John Cena's heel turn explanation was "weak," WWE legend says

John Cena attacked Cody Rhodes at WWE Elimination Chamber on March 1 to turn heel for the first time in two decades. WWE legend Eric Bischoff thought the Hollywood star's recent RAW promo delivery was "great" but questioned whether the message could have been better.

On March 17, Cena said he turned against WWE's "toxic" fans because they have bullied him throughout his career. The 47-year-old also did not acknowledge his alliance with The Rock and rapper Travis Scott.

Bischoff was WCW's President when Hulk Hogan shockingly became a bad guy at Bash at the Beach 1996. On his 83 Weeks podcast, the Hall of Famer claimed Cena's heel turn explanation was "weak."

"It was exciting, 'John Cena's turning heel. Oh, the potential,'" Bischoff said. "But there wasn't anything dramatic about it other than the fact that he turned heel. It was interesting. I did see the clip of his promo. I didn't see it live. I saw the clip of it. It was okay. I mean, the delivery was great but just the message was kind of weak for that moment." [1:01:10 – 1:01:44]

On April 19-20, Cena will challenge Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 41. If he wins, the veteran wrestler will mark his retirement year by becoming a record-breaking 17-time world champion.

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Eric Bischoff addresses RAW's venue for John Cena's promo

WWE is holding several televised and non-televised shows in Europe ahead of WrestleMania 41. John Cena's March 17 promo took place in front of a passionate RAW crowd in Brussels, Belgium.

The fans repeatedly booed Cena and serenaded him with derogatory chants. However, Eric Bischoff believes the promo might have resonated more with an English-speaking crowd:

"A lot of that promo and the emotion that should go with it could have been lost on that audience. Between the audio and the English challenge, yeah, someone should have thought of that one." [57:36 – 57:47]

Cena will appear on the March 24 episode of RAW in Glasgow, Scotland. His WrestleMania 41 opponent Cody Rhodes is also scheduled for the event.

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Please credit 83 Weeks and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.