Triple-H talks about convincing John Cena to turn ‘heel’: ‘What if we pull the lever, that no one else could?’ | Hollywood News
The biggest story of WrestleMania 41 is going to be John Cena vs Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship. The veteran who held the company on his shoulders for more than a decade, going against not just the new champion but his replacement. Many have discussed the ‘why’ behind Cena betraying Rhodes; why would a superstar who has stayed true to his values all his career throw it all away in his last ride? WWE’s Chief Content Officer Paul Michael Levesque, better known as Triple H, shed some light on the decision in an interview and how the discussion progressed behind the scenes.
On an episode of the High Performance podcast, Triple H talked about the state of affairs when Cena came back to the WWE. “As we came into John’s final year, it was discussed that he wants to retire, and even though he will always be a part of the company, his in-ring career as a performer will be over. So John and I spoke, and he is the quintessential professional when it comes to this stuff. He told me that while he has his own thoughts, he was ready to do whatever is required of him.”
READ MORE: WWE Wrestlemania 41: Date, Time, When and Where to Watch WrestleMania 41 live in India?
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“John told me that if during the remaining 10-12 months we want him to lose every match, win every match or be the champ again, he is ready for anything. That is a one-off quality to find in a wrestler, especially at that level because you are protective of whatever you have built,” added Triple H. This comes with little surprise, as John has proved to be a highly malleable wrestler during the final leg of his career and has pushed a lot of new talent participating in narratives which did not end with him at the top.
“We could have played it safe, but I went up to John and asked him whether we should pull the lever that no one else could. What if we turned him heel? When we explained to him the logic behind him becoming the bad guy, he was surprised and called it a bold move, but he was up for it.”
John Cena takes a turn. What happened?
Basically, no one had any idea that Cena was going to turn heel because no one really thought it was a possibility. In all honesty, Cena was having a great final run as a baface before deciding to go to the other side. He was the last man eliminated from the Royal Rumble after Jey Uso soldiered on and won the opportunity to challenge any champion he desired for WrestleMania. Cena won the Elimination Chamber, securing a similar opportunity, and Rhodes even came out to congratulate him on his win.
Just when everyone thought Cena vs Rhodes was going to be a match between two performers who respect and love each other, where the former was going to win and complete his story, the 16-time world champion surprised everyone kicking Rhodes and standing alongside The Rock. This added a layer to the story which no one thought was needed, but in reality it saved the match and gave it quantifiable conflict.Story continues below this ad
Both men will face each other in the main event of WrestleMania 41, as Cena will attempt to break one of the longest-standing records in professional wrestling hory. WrestleMania will take place on April 19 and 20 at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and will be streaming live on Netflix for the first time ever.
