Wade Barrett has shared his honest thoughts on John Cena’s recent character arc, specifically criticizing the decision for the 17-time World Champion to turn heel during his retirement tour. Cena shocked the wrestling world earlier this year with a heel turn that saw him capture the WWE Championship. He eventually reverted to his “Doctor of Thuganomics” and “Never Give Up” roots leading into SummerSlam. Speaking in an interview with Alistair McGeorge of Metro, Barrett did not mince words about the creative direction.
“I don’t know if he took some bad advice on the whole heel turn. I didn’t like it at all. I didn’t think it was the right move, and I think his course correct around about SummerSlam time was absolutely the right thing to do,” Barrett stated.
Barrett Praises the “Course Correction”
The heel run was a significant departure for Cena, who had spent nearly two decades as the company’s top babyface. While it generated buzz, many fans and pundits questioned the logic of altering such an iconic legacy so close to the end. Barrett believes that returning to the classic persona was necessary for the farewell tour to resonate properly.
“I think he owed it to the WWE Universe and, of course, his legions of Cenation fans to close this thing out the right way and give people what they wanted from him, which is the John Cena they’ve known and loved all along,” Barrett continued.
Barrett has a long history with Cena, dating back to his own main roster debut as the leader of The Nexus in 2010. Cena is now set to compete in his final match against Gunther at Saturday Night’s Main Event, closing out his in-ring career as the babyface figure that defined a generation.
