John Cena Admits His Heel Turn Was a Failure, Says He Wanted To ‘Literally Ruin Wrestling’

John Cena says he accepts the criticism surrounding his WWE heel turn and considers the creative side of the storyline a failure. However, he says he would not change anything about the decision or how he approached it.

Towards the beginning of his farewell tour, Cena turned heel on Cody Rhodes at WWE Elimination Chamber, shocking the fans. He then claimed that he would “ruin wrestling.” However, he eventually turned back and retired as a babyface.

Speaking with Graham GSM Matthews on WrestleRant, John Cena reflected on the final year of his in-ring career. He said the run succeeded from a business standpoint, pointing to attendance and viewership. He acknowledged, however, that the creative response was different. Cena stated (via Fightful):

“As far as, ‘Did it work?’ There are a lot of aspects to that. From a business side, we didn’t have a seat left. People watched in numbers. I don’t know if it didn’t work from a business standpoint, but then there’s a creative standpoint. Sometimes, blockbuster movies are poorly reviewed by critics. I understand where, critically, people are like, ‘This isn’t what I wanted.’ Intrinsically, I would’ve loved to have a chance to literally ruin wrestling. To wrestle so poorly that people just wanted to see me go and wanted to see a hero thwart me. We didn’t have that kind of time, and that would not have been good for business. That would’ve made people stop coming to shows and the numbers go down.

According to Cena, the heel turn was proposed by Paul “Triple H” Levesque rather than being his own idea. He said Levesque asked him about it, and he agreed almost immediately. He said his approach was similar to other decisions during his career, including agreeing to face Brock Lesnar and tapping out to Gunther. Cena continued:

“I’m grateful that I had good guidance and mentors. I’m also accountable for critiques. Long and short, I’m glad to have done it. I never asked for [the heel turn]. It wasn’t my idea. It was Paul’s idea. He asked me, and two seconds later, I said yes. Just like facing Brock or tapping out to Gunther. ‘Yes.’ That’s how I do business. Yes, just let me tell the story my way. If we never did it, I would’ve been fine. In reflecting, I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m glad we got to do it because it helps me now when I speak to younger talent and say, ‘Be bold. Take chances. Don’t worry about failing.’ I come from a place of activity, not a place of privilege where I’m in some sort of protective bubble. A lot of folks will say, ‘The heel turn failed.’ Okay, I accept that as a failure, but I swung boldly. A lot of folks were upset with the finish of the last match. I accept that critique, and I feel great that I swung boldly in my final moment.”

Despite his in-ring retirement, Cena is still signed to WWE as an ambassador and is involved in John Cena Classic.