Cena's stint as a heel

[Dademo]

Well we all obviously saw John Cena go back to his old heel rapping gimmick and he told off The Rock this week on Raw. The fans didn't seem to adore him or hate him. Hell they seemed kind of confused. What seemed like a Face/Face feud would maybe be a Heel/Face feud?

Clearly at this time Cena is playing the heel, or tweener possibly. But The Rock is getting over with the crowd more than Cena at this point. Maybe it's because The Rock is The Rock, and that's most likely, but John Cena certaintly didn't take on the face role in their mini feud after tonight.

Now with Cena/Miz coming up, and Miz being a big time heel, this sort of leaves me with confusion.

Sure we may see The Rock as a guest referee at Wrestlemania. But will he be a face referee and we see a Heel/Heel match? Or do we see Face/Face but Cena turns on The Rock after the match?

Pretty much what I'm asking is, do you think that what we saw tonight was a one time mini heel turn from Cena, or could it last until Wrestlemania and beyond?

 

[Troy]

I thought that the crowd reaction to Cena was stronger tonight after he switched back to his rapper gimmick for his promo. It was refreshing to hear since Cena promos can be quite repetitive and we haven't seen Cena go for one of those raps in a serious tone for quite some time. I wouldn't mind Cena going back to that gimmick or an updated version of it simply because it would be a nice change from the face Cena we have seen for a long time.

It did make me think that this may be the start of a possible heel turn that occurs at WrestleMania. What makes me doubt myself is WWE have hinted at a heel turn for Cena so many times I just don't think it will happen. Plus I look into things too much, this could just be a promo by Cena to show he is serious, not hinting at a face turn at all just Cena replying to a legend.

It would be nice seeing The Rock involved in this match in some fashion since he did call out both wrestlers last week in his promo and this week both responded to him. Guest referee would be a good option but I don't know if The Rock will be involved other than as Host of WrestleMania.

I would like to see Cena continue with this more serious role and at Wrestlemania it would be heel vs potentially tweener Cena and then at WrestleMania Cena could turn heel after the match by attacking The Rock. Highly doubtful it will happen.

 

[Dademo]

Yeah that's pretty much what it was. Not really a heel turn, but just a serious role. If Face Rock gets involved, I'd say he keeps that serious role until Mania and either

1. Wins the fans over again by winning the belt, and both The Rock and Cena raise eachother's hands.

2. Cena wins the belt or loses and turns on The Rock and beats him down at Mania, turning him into a permanent heel.

 

[Dod Draper]

I never liked Cena's rap gimmick. Always found it awkward to watch and still do.

One week on Raw, you get a classic promo from The Rock. The next, you get Cena rapping. smh.

 

[TheGoldStandard]

I don't buy into Cena turning heel after the promo

 

[Killz]

Cena isn't going heel, Cena is going to get more smark fans doing this than anyone if anyone thinks like I do.

Watching Cena's promo was awesome. It wasn't a goosebump moment like Rocky, sure, but it really threw a spanner in my mindset. What he said was true and WWE do a great job of blurring the old kayfabe lines don't they?

Last week I was 100% behind Rocky, he owned Cena and turned him heel for one night, IN one night. This week, I'm hearing Cena rap and I'm 100% HATING his gimmick as always (he went from being a dork to a white rapper to superman? No.) but what he's saying is true. I always said when Cena "trashed" Rock that whilst it was both unecessary and GENIUS in laying the groundwork for a potential confrontation, I always thought he was right. I'll never begrudge a wrestler going elsewhere to ply their trade. I'll never begrudge a wrestler using WWE as a platform, succeeding in everything they want and then moving on. It just always rubbed me the wrong way that once a year or so Rock would do an interview and say 'ZOMGZ I love wrasslin but cba to come back' or something of that ilk, you know? As I say, I have NO issue with what Rock did, I just wish he'd have faded into his film world more and not reminded us at every interview WHAT we were missing and telling everyone how important "we" were you know?

So tbh, there's no alignments here except that Miz is heel. WWE are throwing the natural charisma of Rock at you and seeing if it sticks. They're throwing some throwback, vintage Cena at you when we've spent so long complaining about his current gimmick and seeing what sticks. I think something big will go down at Mania between the two but Cena going heel doesn't seem like the way they're going right now.

 

[Big Red Jericho Punk]

I can't say I hate Cena's rapper gimmick, as a kid growing up that made me love him. I enjoyed his response to the Rock, but this isn't a heel move. Cena turning heel won't happen until faces are developed. Their is simply too much heel power right now and it just wouldn't work.

 

[Dod Draper]

In hindsight, does anybody think this was a result of lack-of-material from Cena?

Aside from calling Rock out on not being in WWE anymore, I don't remember anything specific barbs fired Rock's way. He just threw a load of generic insults fired at him in that rap. Felt like they had to have Cena respond, but there wasn't really a lot to say, you know?

 

[Andrew]

I'm surprised they allowed Cena to even say 'Candy Ass'. I mean are we PG or we TV-14 now? The past couple of weeks the shows haven't even looked PG it's been more TV-14 to my liking. I quite enjoy it, but Cena's promo was really good and even though I am not a big fan of Cena. That promo made me like him a little more then I do. I hope he continues using the 'Rapper' gimmick 'cos that's when I enjoyed him not the 'Superman' crap he uses. Go back to Thuganomics and turn heel.

 

[Purple PuNk]

Yeah Cena saying "candy ass" made me lolwut?
Mainly because they were censoring Rock nearly every five minutes two weeks ago. I agree with whoever said it, that WWE just needed Cena to respond. Rock came out and did his own thing, and I think he appealed to the old fans and the smarks alike (obviously). When Rock went out there he made upper management sit up and listen. His delivery and content alike were spot on, and WWE was obviously put in a position where they were like "What? Well we HAVE to say something in return..."

Yeah Cena hates Rock we all know this. The Rock has been walking around with a chip on his shoulder, but having Cena respond as he did was meh. WWE needs to take the training wheels off if this is going to go any where (on Cena's end).

 

[Prodigy]

Nah don't think he will go Heel properly. The biggest I see it going is Tweener. And as soon as The Rock goes Cena will be back to his old crazy self.

 

[BestInTheWorld]

I think that sometime in the not too distant future John Cena really has got to turn heel. And I don't mean just a tweener either it could work, but not as well as a full heel turn would, he would just continue with his cheesy lines that way. If he doesn't even the little kids will get bored of it eventually. It would make everything a whole lot more interesting. It would give us new matches with him against the other faces, which we hardly ever see with him atleast some faces do face faces haha. I think if he were to have a match at next years WrestleMania with The Rock which is quite possibly if you think about it considering it's being held in Miami next year, then he would HAVE to turn heel, if it was face vs. face he just wouldn't get cheered at all.

 

[Itchweed]

Cena bringing back his rapping gimmick would probably be the best thing for him, and for the WWE. When Cena was a "rapper" that's when everyone in the arena's would mark out when he won or would come out, but once he switched to that "Marine/Superman" bullshit people started hating him. Now he's came down since being superman, and has actually lost a lot this year, been Nexus' bitch, and even been "fired". And with it, the reaction has somewhat turned where not as many people chant "Cena Sucks".

Really when it comes down to it, I don't think WWE is really paying attention to wither Cena is face or heel. I don't get how you think this could be a heel switch, when the dude did something that all of us would do if we got called out and that's defend himself. I don't think this really makes him a "tweener" specially since as you said Miz is the super heel. Just cause Cena went back to his roots for ONE night doesn't mean we're going to be seeing a switch. Turning him would be pointless, cause the kids would hate him, stop making their mommy and daddy buy them his shit, and since WWE is focusing on the kids now more, then 18-35 year olds, it's highly unlikely. WWE is smart, they rather play it safe then switch someone like Cena just for the hell of it.

Plus as you said, why would they do heel/heel, when they pretty much turned Orton just avoid that with Miz? It doesn't make sense, and there's no real way to do it.. Switch him cause he stood up for himself? And got the most cheers he has in like three-four years? As it stands Cena's still face, and probably will always be face until we all stop watching wrestling.