The John Cena heel turn is the biggest wrestling moment in years due to the shock factor and WWE pulling the trigger on the biggest “what if” moment in recent memory. Fans are fascinated to see what comes next since some past instances have showed an angle this major is not bulletproof.
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Steve Austin turning heel at WrestleMania 17 was the biggest instance of another wrestler “selling their soul” to align with a boss. Both names in question were the faces of the company and broke the heart of fans supporting them. WWE must avoid some major mistakes that came from Austin’s run now that Cena is a heel.
8
Keeping The Same Gear & Presentation
Cena Can’t Feel The Same As A Heel
- Austin Kept The Same Presentation After His Heel Turn
- Cena Must Ditch His Theme Song & Colorful Outfits
- WWE Must Sell How Different Cena Is As A Heel
The facial expression change of John Cena before his heel turn made fans feel like he became a different person, which is pivotal to the character shift. Steve Austin had the identical look as a heel from his face run with the same gear and entrance music.
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Cena needs to have new entrance music and ditch his classic look of the jorts with colorful wrist bands. WWE must get creative and make Cena feel like a different performer once he wrestles his first heel match against Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41.
7
Too Aligned With The Authority Figure
Austin Became Vince McMahon’s Lackey Too Much
- Austin Didn’t Need To Be Around McMahon That Much
- WWE Risked Austin Losing Credibility As Vince’s Lackey
- Cena Must Feel Above Or Equal To The Rock As A Heel
The infamous heel turn of Steve Austin aligning with Vince McMahon instantly creates comparisons of John Cena becoming aligned with The Rock. Austin and McMahon had an intense past rivalry similar to the dynamic of Rock and Cena.
One problem for Austin was his obsession with pleasing McMahon after he already got the prize he sold his soul for. Cena must not become secondary to The Rock and avoid becoming sub servant to the authority figure character, like Austin did a bit too much.
6
Comedy Taking Away From Credibility
Cena Needs To Be Presented Seriously
- Cena’s Past Comedy Was Considered A Weakness
- Heel Cena Must Be A Serious & Determined Character
- Austin Became More Comedic Than Ever As A Heel
John Cena delving into comedy already annoyed fans during his babyface run, but it would be unforgivable during his heel run. The shocking moment and severity of such a turn within the WWE landscape that he can’t go back to his comedic charm.
Cena did the one thing he hoped to never do since he has talked about loving representing his fanbase. Cena should be all business during his heel run, furthering the ruthless side we saw in his Cody Rhodes attack.
5
Too Many Backstage Segments
Cena Segments Should All Be In-Ring
- Old Attitude Era Format Had Too Many Backstage Skits
- Austin Became Known For Hilarious Segments All Night
- Cena Should Only Appear In Live In-Ring Segments
Steve Austin’s heel turn is remembered for as many backstage segments as in-ring moments during that time. WWE loved booking backstage segments featuring Austin interacting with Kurt Angle and Vince McMahon that turned into 100% comedy.
John Cena’s heel turn has the audience fully connected and investing to become part of the story. The storyline is uncharted territory and will have an incredible live reaction every single time Cena is in the ring to save his segments for the best possible scenario.
4
Looking Weaker During Matches
Austin Became Too Much Of A Coward
- It Hurt Stone Cold’s Credibility
- Cena Should Never Back Down Or Show Full Fear
- Ruthless Version Of Cena Can Be Historically Great
A heel turn can fundamentally change a character, but that is an issue at times. Steve Austin transitioned from the most fearless babyface to a completely cowardly heel character that often ran away from his biggest challengers.
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John Cena should strongly avoid going down that path and become a more sinister and credible heel. WWE protecting Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar in recent years shows they can make a top heel respected and never having them feel like a complete coward, like back in the Austin days.
3
Losing Matches Before The Big Moment
Cena’s First Heel Loss Should Be Huge
- Austin Losing Tag Team Matches Served Little Purpose In The Long Run
- Kurt Angle Beat Austin For A Brief WWE Championship Run
- John Cena’s First Loss Should Be Saved For A Huge Moment
The next big question in John Cena’s heel turn is if he becomes the Undisputed WWE Champion at WrestleMania 41. Cody Rhodes retaining could make sense if it’s a short-term angle, but this being the start of Cena’s retirement year means he should have a title reign.
Cena breaking the world title record at #17 adds more importance to the moment and to his heel character. Steve Austin lost too many matches and had multiple title reigns during his heel turn. Cena should have one lengthy reign and have his title loss being the big first defeat.
2
Sharing Spotlight With A Partner
No Two-Man Power Trip Is Needed
- The Two-Man Power Trip Made Sense For Austin
- Cena’s Singles Success Should Be The Main Storyline
- The Rock Should Feel Like Extra Help, Not An Equal Partner
WWE changed the dynamic of Steve Austin’s heel turn one night later when Triple H aligned with him to form the Two-Man Power Trip. The story made sense then since Austin and Triple H teamed up just a month after an extremely personal blood feud as heels.
The Rock and John Cena could have a similar dynamic, but Rock is clearly not able to wrestle any time soon due to his filming schedule and insurance issues. Cena turning heel is also a story decades in the making to warrant his singles run being the entire story.
1
Losing Sight Of Reason For The Heel Turn
Cena’s Success Should Define Going Heel
- Austin’s Obsession For Gold Made His Heel Turn Logical
- Losing That Reasoning Ruined The Rest Of His Heel Run
- Cena Should Stay True To His Reason For Turning Heel
Both John Cena and Steve Austin had great motives for turning heels and aligning with powerful figures. Austin returned from an injury after The Rock took his top spot and siding with Vince McMahon proved his previous words that he’d do anything to become WWE Champion again. The idea came from Austin himself hoping to have a top heel run.
Cena turning heel implies the same importance of selling his soul and siding with The Rock to improve his chances at making history with his 17th world title reign. The obsession for Cena to get that title reign and make history on the biggest stage should be the plan from start to finish.
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