Eric Bischoff On 'Weak' Message From John Cena's First WWE Promo After Heel Turn

When John Cena returned to "WWE Raw" for the first time since turning heel after winning the Elimination Chamber, he claimed he was "breaking up" with the WWE Universe and was tired of being the "butt of an invisible joke." However, Cena chose not to mention his new alignment with The Rock, who led the charge for the 16-time World Champion's heel turn and attack on Cody Rhodes at the Chamber, leaving many to question where their relationship lies. Although Cena's promo received praise from wrestling fans and media alike, WWE Hall Of Famer Eric Bischoff explained on "83 Weeks" why he thought Cena's words lacked conviction.

"It was exciting, John Cena's turning heel, oh the potential, but there wasn't anything dramatic about it other than the fact that he turned heel ... the delivery was great but the message was kind of weak for that moment." 

Bischoff also claimed that he was looking forward to watching Cena introduce a new look, but believes WWE made the right choice by not doing so. "I was hoping that I would get a different look for John's character that somehow represented this new heel character ... I think they're doing it the right way for John because here's the downside if you completely change his character; it's almost too drastic. It's not authentic at all. There's absolutely no degree of authenticity when you go in the room dressed like one character and you come out of the room dressed like another without a reasonable amount of time and transition."

Cena also didn't make any references to The Rock during his most recent promo on "Raw" this past Monday, but he did promise to "ruin wrestling" and retire as WWE Champion ahead of his WrestleMania 41 title match against Rhodes.

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