Hypocrisy, Betrayal, Disrespect: John Cena Was Always a Heel in WWE

It makes you wonder if Cena has a point. Was he the goody-two-shoes model of Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect that he claims he was for over 20 years? Are the fans wrong in booing Cena? Was John Cena right to express his anger, and were we the ones in the wrong?

Well, it’s not easy to answer this question, but the short answer is no. Let’s talk about it.

Who is John Cena?

Over the last two decades, fans have learned a lot about the man they couldn’t see, and they thought they’d get more of the same during his final year as an active wrestler.

If you’re familiar with the John Cena lore, you probably remember his debut in WWE, answering Kurt Angle’s open challenge and gradually earning the respect of legends such as the Undertaker in his first few months on the WWE roster.

You also may remember that he was on the verge of getting fired in 2002, mere months after his debut, before his career was saved by rapping to Stephanie McMahon on a WWE tour bus. Through this, Cena supposedly never whined, never complained, and made sure to earn everything he was given.

After all, Cena said during a stream with Kai Cenat that he is aware of the luck he has been given throughout his life but makes sure to earn every sunset.

Do you hear that, guys? You have to earn every sunset, just like John Cena. Or, you could do this.

Hypocrisy

Let’s take a time machine back to the Raw after TLC 2009, where Cena lost his WWE Championship to the then-upstart Sheamus. This promo has since become folklore in the legacy of John Cena.

Even if you haven’t watched much wrestling, you may have at least heard the words, “You never give up, you pick yourself up, you brush yourself off, you push forward, you move on, you adapt, you overcome—That is what I believe!”

Man, for a guy who preaches never giving up and earning every opportunity, he sure has been handed a lot of stuff! The biggest example came on the July 25, 2011, edition of Monday Night Raw, two weeks after CM Punk’s infamous walkout at Money in the Bank.

Mere minutes after Rey Mysterio finally won the WWE Championship for the first time, Cena walked up to him and immediately challenged him to a title match, which he won, ending Mysterio’s only WWE Title reign at two hours. Over the 20-plus years of Cena being a righteous babyface, challenging an exhausted Mysterio on the same night as his championship win may have been the shadiest thing he’s ever done.

Perhaps my favorite part of the Cena/Mysterio debacle is following the match where Cena helps a broken and battered Mysterio to his feet as Jim Ross says, “And look at the class, the professionalism of the champion!”

During Cena’s first promo since Elimination Chamber, he told the crowd, “All you ever do is take. You take! You take! And you take! And you only care about yourselves!”

Well, John, let’s talk about your press conference following your loss in the 2025 Royal Rumble, where you claimed a spot in the following month’s Elimination Chamber match despite knowing you would be absent for the build and refusing to win a qualifying match like the other five participants.

The signs were there, folks. John Cena has been given handout after handout, despite what he’d like you to believe.

Betrayal

Now we move on to the next word in Cena’s infamous catchphrase: Loyalty. This is another mantra Cena has lived by during his entire run at the top. No matter what, John Cena will never turn his back on the crowd or his friends.

Well, about that last part.

Remember Zack Ryder and how red-hot he was during the summer and fall of 2011? Remember the Ryder Revolution and the movement by fans that led to him winning the United States Title at TLC 2011, all with Cena supporting his every move? Ryder was on top of the world until he wasn’t.

Following his US Title win, everything that could’ve gone wrong for Ryder went wrong. He lost his championship due to unfavorable treatment from authority and was the subject of countless beatdowns by Kane as part of his campaign for Cena to “Embrace the Hate,” which I’m sure brought back some unfortunate memories for some 2010s-era wrestling fans.

The first two months of 2012 were Hell on Earth for Ryder, as he was chokeslammed through the stage by Kane, Tombstoned, and eventually put in a wheelchair, which Kane unceremoniously sent flying off the entrance stage, all the while Cena looked on from a safe distance with a slightly concerned expression on his face as he took his cap off and scratched his hair out of nervousness over and over again.

Additionally, not only did Cena do little to nothing to save Ryder from Kane’s wrath, but he also made out with his girlfriend, Eve, as Ryder watched while confined to a wheelchair! What a guy, am I right?

Additionally, remember during the buildup to Survivor Series 2014, when Cena’s team was repeatedly beaten up by Team Authority while Cena was nowhere to be found? Commentary never even mentioned his absence, as he allowed his teammates to get pummeled in the buildup to a match that decided the fate of WWE’s higher powers.

That sure is some loyalty you’re showing, John! How dare the fans give you any backlash?

Disrespect

Over the last decade-plus, John Cena has been a model of respect and humility. Whether he’s breaking the record for most Make-a-Wish appearances or taking time out of his day to greet every fan and detractor alike, Cena always shows the utmost respect to his peers and fans.

Well, not so much.

There are too many instances to count for this entry, so I’ll play the hits. Remember when Cena interrupted Dolph Ziggler and AJ Lee’s New Year’s Toast by dumping excrement on them? What about the time he AA’d Batista off an ambulance through the floor after he had already quit, which essentially ended Batista’s career since he was too injured to compete the next night and quit WWE instead of being forced to wrestle and risk another injury? Let’s not even get into the jokes at Vickie Guerrero’s expense.

Long story short, John Cena has not exactly been the poster child for respecting others and earning everything he would like you to believe. If we’re being honest, his recent betrayal of Cody Rhodes and attack on the WWE fans may just be him showing everyone how he’s felt all this time.

I’ll end it with this: For the last few weeks, wrestling fans have been echoing, “Bray Wyatt was right.” Many believe Wyatt predicted Cena’s turn to the dark side five years ago in the leadup to their Firefly Funhouse Match at WrestleMania 36. What if I told you that Wyatt had Cena’s number over a decade ago?

In the wake of Cena’s actions over the past few weeks, the words of the late great Wyatt echo. “John Cena has made a career out of lying to you all. He earns your trust hidden behind his porcelain smile, but don’t be fooled. He is no man; he is a beast.”

It took over a decade to come to fruition, but as the people say, Bray Wyatt was always right.