AEW
MJF Reacts to John Cena’s Heel Turn: “I Was Watching”
AEW star MJF told Sports Illustrated he watched John Cena turn heel at Elimination Chamber 2025 live and considers Cena a friend while emphasizing wrestlers should study all promotions.
AEW star MJF watched John Cena’s heel turn at WWE Elimination Chamber 2025 and shared his thoughts on the moment during a Sports Illustrated interview.
John Cena is a good friend of mine. I get really annoyed when people in either company pretend that they don’t. Let me put it this way — yes, I was watching it. I was watching it live. It was an awesome moment, and everybody should think it was an awesome moment because it was point-blank, end of discussion.
The Salt of the Earth went on to explain that top wrestlers should pay attention to what happens across the industry regardless of promotional boundaries.
If you are in the world of professional wrestling, if you are a top guy, and you don’t watch or consume as much professional wrestling as you possibly can, can you call yourself a student of the game? Can you say you’re putting your best foot forward? Can you claim to be one of the best in the sport? In my opinion, no, you absolutely cannot
MJF suggested WWE performers likely follow AEW programming as well, adding that wrestlers who claim otherwise are either dishonest or uncommitted to studying their craft.
If you were to ask a WWE star, ‘Have you been watching AEW?’ and they say no, one of two things is happening. One, they’re lying through their fu**ing teeth, or two, they don’t care enough about this industry to study what’s going on in it.
In his closing remarks, MJF described Cena’s turn as a “cool moment” while promising AEW would deliver similar memorable moments at their upcoming Revolution pay-per-view on March 9.