JBL Defends WWE’s Decision to Keep John Cena as a Babyface

Wrestling fans have debated for years whether WWE should have pulled the trigger on a John Cena heel turn during his historic run, but according to JBL, the company made the right choice by keeping Cena as the face of the franchise.

Speaking on Something To Wrestle, the WWE Hall of Famer shed light on the discussions behind the scenes and why Vince McMahon never seriously entertained the idea of turning Cena.

“Those guys that were in that era, they owe Cena a lot, like their cars, their homes, their retirement [laughs] and all kinds of shit,” JBL said, emphasizing Cena’s importance to the WWE ecosystem. Comparing Cena’s impact to that of Stone Cold Steve Austin during the Attitude Era, JBL credited Cena with driving merchandise sales and carrying the company through challenging times.

JBL recalled the eagerness of new writers to pitch a heel turn for Cena, only to be quickly shut down by Vince McMahon. “I was in so many creative meetings,” he said. “You could see a new writer come in who’s very ambitious—it’s not gonna be a few weeks before he pitches the idea of turning Cena heel [laughs], every single one of them would come up with it. Vince was like, ‘No, he sells all our merchandise. What are we gonna do?’”

In hindsight, JBL believes WWE’s decision was a no-brainer. “It was the right decision. In hindsight, it was 100% the right decision not to turn Cena heel.”

Cena, now a global icon, built his legacy on being a role model for fans, with his “Never Give Up” mantra becoming synonymous with his character. While many fans still wonder what a heel Cena could have looked like, JBL’s comments reinforce that staying true to his heroic persona helped cement his place as one of WWE’s greatest of all time.