Triple H Reveals How He Convinced John Cena to Turn Heel in WWE
WWE executive Triple H reveals how he persuaded John Cena to embrace a villainous role after 20 years as the company’s top hero.
WWE’s Chief Content Officer Paul Levesque recently disclosed the strategy used to convince John Cena to transition to a villain role after spending over twenty years as the face of the company. During an appearance on the High Performance podcast, Levesque explained the timing was right to implement this significant character change.
Levesque approached Cena with a specific scenario for the Elimination Chamber event where Cody Rhodes would refuse an offer to join forces with Dwayne Johnson. The plan called for Cena to initially appear supportive of Rhodes before delivering a shocking attack on Johnson.
I said to John: ‘And if at Elimination Chamber, Cody is invited to sell out to me and says no. And you’re there, looking like you’re telling The Rock to f*** off. And then the unthinkable happens. The Rock looks at you, and you hit him in the low parts and beat him up. You sell out.’
The creative justification presented to Cena centered on his character feeling frustrated after two decades of playing by the rules while still facing criticism from the WWE audience. The storyline acknowledges Cena’s limited remaining time as an active performer and his diminishing physical capabilities, creating a sense of urgency for one final significant run.
Cena reportedly embraced the creative direction enthusiastically after hearing the complete pitch. The veteran performer is now set to challenge Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 41. Prior to this title match, Cena will make an appearance on the April 18 edition of SmackDown.
