Before prepping for Jack Eichel and the Vegas Golden Knights battling the New Jersey Devils on Sunday, I watched WWE Elimination Chamber. By the way, Eichel had two assists in a 2-0 victory. Anyways, the main story was John Cena looking for one more major championship run in a "farewell tour." He's tied with Ric Flair for most major championship reigns in WWE history. The only person standing in his way? Cody Rhodes.
Then the Rock appears. He wants the WWE Champion to make a decision and join him. The Rock spouts some "Hollywood-esque" nonsense about "wanting Cody's soul." Of course, the champion told the actor and WWE legend to go screw, which led to this.
I’ve watched wrestling for almost 20 years and this is the single most insane thing I’ve ever seen in professional wrestling. They really did it. They turned John Cena heel. This is REAL TO ME. pic.twitter.com/BB8MmBe7Os
— AEW Out Of Content (@zerocontextAEW) March 2, 2025
That's right. Never in my adulthood (sans the Doctor of Thuganomics days) would I ever see John Cena turn heel. A man who pledged others to take on "Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect" is suddenly siding with the Rock and betraying Cody Rhodes. I can only imagine what his next promo will be like...
It looks like Lil' Jimmy's not getting his wish.
But that brings a whole new perspective into life itself. Not everything stays the same, whether it's the Golden Knights entering the NHL or John Cena finally becoming a jerk. Life presents an endless array of changing things throughout our lives. That includes us, which shows us this dynamic constantly shifting.
Putting John Cena's heel turn into perspective
Looking at John Cena's babyface turn, he stayed as the good guy for 7,786 days. That's equivalent to 21 years, three months, and 23 days. That streak is old enough to buy a beer, mind you. But numerous things have happened in that time frame.
- Four different people held the office of the President of the United States
- The Chicago Cubs won the 2016 World Series
- The Vegas Golden Knights were born, making two Stanley Cup Final appearances and winning a Stanley Cup
- The Great Recession happened
- Bitcoin was born
- NVIDIA skyrocketed to the top by leading the AI revolution
- Marc-Andre Fleury was starting his first season in the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins
- The Arizona Coyotes played in two different arenas before moving to Utah
- Skype was born (and will end in May)
Essentially, Cena's face turn was roughly equivalent to a Zoom predecessor's lifespan. Now, he's become similar to the Golden Knights: A full-blown villain who's had countless successes during his career. The only difference? Eichel and the Golden Knights are a young team that have plenty of mileage ahead of them.
What does Cena's heel turn show about the changing world and growing up?
When I was a hyperactive 16-year-old teenager, I thought about many things in life. Going on a date with my celebrity crush, Elizabeth Hurley, aspiring to be a WWE superstar, and being the class clown were on my priority list. However, I never would've thought two things would happen: The city of Las Vegas getting an NHL team and John Cena becoming a repulsive character.
I mean, how could the Doctor of Thuganomics ever be bad? He was the face of the WWE! He moved merchandise and spinning WWE Championship belts! As for the NHL team in Las Vegas? Surely, that stigma of gambling and sports teams would be together forever, right?
Well, a funny thing happened. Both these things became reality, showing that nothing stays certain forever. It also shows that a fresh perspective is part of maturing. As you age, you learn more things in life and deal with experiences never seen before. It's the beauty of life and is one that makes it fruitful (even if Cena doesn't make another Lil' Jimmy's wish come true ever again).