WWE Hall Of Famer Eric Bischoff Compares John Cena's Heel Turn To Hulk Hogan's

Earlier this month when John Cena shockingly turned heel after winning the Elimination Chamber and aligned himself with The Rock, fans quickly began to compare the angle to Hulk Hogan's heel turn at WCW Bash at the Beach 1996. "The Hulkster" famously hit his patented leg drop on Randy Savage and joined forces with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall to form the NWO, creating a moment that would change the trajectory of WCW and wrestling forever. Former WCW executive Eric Bischoff, who was responsible for the formation of the NWO, has commented on Cena's actions at the Elimination Chamber, explaining why he thought the heel turn was game-changing, but not as impactful as Hogans.

"If you watch it play out and when it's all over, watch the people standing around the ring. It got a great reaction don't get me wrong, it wasn't the reaction that Hogan got. Get two TVs, two monitors, whatever, put those two finishes side by side. Forget about what's going on inside of the ring, just watch the crowd ... Hogan's turn on an emotional scale of 1 to 10 was probably a nine. I think on an emotional scale, the Cena turn was probably around an eight, seven and a half." Bischoff said on "83 Weeks." "I just don't think this will get the kind of buzz and reaction that the Hogan turn did."

Bischoff continued to reiterate that Hogan's heel turn had a larger influence on the industry, and noted that his opinion doesn't mean that Cena becoming a villain was done poorly, but feels that Hogan joining Nash and Hall was more surprising.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "83 Weeks" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.