Steve Austin Reflects on John Cena’s Heel Turn and His Own Past Experiences
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WWE legend Steve Austin recently shared his thoughts on John Cena’s 2025 heel turn, comparing it to his own controversial turn in 2001. Austin,appearing on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, admitted his own heel turn didn’t resonate with fans and, in retrospect, shouldn’t have happened.
Austin’s Viewpoint on Cena’s Turn
When asked about Cena’s shift to the villainous side, Austin acknowledged the desire among fans to see Cena embrace a heel persona. “Everybody – not everybody – a lot of people wanted to see at least one John Cena heel turn in his run.It was okay,” Austin stated. However, he expressed a preference for Cena as a fan favorite. “I like him better as a babyface. I wanted to see him as a heel at some point during his career. The way that it was done – and I’m not knocking booking – just like, man, this far in? Forget about it. Just let him do his thing, f*cking kids love that guy.”
The Context of Cena’s 2025 Heel Turn
Cena’s heel turn occurred at Elimination chamber 2025 and initially generated excitement. the storyline involved collaborations with The Rock and Travis Scott, but these appearances were short-lived.By SummerSlam, Cena had reverted to his popular babyface role, concluding his retirement tour as a beloved figure. Cena himself has stated the turn was primarily intended to create a meaningful moment at Elimination Chamber according to Sports illustrated.
reflecting on Austin’s 2001 Heel Turn
Austin’s own heel turn in 2001 involved a handshake with Vince McMahon at WrestleMania 17, a move that was met with disapproval from the audience. Austin has consistently expressed regret over this decision, wishing he had reacted to the crowd’s negative response by delivering a Stunner to McMahon.
“Nobody wanted me to turn heel, but I was just set on turning heel because I’ve always liked working heel so much,” Austin explained. “It didn’t work. It wasn’t successful. We got a chance to,you know,push the character in different directions and different dimensions. But I don’t think we were really ringing up the box office doing that.”
Published: 2026/01/06 14:04:43