Elements to a Cena Heel Turn (P2)

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2) The Fan Interface

The ultimate irony in this inevitable Cena heel turn is it’ll produce just as much hypocrisy in his character as it does today. Much of what currently makes him a false prophet will simply make him an unconvincing doomsayer, that’s how broken he is as a character. The heel within him needs to define the hypocrisy and convert it into a strength, and the only way he can possibly do this is to be one of the first major heels in WWE’s universe to base his motivation squarely in the hands of the fans publicly, using both the cheers and boos he’ll receive as a single eternity to drive him towards some sort of personal salvation, in contrast to a large percentage of heels who publicly disregard the fans altogether. The Cena heel character should merely come across as the corrupted by-product of the golden boy tradition, the companies mismanaged creation with the fans acting as an enabler.

3) The Mentality

The formula for how to get Cena’s character thinking after the change lies in Steve Austin’s intense bully period from 2001, most notably the bully part. There’s various ways WWE superstars have channelled their intensity, Lesnar was very much about having fun with the power trip element, Orton had a methodical grace and eerie demeanour which outlined a damaged but focussed mind, Show has always fallen back on his size but when focussed has had this unstoppable vibe about him however much he’s beaten down. What will make Cena’s transformation special is the layered insecurity in his physique. ‘Campaign advert’ superCena as misguided as he is has always been sure of himself, he’s always been convinced of his place. Taking away that belief system will be very much like taking religion away from a fanatic, he’ll be left with nothing but uncertainty and resentment. It’s in this critical time where he’ll gain an understanding of the very things he casually brushes off today, and why he’s been such a sell out to himself. To give you a slightly corny analogy, he’ll feel as if he’s been taken out of the matrix without a guide. And in this frightening new reality where management are just golden boy generators, superstars are clueless sheep, where fans are unforgiving and fickle; he’s going to leash out (slight elements of Show’s most recent turn here). The bully part I alluded to earlier will come from a state of mind where he believes no-one is truly innocent, no-one is pure yet everyone has been judging him from a false pedestal throughout his career, fans included.

4) The Characteristics

Much like the initial seed of his heel turn which helpfully lies within, so do many unique characteristics. Dating back to his debut in 2002, Cena’s characters have always been very image conscious, every accessory, every motion, every item of clothing has always had a theoretical purpose (whether that purpose makes any sense half the time is another matter, but the intent has always been there). All his heel identity needs to do is extend that meticulous nature to the areas where he’s come under criticism, e.g. when the fans start up a ‘you can’t wrestle’ chant, he can make a point of beating down his opponent with his bare fists until they lay motionless. Where he currently tries to block out the infamous ‘lets go Cena, Cena sucks’ chants, as a heel he could demonstrate awareness of it affecting his mentality (similar to the yes chanting affecting Bryan). He could draw nostalgic memories of the past by clinging to his roots, a time when he truly was an underdog, e.g. he could develop a habit of winning matches with knuckle dusters, choking opponents with chains, change his music from the standard mainstream tripe to something with a more underground feel (censoring it rather than cutting it), ‘you can’t see me’ will obviously be given meaning again also.

Continued in Part 3......
(The Journey, The Identity, The Exit Strategy)