John Cena, the Hollywood actor and professional wrestling icon, took center stage on Monday during WWE Raw, broadcast live from Brussels on Netflix at 3 PM ET. For over two decades, Cena has been a household name as the cheerful, heroic figure of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), a company that mixes athletic feats with dramatic storytelling. But on this night, the 47-year-old flipped that image on its head, embracing a darker persona that left the crowd—and viewers at home—stunned.
In wrestling, performers are cast as either a “face” or a “heel.” A face is the good guy, the crowd’s champion who embodies virtue and earns cheers. A heel, by contrast, is the villain—someone fans love to hate, often booed for their arrogance or misdeeds. Cena has spent most of his career as the ultimate face, known for slogans like “Never Give Up” and a relentless positivity that made him a role model. On Monday, however, he spoke to the Brussels audience in a “promo”—a scripted speech used to push storylines forward—and declared himself a victim of a “25-year abusive relationship” with fans, accusing them of taking him for granted. The shift was palpable: the crowd booed loudly, signaling their rejection of this new, antagonistic Cena.
This change didn’t come out of nowhere. It follows an event earlier this month at WWE’s Elimination Chamber, where Cena won a match that earned him a shot at the Undisputed WWE Championship, the company’s top prize, at WrestleMania 41 on April 19-20. After that victory, he shocked fans by teaming up with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, another wrestling legend turned actor, to attack the current champion, Cody Rhodes—a popular face in his own right. That moment marked Cena’s official “heel turn,” a wrestling term for when a good guy becomes a bad guy, something he hasn’t done fully since his early days in 2003.
Monday’s Raw was Cena’s first appearance since that betrayal, and he used it to justify his actions. Standing in the ring, he painted himself as a wronged man, turning his long history with fans into a grievance that fueled his new villainous role. The Brussels audience, known for its fervor, amplified the drama with their jeers, playing right into WWE’s storytelling machine. In this world, heels thrive on crowd heat—negative reactions that make their characters more compelling—and Cena, a veteran of the ring, wielded that energy like a pro.
For those new to wrestling, WWE’s narratives work like a live-action drama series. Faces and heels clash in matches and promos, building rivalries that culminate in major events like WrestleMania, the company’s Super Bowl. Cena’s heel turn sets up a blockbuster showdown with Rhodes, who was also in Brussels, hinting at more tension to come. It’s a classic tale of hero versus villain, but with Cena—long the face of WWE—now cast as the antagonist, it’s a twist that’s both unexpected and intriguing.
Cena’s reinvention comes as he nears the end of his wrestling career, set to conclude by late 2025. With 16 world championships and a thriving film career in hits like The Suicide Squad and Fast X, he could have coasted on nostalgia. Instead, he’s rewriting his legacy, trading cheers for boos in a move that’s already being called one of his most memorable moments. Whether he’ll get new music or a revamped look to match this heel persona remains unclear, but his words alone carried the night.
The Brussels crowd’s reaction underscored the stakes, turning a scripted moment into something that felt visceral. As Cena prepares to face Rhodes at WrestleMania, his Monday night performance suggests he’s not done surprising us. For casual observers, it’s a glimpse into wrestling’s unique blend of sport and theater—and a sign that even after 25 years, John Cena still knows how to command attention.
Stay with Trevor Decker News for updates on this evolving story and what it means for one of entertainment’s biggest stars.
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