Mick Foley Exclusive: John Cena “Looked Like A Different Human Being” After Heel Turn

Mick Foley was as “stunned” as anybody over John Cena’s heel flip at Elimination Chamber.

Coming into Wrestlemania 41, Cena will enter his Undisputed WWE Championship match towards champion Cody Rhodes as a heel.

It’s the primary time in 22 years that the 17-time World Champion is a heel and provides an fascinating layer to the principle occasion at Wrestlemania. The thought of Cena profitable his report 18th World Title — which might break Ric Aptitude’s report — was already fascinating sufficient.

Nonetheless, the long-awaited and what seemed to be unfathomable heel flip by Cena has everybody within the wrestling world buzzing.

Foley provides credit score to Cena for going by the “transformation” from longtime babyface to heel in a really plausible method, crediting the 47-year-old’s expertise as a full-time actor now in Hollywood.

“I used to be stunned,” Foley advised Card Participant in an unique interview. “I heard about it; I feel I used to be on the highway when it occurred. I watched it again and we had been marveling about how we knew it was John Cena, however he’d nearly taken on a change. He nearly regarded like a distinct human being. I feel all of the years in Hollywood have served him properly as a result of the look on his eyes was so practical.”

For over a decade, Cena was the face of the WWE earlier than transitioning into extra of an performing profession round 2018. He did in order a babyface and somebody who was in style amongst the youthful followers because of his catchphrases corresponding to “Hustle. Loyalty. Respect” and his repute for granting essentially the most needs by Make-a-Want Basis.

The final time Cena performed a heel was in 2003 when he had his “Primary Thuganomics” gimmick. Contemplating the lengthy stretch since he final performed a heel, Foley provides credit score to Cena for the “magnificent flip.”

”It didn’t look overblown,” says Foley of Cena’s heel flip. “It wasn’t like he was taking part in to the highest row of the higher degree, which may look foolish in excessive definition. It was a powerful flip. I applaud everybody concerned for having the heart to hold it out. I’m nervous about these children who love Cena, however most of these children are 20 years outdated now. I feel they’ll perceive and he nonetheless has a really highly effective reference to the youthful followers.”

Foley’s level is true — many of the children who grew up throughout Cena’s full-time run within the WWE are adults now. Moreover, that is his retirement tour and his remaining 12 months wrestling, which implies it’s now or by no means to capitalize on the long-awaited Cena heel flip that many grownup followers have been clamoring for.

Lastly, it provides a layer of shock and intrigue that nobody anticipated on this Cena-Rhodes feud coming into Wrestlemania.

The 59-year-old Foley switched between babyface and heel throughout his full-time run within the WWE between 1996 and 2000. Whereas he performed a heel early on, he reached the height of his recognition as a babyface in 1999 when he gained the WWE Title for the primary time and when he finally teamed up with The Rock to kind “The Rock ‘n’ Sock Connection.”

Foley is aware of higher than anybody what it takes to play heel and babyface. He says everybody will get one “good” flip throughout their careers and says that Cena pulled it off. He additionally says he hadn’t been that stunned by a heel flip since Terry Funk turning on Aptitude in 1989 and Hulk Hogan’s well-known heel flip at Bash at The Seashore in WCW in 1996 to kind the NWO with Kevin Nash and Scott Corridor.

”Everybody will get one good flip,” says Foley. “Any flip after the primary flip is no less than partly a cash seize, however everybody deserves one nice flip and John Cena pulled it off.”

The “Hardcore Legend” isn’t certain which course they head into in relation to Cena and whether or not or not he’ll stay heel for the rest of his retirement tour. He did say that finally — whether or not it’s whereas he’s nonetheless wrestling or in retirement — “all will likely be forgiven” and that the followers will love Cena once more.

Foley says wrestling in its core is “about forgiveness.” He factors in the direction of the Steve Austin heel flip in 2001 at Wrestlemania X-7 earlier than he turned again to being a babyface a number of months later. When individuals discuss Austin, they don’t bear in mind heel Austin — they bear in mind the three:16 Austin that was giving the Stone Chilly Stunner to Vince McMahon.

He does repeatedly point out how good and highly effective this latest heel flip by Cena is.

”That is so good,” says Foley of Cena’s heel flip. “That is so highly effective. Folks have to recollect it. The ironic factor is that it’s going to trigger the individuals who hated him to like him and going to trigger the individuals who love him to hate him. It’s nonetheless going to be a 50-50 break up. It’s only a fully completely different 50-50 break up.”

At a latest Monday Evening Uncooked, Cena delivered his second promo as a heel, claiming that he’ll “smash wrestling” by profitable the title, taking it house with him after which retiring.

Whereas many consider that Cena will emerge with the championship to interrupt the World Title report at Wrestlemania, Foley isn’t so sure that it’ll occur on the grandest stage of all of them.

”I don’t know,” says Foley. “That’s a part of the intrigue of watching the present and I feel it’s going to be an excellent occasion. It’s going to be actually memorable.”

DJ Siddiqi is a sports activities reporter who focuses on soccer, basketball, baseball and professional wrestling. He has coated a few of the greatest sporting occasions, together with the NBA Finals and Wrestlemania and sometimes interviews high-profile athletes. Siddiqi has interviewed the likes of Dan Marino, Emmitt Smith, Shaquille O’Neal, Tony Hawk and Giannis Antetokounmpo.