Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff Weigh in on John Cena’s Heel Turn – Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff, two of the most influential figures in wrestling history, recently offered their thoughts on John Cena’s shocking heel turn, drawing comparisons to Hogan’s own game-changing turn when he aligned with the New World Order in WCW.
While talking about the new Real American Freestyle Wrestling project with Forbes, Bischoff made it clear that while there are surface similarities between the two turns—such as both men spending the majority of their careers as babyfaces—the execution and narrative structure surrounding Cena’s moment lacked the same build and long-term planning that defined Hogan’s iconic shift.
“Look, I respect the hell out of John Cena. He’s a good man and I consider him a friend, but I’d say the differences are pretty substantial,” Bischoff said. “There’s some parallels, too. John Cena was a babyface throughout the majority of his career. Okay, that’s a strong parallel, the ‘who’s the third man?’ storyline that played out for weeks, however long, before Hulk Hogan turned heel. That was an integral part of the story.”
Bischoff noted that Cena’s turn, though surprising, lacked the layered storytelling that made the NWO angle so impactful. “John Cena’s change of character to heel was spontaneous. There were rumors of it, and people speculated about it, but it wasn’t part of a storyline that was being built, and creating anticipation and then delivering at that moment and surprising people along the way,” he explained. “John surprised everybody because they didn’t know it was coming, but it just wasn’t the same because it wasn’t part of a story.”
Hogan, who initially deferred to Bischoff, ultimately agreed with his longtime collaborator. While praising Cena for his contributions to WWE and calling him his “favorite wrestler,” Hogan emphasized the difference in scale and execution between the two turns.
“Well, first off, John Cena was my favorite wrestler,” Hogan admitted. “Because I grinded for years, brother, and there was no Rock, no Stone Cold. There was only me for 20-plus years… So John stepped up and really ran with the ball, and he did a really great job. I think he saw more Make-A-Wish kids than anybody’s ever seen.”
Hogan then focused on the fallout from Cena’s heel turn, describing a disconnect he felt during the segment. “When The Rock did the throat thing, cut his throat, and John Cena turned heel, I expected more of the same. And then John Cena came out and there was no Rock, and I just got disconnected at that point,” Hogan said. “I was expecting the characters to keep rolling out like we did… it didn’t feel like that big tidal wave coming at you. Like when the nWo took over, man… we just cleaned house and beat everybody’s ass, and we just killed it.”
While the full impact of Cena’s new heel persona remains to be seen, Hogan and Bischoff both agree that successful wrestling angles require a carefully built narrative foundation. Cena’s turn may have shocked the crowd, but to these veterans, it lacked the long-term vision and explosive aftermath that defined one of wrestling’s most iconic moments.
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Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff Weigh in on John Cena’s Heel Turn
