Elimination Chamber 2025: Why John Cena¡¯s heel turn is best for business on the road to WrestleMania 41

Elimination Chamber 2025, which was held on March 2 in Canada, proved to be a memorable affair. John Cena, who is set to call time on his career later this year, won the titular match and earned the right to face Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed Championship at WrestleMania 41. Shortly thereafter, he shocked the WWE Universe by ¡®selling his soul¡¯ to The Rock. The GOAT attacked Rhodes on his instructions and turned heel for the first time in nearly two decades. Here is why this move, which may evoke mixed reactions from ardent Cena fans, is a stroke of genius on the creative team¡¯s part

Elimination Chamber 2025: John Cena's turn had shock value

Cena and The Rock squared off at WrestleMania 28 with ¡®The Great One¡¯ picking up the win. They met again the following year with The Marine star defeating his foe in an intense contest. Given the history between the two, Cena¡¯s decision to align with ¡®The Final Boss¡¯ is as shocking and unexpected as it gets.

I¡¯ve watched wrestling for almost 20 years and this is the single most insane thing I¡¯ve ever seen in professional wrestling. They really did it. They turned John Cena heel. This is REAL TO ME. pic.twitter.com/BB8MmBe7Os

¡ª AEW Out Of Content (@zerocontextAEW) March 2, 2025

It also highlights his desperation to win the title in his last year as an in-ring performer. This essentially adds a new layer to his reel character, which has often come across as a bit one-dimensional.

It makes WrestleMania interesting

Cody Rhodes vs John Cena is a promising contest on paper. Both men have contrasting styles in the ring. Cody Rhodes relies on his athleticism to make an impact. Cena, on the other hand, is a brawler/fighter, relying on his strength. Given this, one can expect their match to be quite compelling when it comes to the in-ring work. However, the match may have lacked great storytelling had both gone into it as the good guys. The WWE could have easily turned Cody heel to solve this issue but then such a thing may not have been ¡®best for business¡¯ as being anti-establishment has benefitted him so far.

this just solidified john cena as the greatest professional wrestler ever. pic.twitter.com/0NOGXVr4g0

¡ª MUKARRAM (@mukarram_mania) March 2, 2025

By projecting Cena as the villain, the company virtually protected Rhodes¡¯ current character and ensured his showdown with the former ¡®Doctor of Thuganomics¡¯ still retains the ¡®heel vs face¡¯ dynamics

Have the seeds for a redemption arc been laid?

As things stand, Cena will be heading into WrestleMania as The Rock¡¯s ¡®Chosen One.¡¯ This means, one can expect him to receive several favors from ¡®The Brahma Bull¡¯ on the road to the event. However, given his stature, he is unlikely to end his career as The Rock¡¯s guy. As such, his heel turn may open the door for a redemption arc. This may eventually see him turning face again to win back the WWE Universe¡¯s support right before WrestleMania 41, resulting in some gripping storytelling

So, what is your take on Cena¡¯s heel turn? Tell us in the section below