WWE Hall of Famer says John Cena's earth-shattering heel turn hasn't come close to major star's run

Modified Mar 27, 2025 20:42 GMT

John Cena on RAW! [Image credit: WWE.com]

John Cena's shocking heel turn came at a cost at WWE Elimination Chamber 2025 when he sold his soul to The Rock. Recently, a Hall of Famer of the Stamford-based promotion commented on The Franchise Player's turn to the dark side and stated it came nowhere near Hulk Hogan joining the nWo.

Earlier this month, John Cena did the unthinkable and aligned himself with The Rock to deliver a brutal beatdown on Cody Rhodes. Being the winner of this year's Elimination Chamber, the 47-year-old will now head to WrestleMania 41 to challenge The American Nightmare for the Undisputed WWE Championship. Later, The Leader of Cenation explained his actions and broke up with the fans, with whom he said he'd had a toxic relationship for 25 years. Jimmy Hart has now commented on this matter

In an interview on Going Ringside, the host asked the Hall of Famer Jimmy Hart about John Cena's heel turn. The veteran stated he believes Cena will do great as a villain, but his turn was nowhere near nWo Hulk Hogan, who changed the business and forced World Wrestling Entertainment to evolve and bring forth the Attitude Era.

"Well, it's in the early stages, and when Hulk [Hogan] left WWE and went to WCW, that was a big switch over then. Business was booming, right? All of a sudden it made WWE turn back around and had the Attitude Era. So, it really helped everybody. So, all I'm saying is John Cena will be great and all that, but The Hulkster will always be the man," Hart said. [From 06:28 to 06:56]

Did you know a top WWE Superstar just wrestled outside the company? More details HERE

John Cena reveals his grand plan on WWE RAW

Earlier this month, John Cena returned to the company after a two-week hiatus and addressed the heel turn. He immediately blamed the fans for the turn and called them toxic, and told them he was breaking up with them. While many were heartbroken, The Franchise Player appeared to have meant what he said.

On the latest edition of Monday Night RAW, he revealed his grand plan of ruining wrestling for everybody. He went back to the time people hated him for introducing the Spinner World Title. He stated he wants to retire from wrestling after winning the Undisputed WWE Championship, breaking Ric Flair's record. Moreover, he wants to take the belt away so a new toy can replace it.

It will be interesting to see if John Cena can live up to his claims against Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41.

If you use the quote from this article, please credit Going Ringside, and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.

About the author

Aakaansh is a WWE news writer in Sportskeeda. After getting hooked on professional wrestling in 2008 watching WWE and TNA, he found himself admiring the work ethic and passion of the wrestlers for their craft, the business, and the industry as a whole.

With a post-graduate degree in writing, and currently pursuing a Master's degree in Communication, Aakaansh's knack for writing and love of pro wrestling eventually led him to SK seven years ago before he found a permanent place in the division in 2021, initially writing SEO content and transitioning to news in April 2022.

He is committed to producing detailed, factual, and unbiased reports free of opinion, which will resonate with both long-term and newer fans. When not writing about pro wrestling, Aakaansh is engaged in the dynamic worlds of pop culture, anime, and Fortnite.

Know More

Edited by Sayantan Niyogi