Undisputed WWE Champion John Cena did the unthinkable and turned heel in March, hitting a low blow on Cody Rhodes after winning the Elimination Chamber. Ever since, Cena has appeared in front of crowds to a mixed response, with fans in many cities not wanting to boo “The Never Seen 17” on his retirement tour, knowing it will be the last time they see him in the ring. Ahead of his match at SummerSlam against Rhodes, Dave LaGreca and WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray discussed how Cena’s heel turn hasn’t exactly been working on “Busted Open Radio.”
“[Cena] is entirely too big of a star to generate pure hatred,” he said. “Remember, in reality, there’s eight billion people on the planet, Dave, right? There’s sports stars, there’s movie stars, there’s music stars… You name the who’s who of the most famous people on the planet, but if you’re a part of the Make A Wish program and you have very limited time left with us, more people who are on their way out want to talk to John Cena than anybody else, and it’s not even close. So how do you hate such a good human being?”
Bully Ray compared Cena’s turn to Hulk Hogan’s heel turn at Bash at the Beach 1996, but also said Hogan was a bigger babyface than Cena before either man became a bad guy. LaGreca further argued it’s because fans know Cena is going away, to which the Hall of Famer questioned what WWE was supposed to do other than not announce the farewell tour. After SummerSlam, Cena only has around 12 dates left before he retires.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “Busted Open Radio” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
