John Cena Discusses Shoulder Surgery Recovery, Turning Heel, Passing Drug Tests

John Cena sees himself as a babyface and a heel.

In an interview with Erik Hedegaard of Rolling Stone released Thursday, the 15-time WWE World Heavyweight champion talked about how the fans' desires have created that dual role:   

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Look, your job as a superstar is to manipulate the audience and try to tell your story. I like the dynamic of the audience. Every single night it's different. But what's weird is that I'm a good guy because of all the kids and parents who like me, and a bad guy because I won't turn heel, which actually makes me both good guy and bad guy in one person.

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Since his first WWE title reign at WrestleMania 21 in 2005, Cena has been WWE's top main event draw for the better part of a decade. He has also long been a babyface, dating back to his Doctor of Thuganomics days in the mid-2000s. 

Not only has he stayed true to the company, but he's also been committed to his training regimen. Cena underwent surgery for a torn rotator cuff in January and has been working hard to get back to action. 

"It's been two-and-a-half months since the surgery and 107 rehab visits so far, and I'm already doing things they said would take nine months," he said. "I was antsy on Day 4. Being away from the product just makes me want it even more."

The leader of the Cenation, a weightlifter since his school days, prides himself on never failing a drug test.

"There's 60 or 70 of them," Cena said, showing Hedegaard all of his drug tests stapled to a wall at a gym. "I've passed them all."

For as much as the older generation of WWE fans may not care for Cena, he's not oblivious to the chatter outside of the squared circle. He knows fans want to see a different side of him in the ring, but with WWE entering the Reality Era, the fans continue to see the real Cena rather than a character. 

He's been a model of consistency since he's stepped into WWE, and that's how he earns everyone's respect.