wrestlers from around the industry have given their two cents on the moment itself, what it means for Cena to go this route in his final year as an in-ring competitor, and, ultimately, what it means for his Undisputed WWE Championship match against Cody Rhodes on April 20 in Las Vegas.
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin was the latest to give his thoughts on the decision in an interview with The Schmo this week. "The Texas Rattlesnake" was in Vegas promoting his appearance as Grand Marshall for the Mint 400 off-road race.
It had to happen sooner or later, finally it happened. So it'll be interesting to see, you know, whether the people accept him as a heel, or has he turned himself more babyface? I think it remains to be seen as the story unfolds. Nonetheless, they've kicked off an epic build into WrestleMania. And that's what they do every single year. And this year, it's here in Las Vegas, so it's going to be pretty damn awesome.
Will Steve Austin Play A Role In WrestleMania 41?
Austin Has Not Appeared At The Last Two WrestleManias
Austin stated later in the interview that he had not been ed by anyone in WWE regarding this year's WrestleMania, but left the door open by saying, "I guess anything could happen." Austin was reportedly penciled in to play a role in the WrestleMania XL main event between Rhodes and Roman Reigns, which was loaded with surprise appearances by the likes of Cena, The Rock, and The Undertaker, but the two sides couldn't come to an agreement in time for the April 2024 event.
10 Most Heel Things John Cena Ever Did As WWE's Top Babyface
WWE fans had to wait until 2025 to see John Cena fully turn heel, but many times during his career he trod the line between good and evil.
After retiring from in-ring competition at WrestleMania 19 in 2003, the six-time WWE Champion and WWE Hall of Famer fought in a surprise No Holds Barred Match with Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38 in 2022. Despite having hung his boots due to a string of severe neck injuries, Austin looked right at home as he brawled in and out of the ring with Owens for nearly 15 minutes before delivering a Stunner for the win.
Looking Back At Steve Austin's Infamous Heel Turn
Austin Took A Similar Route To Cena in 2001
Having been the face of WWE throughout the Attitude Era, Austin agreed with WWE's creative team that it was time for a creative shake-up heading into WrestleMania X-Seven in 2001. That show's main event saw Austin shockingly turn heel and align himself with Mr. McMahon, ensuring he'd beat The Rock and become world champion once again. That decision infamously backfired as WWE had no one to immediately fill Austin's role as the company's top babyface, forcing Austin to flip back and forth between face and heel throughout the rest of that year. The choice to turn Austin heel is now viewed as the moment that "killed" the Attitude Era, and Austin has stated in numerous interviews he now believes it was a mistake.
5 Moments When WWE Foreshadowed Cena's Heel Turn (That You Probably Missed)
While John Cena ing The Rock and turning heel on Cody Rhodes was shocking, WWE had been dropping hints for quite some time.
Will the same happen to Cena with this turn? It's unlikely. WWE's previous apprehension to turn Cena was tied to his status as the company's top babyface and merchandise seller. But in the past few years, Cody Rhodes has fully embraced that role. And even once Cena retires in December, the roster will still be loaded by the likes of Roman Reigns, CM Punk and Seth Rollins to draw in audiences. So, while the booking decision at WrestleMania X-Seven was risky, Cena's turn is a much more calculated risk. And by every indication, it's about to pay off massively.
