WrestleMania 29 and the Endless Debate of a John Cena Heel Turn

John Cena vs. The Rock, the rematch of rematches, is scheduled for WWE’s WrestleMania 29 on April 7.  While fan reaction has been mixed thus far in terms of how well received this bout is, there are some serious rumblings happening that maybe this will be the moment that changes Cena’s career.  Maybe this is the moment that he will finally turn heel.

Seems we’re going back down that road again.  Yeah, I know.

We have talked this thing to death, haven’t we?  For what seems an eternity now, the burning topic of discussion among WWE fans has been whether or not Cena will ever once again make that turn.

Actually, the burning topic of discussion among WWE fans has been Cena, period. Everything the guy says, everything he does, is broken down, dissected, analyzed and hypothesized, seemingly every minute of every day.  To say that Cena  has been the most polarizing WWE Superstar of the last 10 years is to say that he doesn’t care much for wrestling boots.

Seriously, John, still with the sneakers?  

But yes, the truth is that the eternal debate of “will he or won’t he” has intensified lately and the biggest reason for that is The Rock.

WWE is presenting Cena as a man who is after redemption.  His loss to The People’s Champ last year was the catalyst that led to Cena having a fairly unsuccessful year.  

His inability to defeat CM Punk and regain the WWE Championship, combined with his personal issues outside the ring, have been attributed to his 'Mania loss.

Cena takes the full blame, of course, as we expected he would, and has admitted that he dropped the ball at WrestleMania 28.  He believes Rocky did not beat him and that he beat himself.  In Cena’s mind, there is no question as to who should have won last year and who will definitely win this year.

Again, this is about redemption.

But that redemption is delusion in The Rock’s opinion, as he is just not buying what John is selling. Rocky believes that if Cena were capable of beating him, then he would have, plain and simple.

So, we have a disagreement.  We have frustration.  And we have a Superstar whose career is as stale as his jokes.

Sorry, John, they’re just awful.

But that’s not all we have. Cena began Monday Night Raw by saying the following:

“There is no mistaking that April 7 will be a historic day for the WWE.  And whether I win or lose that match, it is safe to say that it will change the face of the WWE forever.”

I wonder just exactly what he meant by that.

Was it just part of the spot?  Just something to say to put over the match itself?  Or was there a bit of ominous foreshadowing attached to what he said?

Or are we all getting reeled in again?

The notion of Cena changing his colors, turning his back on the fans that he is always so desperate to win over, is so strong that we keep finding ourselves talking about it.  We do nothing but wait for it to happen.

But is it all just a waste of time?

I have to say that I can see both sides of it.  On one hand is the same old story, the one that paints Cena as the face of WWE, a guy who is just too good to turn heel.  He is the ultimate babyface, a Superstar who is beyond reproach and if he goes heel, then he would be letting down a lot of younger fans whose parents buy his merchandise by the truckload.

But on the other hand we have the Cena who promised that the company will change after WrestleMania.  He stood up to The Rock and at the end of their segment on Monday he did the “you can’t see me" as the two stood nose to nose.  

That Cena is on the verge of taking back his career from the fans who simply do not appreciate him.  He’s ready to do things his way.

Sounds good, right?  Think it’s going to happen?  Yeah, me neither.

The endless debate about Cena potentially turning heel is just that: endless.  The conditions seem to be right for the moment to occur at WrestleMania 29, but there is no guarantee that it will definitely happen.  

But, if there is one WWE Superstar who John could use as a reason to change, it’s The Rock, who could get him over in a heartbeat.  And, if there is one stage big enough to accommodate an epic storyline twist of this size, it’s WrestleMania.

And the debate rages on.