Turning John Cena heel was one of the most shocking and controversial decisions WWE has taken in recent years, but it seems that the path to redemption has already begun for the Greatest of All Time. Cena's heel turn has shaken up his farewell tour, and it's been an uneven journey until now, mostly due to outside elements such as The Rock's controversial involvement (or lack thereof). However, WWE and Cena still have a great story to tell, and it seems that Big Match John is already starting to doubt his choice to embrace the dark side.

At Backlash 2025, Cena squared off for the last time with his most significant opponent, Randy Orton. The match was emotional, especially for fans who grew up watching these two exchange championships in the main event scene for more than a decade. The ending was bittersweet, much like the conclusion of Cena and Rhodes' main event at WrestleMania 41, as the current WWE Undisputed Champion cheated again to secure his plan of retiring with the championship, and "ruining wrestling" for everyone continues. However, Cena's expression at the end of the match told another story.

John Cena Is Starting to Regret Turning Heel

A Story Told Without Words

The final John Cena vs. Randy Orton match was perhaps not the best these two have had over the years, but it was still a showcase of perfect chemistry and of the storytelling power that two decades of history have. The two exchanged moves, stole each other's offense, and delivered a number of finishers, including some RKOs that will enter every list of the best that the Viper ever showed us. In the end, however, Cena won thanks to interference by R-Truth and by hitting Randy in the head with the championship belt. Still, when all was said and done, the camera lingered on Cena's expression after leaving the ring, showing more than a tinge of regret and sadness.

It wasn't just Cena's expression, as he almost fought to hold back the tears, that told the story. He stood at ringside as the fans kept chanting "Thank you Cena!", then he slowly looked down at the championship belt, almost questioning if it was worth doing all that just for a piece of metal. Then, he slowly walked out of the arena, only to stop for one final time near the exit to the backstage area. He put the belt on his shoulder and walked away, as fans showered him in applause.

It makes perfect sense for Cena to feel that way at this stage. He had to cheat to win the championship at WrestleMania 41, but that was against Rhodes, someone he has almost zero history with, and who he sees as a Cena-wannabe who stole his playbook and spot in the company. Orton is different. He is the Apollo to his Rocky, the Sasuke to his Naruto, the rival who pushed him to become the GOAT. This match could have been a timeless classic (and it kind of was, until the finish), but Cena's ruthlessness ruined it. Now, as he sets on the path to also destroy his biggest fan, R-Truth, the WWE Undisputed Champion is asking himself: was this worth it?

WWE May Be Regretting Turning Cena Heel

A Great Story Hindered by Unfortunate Circumstances

There is a lot of speculation surrounding Cena's heel turn. This is something that some fans have been wanting to see for the longest time, but was his retirement tour truly the best moment to pull it off? Wouldn't it have been better to just leave it as a great "what if?" Rumors say that The Rock wanted Cody to turn heel, and when the latter (backed by Triple H) refused, the story turned to Cena instead, which could be the reason why Rock took his ball and went home after Elimination Chamber, and didn't show up at WrestleMania, ruining this story, according to many.

Cena is nothing but committed to this new role. He has shown no intention of pleasing fans, not with new gear, new music, nor with pleasant endings to his matches, it seems. However, people keep cheering him, as this is the last time they will get to see the GOAT in a ring. Cena's retirement tour could have been a string of modern classics with old rivals and new upstarts. Instead, it seems that everything will resolve in a nutshot and a belt to the head. It makes sense for a heel, but it's hardly what fans want to see.

It's likely that the plan was always for this to be a redemption story, in the end, with Cena finding the light again before retiring for good. However, it's possible that WWE has decided to turn that corner earlier due to the circumstances. Regardless of the behind-the-scenes truth, John Cena's expression at the end of his Backlash match with Randy Orton told an amazing story, and that, after all, is what we are here for.

Source: @lifer_wwe (X)