interesting stories. And this is the stuff that’s running through my head, not what moves can I do. It’s like how can I take the intellectual property that people are familiar with and twist it so it’s like this guy’s insane. It’s everything I’ve come to love and now I genuinely hate it. And in being a real bad guy, and I think that was the conversation that was eventually had where it’s like, okay, it’s a bad idea. I’m like, Hey, I know this is going to sting but I’m not going to sell another T-shirt. I’m going to take all merchandise off the market. I’m not going to put on anything new. I’m not going to do any more appearances. I’m not going to do any Make-A-Wish. I’m not going to do anything like that. I’m going to be a bad guy to make your good guy so your good guy does all that. And that’s when I was like we’re kind of into deep. So it worked out the way it worked out. But bro, I was ready.”
On the original plans for the Firefly Funhouse Match at WrestleMania 36: “[Was it going to be a normal match?] Yeah, and then things happened. And I remember three days before we filmed the Firefly Funhouse match. It was the last TV taping where they came in and they’re like, you’re gonna have a Firefly Funhouse match. And I remember there was three people in one of the conference rooms in NXT with me, I said, What’s a Firefly Funhouse match? They said, I don’t know. I said great! What can we do? And that was like, oh, man, again control the controllable. I wish we had an audience. Performers are like I wish there could be blood. I wish we could do chair shots to the head. I wish we could swear I wish I could flip people off. Control the controllable, use the tools in your tool belt. How do we make something entertaining over a two day period with no audience? And they gave us a stipulation. Everybody else has a regular match. And it’s your stip like it’s your stip. It’s not a doctor of Thuganomics match or hustle, loyalty, respect match, that’s completely different. You have these definitive characters, you have all this ammunition, you have all this personality. And that’s what people really radiate towards. Holy sh*t we can make this a meta look at my life and we can get away with it. What do we have up in the warehouse, we have the fist, we have the blue cage. I can get some nWo stuff, we can make this work.”
On writing the whole match from start to finish: “And I remember this the only match I’ve ever written from start to finish. And my poor wife, I made her print it out and I’m writing and giving her paper. [She said] What is this? What does it even mean? I said just print it, I need it. And somewhere I still have the original draft in my handwriting of the Firefly Funhouse. But man Bray couldn’t have been better. He knew what was up. And he knew the whole thing. I wrote it the night before. So I’m trying to text these guys like I got something weird and I think I might have sent a picture of the draft. And I still do in my phone. I don’t have it with me. But I have saved a text that I sent him the night of the match, especially after we saw The Undertaker’s match the night before, and there was a whole lot more physicality, we got one punch. And I text him how nervous I was. But I wanted to thank him for being so brave and trusting me and I think I couldn’t have done any more. And I think we gave it our best shot. And hopefully it works. And it was an effort that I am very proud of.”
In a recent episode of the “Insight” podcast, John Cena, the wrestler-turned-Hollywood actor, opened up about his scrapped WWE heel turn, his Firefly Funhouse match with Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania 36, and more. Cena’s heel turn was initially planned for his first match with The Rock at WrestleMania 28, but those plans fell through, and he remained a babyface.
During the podcast, Cena discussed the ideas he had for his scrapped heel turn. He revealed that he had prepared extensively for the match, recording a new song and getting new gear. He wanted to portray a ruthless aggression and lean into the opposite of everything he stood for as a babyface. He planned to show up less, be untrustworthy and unloyal, and lack respect in what he did. Cena believed that by becoming a real bad guy, he could make the good guy (his opponent) shine even more. However, the idea was eventually deemed a bad one, and Cena understood that it wouldn’t be beneficial for his merchandise sales and other commitments.
Moving on to the Firefly Funhouse Match at WrestleMania 36, Cena shared that the original plan was for a normal match. However, just three days before filming, he was informed about the Firefly Funhouse match. With no audience due to the pandemic, Cena saw this as an opportunity to create something entertaining. He decided to control the controllable and make the most out of the situation. Cena and Wyatt had definitive characters with unique personalities, which they could explore in this match. They used various props from WWE’s warehouse, including the iconic fist and blue cage, to enhance the experience.
Cena also revealed that he wrote the entire Firefly Funhouse match from start to finish. He made his wife print out the script, and he still has the original draft written in his own handwriting. Despite the nerves and uncertainty, Cena expressed his pride in the match and thanked Bray Wyatt for his bravery and trust in him. He believed they gave it their best shot and hoped that it would resonate with the audience.
The podcast episode provides fans with a behind-the-scenes look at Cena’s creative process and sheds light on the scrapped heel turn and the unique Firefly Funhouse match. It showcases Cena’s dedication to his craft and his willingness to take risks in order to deliver an entertaining performance. As Cena continues to transition into a successful acting career, his insights into his wrestling days offer a fascinating glimpse into the world of professional wrestling.