John Cena's Next Big Step on WWE Heel Tour, Shuffling the AEW Deck, More Quick Takes

As surreal of a sight as John Cena badmouthing the Brussels crowd during his first heel promo on last Monday's Raw was, it still left fans with more questions than answers.

Of course, it would be premature for his program with Cody Rhodes to peak over a month before they get to their big bout at WrestleMania 41, but there are several important aspects of his heel turn that he has yet to explain. Thus, the stakes are even higher for his next scheduled appearance on Monday's Raw in London.

Meanwhile, All Elite Wrestling has had many shake-ups of its own heading into Dynasty and Double or Nothing, particularly in the main event scene and the women's division.

Cope is being phased out of the AEW World Championship picture in favor of Swerve Strickland, while fresh faces are stepping up to challenge reigning champs Toni Storm and Mercedes Moné in the coming weeks.

All of these positive developments will go a long way in helping "restore the feeling" AEW has lacked for the last few months and making matters more interesting on its weekly television shows.

This installment of Quick Takes will delve into which moves AEW is making, Rhea Ripley's confusing character arc, talk of Sting potentially inducting Lex Luger into the WWE Hall of Fame, and more.

John Cena's Heel Turn Is Not Yet Complete

In order for John Cena's long-awaited heel turn to live up to the hype, it must be fully fleshed out and explained before he challenges Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 41.

His reasoning for not altering his attire and entrance music, while disappointing, was at least addressed and made sense. He was also able to vent years of pent-up frustration on the fans for rejecting his happy-go-lucky attitude and not showing him support when he needed it most.

However, Cena completely neglected to mention why exactly he aligned with The Rock and "sold him his soul" at Elimination Chamber. In fact, The Final Boss was never mentioned once, and there has been zero indication he'll be popping up again ahead of 'Mania.

Furthermore, it was never specified why Cena decided to turn his back on the audience now as opposed to a decade or so ago when it would have been much more understandable, not at a time when he is more universally beloved than ever before.

Cena's sudden character shift has made his match and rivalry with Rhodes infinitely more exciting than it would have been with the two of them as babyfaces, but even if this was a last-minute pivot, WWE has to use the remainder of the Road to WrestleMania to add more depth to the turn to justify it happening.

Rhea Ripley Ready for Her Next Character Evolution

Although it's more a matter of when than if the Triple Threat match between Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky for the Women's World Championship will be made official for WrestleMania 41, WWE still has plenty of work to do in regards to developing the characters involved, specifically the Australian.

Her loss of the coveted title should have been a turning point for her stagnant persona. Her popularity as a babyface has never wavered, but she was becoming less and less compelling as a character because her rivalry with Liv Morgan had run its course and there was nothing left for her to conquer.

Ripley went so far as to show signs of desperation, heartbreak and uncertainty the same night she dropped the belt in a video exclusive to WWE's social channels. It was perhaps the strongest promo she's cut in her career, yet it was never subsequently acknowledged on air.

Instead, she exhibited extremely whiny behavior during Sky and Belair's contract signing on last week's Raw. It went against everything she has represented in recent years and was a significant step back for her character, despite the intention clearly being for her to work her way into the 'Mania matchup.

WWE's next steps with Ripley are crucial. It's too soon for her to go back to being a heel, a spot Belair could benefit from that much more at the moment. Instead, making The Eradicator even slightly more vulnerable and relatable will prevent fans from turning on her before it's too late.

Should AEW Allow Sting to Induct Lex Luger Into WWE Hall of Fame?

Lex Luger's place in the WWE Hall of Fame's Class of 2025 is undeniable, but there is the dilemma of whether his longtime friend, Sting, will be allowed to induct him.

Since retiring from the ring at last year's Revolution, Sting has remained under contract to AEW. He would require clearance from Tony Khan to be able to appear at the ceremony and have the honor of inducting Luger on stage, but it'd be understandable for the AEW president to deny the request given WWE's questionable tactics toward his promotion in recent years.

That included WWE not wanting Luger or Diamond Dallas Page, who were both under Legends deals at the time, to appear on screen at last year's Revolution despite being at ringside for Sting's final match. AEW now being automatically expected to use an AEW-contracted talent in a prominent role at at a WWE Hall of Fame ceremony would hardly be fair.

That said, the history Luger and Sting share and how much it would mean for the latter to be involved in the former's special night should trump company politics.

At the very least, Khan giving Sting the green light to attend—regardless of what he gets in exchange, if anything—would only lend him more goodwill from fans, especially after recently granting the releases of Miro, Malakai Black, Ricky Starks and Rey Fenix. It could be a win-win situation for both WWE and AEW.

AEW Women's Division Is Back on the Ascent

AEW has had an unmatched amount of talent in its women's division for some time now, but only in recent months has the company truly tapped into utilizing them in a more meaningful manner, as evidenced by the tremendous Toni Storm vs. Mariah May saga and Mercedes Moné picking up steam as TBS champion.

The renewed effort AEW has put into the stacked scene was extra apparent on last Wednesday's Dynamite when Megan Bayne vs. Kris Statlander headlined the episode, a hard-fought bout that saw the former go over in decisive fashion before brawling with Storm.

Bayne has barely been around in AEW and already is being booked as the most dominant force the division has seen since the rise of Jade Cargill.

A case can be made for Bayne beating Storm and taking the title when they collide at Dynasty on April 6, if only to capitalize on the momentum the newcomer has.

The TBS title picture is also in the process of being shaken up with the impending arrival of Athena, who has been relegated largely to Ring of Honor for the past two-and-a-half years. She's the perfect foil for the undefeated Moné, especially heading into the All In event in Athena's native Texas.

Per Fightful, Moné vs. Athena could be coming as soon as Dynasty, and if so, it should turn into a full-fledged feud that plays out primarily on Dynamite.

Why a Cope and Christian Cage Reunion Is Imminent

Elsewhere in AEW, Cope finds himself at a crossroads following his failure of a feud with Jon Moxley, having lost to the AEW world champion in anticlimactic fashion on three consecutive occasions.

The interference from The Patriarchy in his Street Fight on the March 19 Dynamite would seem to suggest he has unfinished business with Christian Cage. And seeing as how they've already had their fair share of singles matches in AEW, the only logical endgame is the two reuniting in the tag team division.

It's been nearly 25 years since they last consistently teamed, and with both men presumably nearing the end of their respective full-time careers, now would be an ideal time for them to rekindle their friendship and chase tag team gold one last time.

It should be a story told over the course of a few months that eventually culminates in a match against one of AEW's most decorated tandems FTR, which would explain the tension teased between Cope and Dax Harwood on Dynamite.

Cope and Christian have done everything they can do at the main event and midcard levels in AEW, so entering the tag team ranks would be an effective use of both legends.

It could simultaneously help elevate the once-prominent division and make for fresh matchups with The Hurt Syndicate, The Young Bucks and others.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.