The Rock Calls John Cena’s Heel Turn An “Iconic” Moment In WWE History

The 2025 WWE Elimination Chamber premium live event delivered one of the most shocking moments in recent history, as John Cena officially turned heel by betraying Cody Rhodes and aligning himself with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

Following the event, The Rock addressed the moment during the post-show press conference, emphasizing the long-term storytelling involved in the angle.

“It meant something. I’m a long gamer, and I like creating with Paul [Levesque] and his team—we’re long gamers. What a lot of people thought at Bad Blood, there was a lot of criticism like, ‘It didn’t mean anything.’ It did. It’s okay if you’re not thinking about it now, but trust me when I tell you we are thinking of this stuff. Same thing as when we opened up Netflix in LA—I knew this night was coming. We’re long gaming.”

The Rock continued, expressing his excitement over the segment’s impact on the audience.

“It was an amazing moment. We as entertainers, whether in pro wrestling or film or television, you really live for moments like that where you can hopefully create something compelling and moving for the audience. To take 38,000 strong in Toronto and what we have collectively thought about and talked about in the back, before and certainly after this moment—no one really knew what was going to happen. Maybe if you called it, but for the most part, I thought the moment was incredible, and I personally loved it.”

Reflecting on the significance of the moment, The Rock compared it to some of the most iconic angles in wrestling history.

“I’ve been around the block in terms of being a pro wrestler. I love this business. What I felt tonight, and I’ve been a part of some really phenomenal professional wrestling angles—and as a kid growing up, I’ve seen some amazing pro wrestling angles—I felt like tonight stood beside all of those that were iconic angles.”

Cena’s heel turn marks a major shift in WWE’s WrestleMania 41 buildup, leaving fans wondering how this alliance between The Rock and Cena will impact Cody Rhodes’ road to the Undisputed WWE Championship.

The Rock talking about the criticism of people saying Bad Blood didn’t mean anything.

“We’re long gamers man… well it did, we’re always thinking”

EVERYTHING THE ROCK DOES MEANS SOMETHING, LIKE I SAID.#WWEChamber pic.twitter.com/qDhA2beOr5

— Nav (@Navtreaks) March 2, 2025