The Big Clue Everyone Missed With John Cena's Heel Turn

One of the most shocking moments in WWE history occurred at Elimination Chamber 2025, when megastar babyface John Cena turned heel on Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, leaving him bloodied in the ring. Cena is now set to challenge for his record-setting 17th world championship against Rhodes at WrestleMania 41. It's the first time Cena has been a heel in over 20 years — but there have been clues over the years that a turn was coming.

Right after announcing his retirement tour in July 2024, Cena said at a post-show press conference he was no longer interested in a heel turn. Four months earlier, however, Cena appeared on "Insight" with Chris Van Vliet and detailed a previously planned heel turn that was meant to happen back in 2012. Cena explained that he was set to turn heel around his "Once in a Lifetime" match against The Rock at WrestleMania 28, and that he was ready to go and was already thinking about what he could do with the story. Cena recorded a new entrance theme and got all-new gear, including boxing-like robes and singlets — the complete opposite of his jorts and t-shirts he'd customarily wear to the ring.

Cena explained he planned on leaning into the exact opposite of what he always was and would "give up a lot" as opposed to his "Never Give Up" motto that adorns his merchandise. But then he started thinking about not selling merch and abandoning Make-A-Wish — and that's when he and WWE realized he was in too deep as a babyface, and the turn never happened.

Cena had already started to show some heelish attributes before hitting a low blow to Rhodes, and what's more, they were heelish attributes he'd discussed on "Insight" when speaking about the heel turn that never was.

For one thing, Cena said he'd have started appearing on fewer shows. It was easier to miss than it would have been in 2012 since we're used to Cena being a part-timer at best, but it probably should have been a red flag that despite his much-hyped retirement tour, Elimination Chamber was just his second show of 2025, especially given the way he declared himself above the need to qualify for the men's Elimination Chamber match following his loss at Royal Rumble. As if to cement the point, Cena didn't say a word at the Elimination Chamber post-show, instead choosing to simply grab the microphone and drop it before storming off. While Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who Cena seemingly aligned himself with during his heel turn, spoke to media out of character, Cena chose to underscore his heel turn by doing the most heelish thing of all: leaving.

Cena also mentioned in his 2024 "Insight" interview that if he had turned heel back in 2012, he wouldn't work as hard; he would be untrustworthy and unreliable, going back on everything he stood for. This last clue came right at the end of the men's Elimination Chamber match, when Cena put CM Punk in one of the most brutal STF submission holds ever witnessed after an already-eliminated Seth Rollins hit Punk with a stomp on the outside. Cena's total lack of hesitation in taking advantage of Punk should have tipped off WWE fans, who instead were shocked to their cores moments later.