John Cena faces WWE fans for the first time since his “heel turn” and settles scores with the bad guys. The response from WrestleMania opponent Cody Rhodes is not long in coming.
John Cena has made his first WWE appearance since his sensational “heel turn” – and he was in for a shock.
During the latest edition of the Monday Night RAW TV show on Monday evening in Brussels, Belgium, the WWE record champion addressed the fans with a venomous speech. This was followed by an explosive and exciting verbal exchange with the opponent at Cena’s last WrestleMania appearance: the reigning WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, against whom Cena had turned at the beginning of the month at No Escape (Elimination Chamber).
John Cena settles scores with WWE fans
Cena entered the arena to his theme song “The Time Is Now” and was met with boos and the slogans “Cena sucks” and “You sold out”, countered by the unwavering fans with the well-known “Let’s Go, Cena”.
The 16-time WWE Champion provoked the fans by saying that he has been in a toxic relationship with them for 25 years: They have been bullying him for years and treating him like a smiling punching bag. “I’m not a babyface. I’m not a heel. I’m a human being. Every one of you has been horrible to me. It’s been the same damn noise for 25 years.”
Cena recapped his ambivalent relationship with the fans, who were ambivalent about his earlier rise to the top of the league around 20 years ago: Especially at the beginning, many male, older fans in particular had an aversion to Cena – the ritual “Let’s go Cena / Cena sucks” is rooted in this time.
“I won a lot and you hated it,” Cena recalled. Despite his successes, his hard work and all his attempts to win over his critics, he never felt good enough. He’s tired of it all now – even more so since the fans at Rhodes found a “brand new shiny toy.”
Cena didn’t spare the fans who stood by him either: “What have you ever done for me? All you’ve done is steal from me. You’ve stolen my personal moments and my time. You’ve made me a joke.”
At this point, Rhodes’ music played, and he came out, eager to get in Cena’s face.
He told Cena not to call him “kid” (“I’m not a kid, I’m the champion”) and challenged him to come to WrestleMania in Las Vegas and show “the real John Cena” again, not “this whining idiot”. He would steamroll over the Cena he was now presenting himself as.
Cena – this time without the absent megastar and WWE co-owner Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson at his side – left noticeably angry. The last word before the showdown on April 20 has obviously not yet been spoken.
