Stephanie McMahon Wanted John Cena to Turn Heel at One Point, Is Glad He Didn't

Over the years, a not-insignificant number of WWE fans have eagerly awaited for John Cena to turn to the dark side, and WWE's chief brand officer, Stephanie McMahon, revealed it nearly happened.

In an interview on the Cheap Heat podcast (h/t Wrestling Inc's William Windsor), McMahon said she wanted to see a heel turn for Cena but doesn't regret not pulling the trigger:

"

At one point in his career, I really wanted to see him turn heel. I wanted it as a fan and I also thought it was the right thing to do, but it turns out I was wrong. And [WWE chairman Vince McMahon] and John… oh yeah [Stephanie fought to have Cena turn heel], oh yeah, totally, I did. Yeah, but I'm glad that we didn't go that way, and I think, now, it would be odd for John to turn heel.

"

As McMahon argued, the ship has almost certainly sailed for Cena to cease being WWE's biggest babyface.

Not only would WWE risk alienating a large chunk of its fanbase that idolizes the 16-time world champion, his seemingly lighter schedule would also make a heel turn feel underwhelming from a storytelling perspective.

Hulk Hogan's heel turn at Bash at the Beach in 1996 worked so well because it led to the creation of the New World Order, thus creating a new era for WCW.

Cena, on the other hand, may be winding down as a full-time performer.

He missed a few months at the end of 2016 to film the television series American Grit, and Wrestling Observer Radio's Dave Meltzer (via Wrestle Zone's Nick Paglino) reported in February Cena will take another hiatus after WrestleMania 33.

As Cena's Hollywood profile continues to grow, it wouldn't be surprising in the near future see him walk away from wrestling altogether, similar to The Rock in 2003. And should Cena begin looking more and more toward a future outside of WWE, the company would have even less incentive to deviate from the norm.