In a recent episode of the podcast “1 Of A Kind,” the former WWE referee Mike Chioda and Rob Van Dam delved into the surprising heel turn of John Cena at WWE Elimination Chamber in Toronto.
Key points discussed in the podcast included:
Rob Van Dam’s thoughts on Cena’s transformation: “One can sense the exhilaration among the spectators, it seems everyone is discussing it. Now that he is on his way out he doesn’t need to be concerned about recovering his image, particularly in relation to the Make A Wish Foundation. Considering long-term implications, had he made this move while still under the contract a few years ago, it would have been challenging for him to reclaim his old status. Now there’s no such worry. This final chapter has nothing to do with such concerns.”
Mike Chioda’s perspective on the John Cena heel turn: “Although I understand the decision, it feels a bit late maybe. During his prime, Cena was at the top of his game with an unshakeable babyface image. He was also earning a handsome sum from his merchandise.
“I remember Rey Mysterio and other wrestlers grumbling about the lack of their merchandising presence compared to Cena’s domination. Indeed, Vince and Cena were witnessing great success with the merchandise sales. Due to this, the idea of transforming Cena into a villain was dismissed as it would have impacted the sales. The impressive work Cena was doing for Make A Wish and the revenue from merchandising were critical factors in that decision.
“However, now that merchandising is no longer the primary revenue source as Cena has his big contracts, the shift to a villain protagonist has been initiated. But I believe it would have created a greater impact had it been done about seven years ago. But let’s see how this development pans out.”
The full conversation between Chioda and Rob Van Dam can be viewed in the embedded video below.
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