|
|
Post by héad.casé on Jan 13, 2022 7:41:16 GMT -5
“I’m playing a character that, you know, like I said, a character of virtue, a character that started as a generic wrestler, and then morphed into this hip-hop persona, then morphed into this character of virtue. To play the same character for a long time, that’s a challenge. I loved the challenge, I really loved it when like, early on, you know… I remember Vince toying with the idea of possibly turning me heel for The Rock in Miami, and I told him, like, ‘Hey, no problem, 100% I’ll do it, but just remember that this is so… we’re so deep in at this point, we can’t do it and then jump back because we’ll be sunk at both ends, so if we do it, I have to be the opposite of virtue, I have to be pure evil and we have to go all in.’ “And from a believability standpoint I’ve always… you know, people always see me in uniform, go figure that. If you didn’t see me in a suit in WWE, you saw me in a ballcap, t-shirt, jean shorts, sneakers. You saw me in uniform because I want people to know that what they see is somebody they can relate to.” “Vince decided against it. It’s at that point, he was like, ‘Listen, I don’t think we’re ever gonna do it.'” Source: www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2022/01/john-cena-reveals-his-reaction-when-vince-mcmahon-pitched-heel-turn/ |
|
|
|
Post by Mid-Carder on Jan 13, 2022 7:51:05 GMT -5
I admire him for sticking to his character (although, virtue? When was this?) and knowing the total turn it would take, but ultimately I think keeping him face was the wrong decision long-term.
|
|
|
|
Post by EoE: Well There's Your Problem on Jan 13, 2022 7:59:29 GMT -5
All I can picture with a Cena heel run back in this time is basically what is happening now with Reigns. Better character work, possibly, but the people who hated him as a face would still hate him as a heel because, guess what, he’d still be beating all your favourites clean.
|
|
|
|
Post by Fade is a CodyCryBaby on Jan 13, 2022 8:33:58 GMT -5
Cena Jedi-mind tricked Vince into not turning heel.
|
|
|
|
Post by Finish Uncle Muffin’s Story on Jan 13, 2022 9:47:04 GMT -5
I mean, on one hand, maybe he needed it. On the other, Austin turning heel kind of took away his mystique and I wonder if Cena was worried about that given how much money he was making at the time.
|
|
Chiral
Salacious Crumb
Posts: 73,747
|
Post by Chiral on Jan 13, 2022 10:26:53 GMT -5
I wish we had a Cena with a booking team that actually could consistently make him a 'character of virtue' instead of randomly a dickhead for no reason a good chunk of the time.
|
|
|
|
Post by eJm on Jan 13, 2022 10:30:19 GMT -5
I mean, on one hand, maybe he needed it. On the other, Austin turning heel kind of took away his mystique and I wonder if Cena was worried about that given how much money he was making at the time. Both of those are fair, really. Like, Cena probably would have done a badass job of it, maybe been Peacewalker before he played Peacewalker but on a pure objective perspective, Austin turning heel was a business failure and even when he turned back, it felt like as you said, the mystique was gone and he was going through the motions until retirement. I couldn’t really blame Cena if he didn’t want to risk that, even with more years in the tank in comparison. |
|
|
|
Post by Finish Uncle Muffin’s Story on Jan 13, 2022 10:36:10 GMT -5
I mean, on one hand, maybe he needed it. On the other, Austin turning heel kind of took away his mystique and I wonder if Cena was worried about that given how much money he was making at the time. Both of those are fair, really. Like, Cena probably would have done a badass job of it, maybe been Peacewalker before he played Peacewalker but on a pure objective perspective, Austin turning heel was a business failure and even when he turned back, it felt like as you said, the mystique was gone and he was going through the motions until retirement. I couldn’t really blame Cena if he didn’t want to risk that, even with more years in the tank in comparison. Right. I believe wrestlers are interested in creative satisfaction but Cena was also in his peak earning years around the time of the Rock feud. I don't see him risking the money and I can't blame the dude. |
|
|
|
Post by The Barber on Jan 13, 2022 10:49:33 GMT -5
I mean, on one hand, maybe he needed it. On the other, Austin turning heel kind of took away his mystique and I wonder if Cena was worried about that given how much money he was making at the time. Nobody was booing Austin, hence why his heel turn stunk. |
|
|
|
Post by The Rick Jericho on Jan 13, 2022 10:50:02 GMT -5
When he brought back the Doctor for one night only, that should've been the start of the heel turn.
|
|
A damn road sign
Samurai Cop
"What the hell am I? A school crossing?"
Posts: 2,424 
|
Post by A damn road sign on Jan 13, 2022 12:38:25 GMT -5
I mean, on one hand, maybe he needed it. On the other, Austin turning heel kind of took away his mystique and I wonder if Cena was worried about that given how much money he was making at the time. Nobody was booing Austin, hence why his heel turn stunk. I’ve never understood this revisionist history. I did a 2001 rewatch not too long ago and it’s only when he started to veer into comedic territory during the late summer that his stuff sometimes got pops. When he was pure vicious bastard heel he always got booed. |
|
|
|
Post by Jindrak Mark on Jan 13, 2022 12:44:07 GMT -5
He talked about this on Jericho's podcast years ago. It got as far as him recording a new theme song and having new gear made but Vince pulled the plug at the last minute.
|
|
|
|
Post by Pooh Carlson on Jan 13, 2022 12:51:40 GMT -5
Nobody was booing Austin, hence why his heel turn stunk. I’ve never understood this revisionist history. I did a 2001 rewatch not too long ago and it’s only when he started to veer into comedic territory during the late summer that his stuff sometimes got pops. When he was pure vicious bastard heel he always got booed. I'm speaking for The Barber, but I took what he said as nobody was booing him before the heel turn, in other words, nobody wanted to boo him. Cena was getting booed out of the building for years. Turning heel and bashing the crowd for booing him could've worked. |
|
|
|
Post by eJm on Jan 13, 2022 12:59:02 GMT -5
The thing with Austin, I’m realizing, was that people did boo him, it just wasn’t translating into box office for the most part outside of InVasion and a couple of other shows doing better than last year PPV buy wise.
Like, you don’t give away a TLC match on network TV over a month after your WM one with a literal day build if business was good, is what I’m saying.
|
|
|
|
Post by Finish Uncle Muffin’s Story on Jan 13, 2022 13:00:15 GMT -5
He talked about this on Jericho's podcast years ago. It got as far as him recording a new theme song and having new gear made but Vince pulled the plug at the last minute. It would have definitely been fascinating to see. Part of me wonders if Cena went heel if they would have tried SO HARD to make Reigns the top babyface or would have been more open to turning him sooner. Lots of interesting implications. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2022 13:33:10 GMT -5
It's the biggest missed opportunity in wrestling history.
|
|
|
|
Post by peaches1 on Jan 13, 2022 13:35:01 GMT -5
Cena turning heel the same time as Brock comes back seems like story overload, especially if the plan was to have them feud right away.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2022 13:36:56 GMT -5
Yeah I wish we got heel Cena. Imagine Cena wearing a straight black singlet and being this old school 1930s-1940s wrestling heel. Just cutty cutter promos but still being mega heely like slamming dudes on concrete and stuff. Like a heel wrestler from Cuphead or something. I would have dug that.
|
|
|
|
Post by Cyno on Jan 13, 2022 13:40:03 GMT -5
I think the current Roman Reigns run is proof that a Cena heel turn would've been a breath of fresh air for a month or two before people would go back to hating it for the same exact reasons they hated Superface Cena.
|
|
salz4life
Grimlock
Prichard is a guy who gets that his job is to service his boss.
Posts: 13,996
|
Post by salz4life on Jan 13, 2022 13:49:13 GMT -5
All I can picture with a Cena heel run back in this time is basically what is happening now with Reigns. Better character work, possibly, but the people who hated him as a face would still hate him as a heel because, guess what, he’d still be beating all your favourites clean. Seeing Reigns... it does make you wonder if Cena could've been even bigger with a Heel run and then a turn back to Face before he left. Who knows? He seems to be doing well for himself anyway, so... |
|
Yes this is me...
