Dave Meltzer: John Cena's Heel Turn May Mirror That Of WWE Hall Of Famer In Early 90s

It's 2025, and we now live in a world where WWE's John Cena is operating as a heel for the first time in over 20 years. While it's possible to draw comparisons to infamous turns from wrestlers like Hulk Hogan and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, today's Wrestling Observer Newsletter featured writer Dave Meltzer predicting that Cena's heel run will instead follow the formula of a different WWE Hall of Famer.

"In theory, this looks ... closer to the Sgt. Slaughter thing where he turns, does his program with the top guys, and then turns back once the angle runs its course, and retires as a face," Meltzer wrote.

Slaughter initially retired from in-ring competition in 1992, though like many wrestlers, he wound up returning to the ring many subsequent times. Just as Meltzer described, Slaughter's run saw him become a villain, with a controversial anti-American version of his military character facing off against company stars like Hogan, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, and more. Before wrapping up with the company, Slaughter turned face again, but his "retirement" wasn't emphasized the way Cena's has been.

With Cena set to wrap up his in-ring career at the end of this year, Meltzer believes it's inevitable that his run as a villain will be short-lived, as fans are going to heavily cheer the wrestler when the end arrives. The only way that might not happen is if Cena goes back on his word about retiring, which seems unlikely at this point.

For now, however, Cena will remain the villain in the story as he prepares to challenge Cody Rhodes at WWE WrestleMania 41. With Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson at his side, Cena will attempt to capture a world title for the 17th time, breaking the tie that he currently holds with Ric Flair.