Mick Foley was as “surprised” as anybody over John Cena’s heel flip at Elimination Chamber.
Entering Wrestlemania 41, Cena will enter his Undisputed WWE Championship match in opposition to 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 attention-grabbing layer to the principle occasion at Wrestlemania. The concept of Cena successful his file 18th World Title — which might break Ric Flair’s file — was already attention-grabbing sufficient.
However, the long-awaited and what gave the impression to be unfathomable heel flip by Cena has everybody within the wrestling world buzzing.
Foley provides credit score to Cena for going by way of 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 was surprised,” Foley informed Card Player in an unique interview. “I heard about it; I think I was on the road when it happened. I watched it back and we were marveling about how we knew it was John Cena, but he’d almost taken on a transformation. He almost looked like a different human being. I think all the years in Hollywood have served him well because the look on his eyes was so realistic.”
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 common amongst the youthful followers because of his catchphrases similar to “Hustle. Loyalty. Respect” and his repute for granting probably the most needs by way of Make-a-Wish Foundation.
The final time Cena performed a heel was in 2003 when he had his “Basic Thuganomics” gimmick. Considering the lengthy stretch since he final performed a heel, Foley provides credit score to Cena for the “magnificent turn.”
”It didn’t look overblown,” says Foley of Cena’s heel flip. “It wasn’t like he was playing to the top row of the upper level, which can look silly in high definition. It was a magnificent turn. I applaud everyone involved for having the guts to carry it out. I am worried about those kids who love Cena, but most of those kids are 20 years old now. I think they can understand and he still has a very powerful connection with the younger fans.”
Foley’s level is true — a lot of the children who grew up throughout Cena’s full-time run within the WWE are adults now. Furthermore, that is his retirement tour and his last yr wrestling, which suggests 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 getting into Wrestlemania.
The 59-year-old Foley switched between babyface and heel throughout his full-time run within the WWE between 1996 and 2000. While 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 type “The Rock ‘n’ Sock Connection.”
Foley is aware of higher than anybody what it takes to play a very good heel and a very good 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 Flair in 1989 and Hulk Hogan’s well-known heel flip at Bash at The Beach in WCW in 1996 to type the NWO with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall.
”Everyone gets one good turn,” says Foley. “Any turn after the first turn is at least partly a money grab, but everyone deserves one great turn and John Cena pulled it off.”
The “Hardcore Legend” isn’t certain which route they head into in the case of 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 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 folks discuss Austin, they don’t keep in mind heel Austin — they keep in mind the three:16 Austin that was giving the Stone Cold Stunner to Vince McMahon.
He does repeatedly point out how good and highly effective this latest heel flip by Cena is.
”This is so good,” says Foley of Cena’s heel flip. “This is so powerful. People have to remember it. The ironic thing is that it’s going to cause the people who hated him to love him and going to cause the people who love him to hate him. It’s still going to be a 50-50 split. It’s just a completely different 50-50 split.”
At a latest Monday Night Raw, Cena delivered his second promo as a heel, claiming that he’ll “ruin wrestling” by successful the title, taking it dwelling with him after which retiring.
While many imagine that Cena will emerge with the championship to interrupt the World Title file 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 part of the intrigue of watching the show and I think it’s going to be a great event. It’s going to be really memorable.”
DJ Siddiqi is a sports activities reporter who focuses on soccer, basketball, baseball and professional wrestling. He has lined a number of the largest sporting occasions, together with the NBA Finals and Wrestlemania and infrequently interviews high-profile athletes. Siddiqi has interviewed the likes of Dan Marino, Emmitt Smith, Shaquille O’Neal, Tony Hawk and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
*Photo courtesy of @foleyispod on Twitter/X_
