John Cena, one the WWE¡¯s biggest names, ¡®sold his soul¡¯ to The Rock at Elimination Chamber 2025 by attacking Cody Rhodes on his instructions. In doing so, the soon-to-retire star? turned heel for the first time in 20 years. The WWE¡¯s decision to make Cena embrace the dark side enroute to WrestleMania 41, where he is set to challenge the ¡®American Nightmare¡¯ for the Undisputed Championship, has changed the very landscape of the company heading into the ¡®Show of Shows¡¯. With that, here is a look at 4 things the WWE can do to ensure this heel turn results in compelling programming.?
John Cena has been using the ¡®The Time Is Now¡¯ theme song for the better part of his career. In fact, it has become synonymous with the Cenation Leader. However, with him turning heel, it may be time for him to adopt a new song.?
¡®The Time Is Now¡¯? is a rousing and inspiring affair that celebrates a hero who rises to the occasion when challenged, which makes it a bad fit for ¡®Corporate Cena¡¯. Going by the events that unfolded at Elimination Chamber 2025, where he preyed on CM Punk after he was attacked by Seth Rollins he is going to be portrayed as a desperate opportunist going forward. As such, a new theme may just be the order of the day.?
Given his stature, John Cena is unlikely to end his career as a despicable bad guy. As such, one can expect him to turn face once again in the near future. This, in turn, is likely to set up a redemption arc. For the arc to work, WWE must avoid turning his face at WrestleMania 41. Ideally, the Cenation Leader should re-embrace the positive only around December, which will be his last month as an in-ring performer.?
CM Punk and John Cena turned back the clock when they briefly grappled with each other during the Elimination Chamber match. The veterans, who had an epic feud around 2013, shared great chemistry even in 2025. Following this, the ¡®Best in the World¡¯ took a shot at Cena on Raw. The WWE must ensure that this leads to a feud between a heel Cena and a face Punk.?
John Cena is just one win away from breaking Ric Flair¡¯s record for most number of ¡®world championships¡¯. Given his status as one of the greats, there is a strong possibility of the WWE going down this route. Such a thing, however, should not happen at WrestleMania 41 as a monumental achievement should ideally be portrayed as a landmark moment and not just a part of an ongoing storyline. Therefore, it makes more sense for him to grab the gold after turning face against ad in his final feud,?