Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
You can send us questions for the PWInsider.com Q and A at pwinsider@gmail.com.
If the Skydome sold out...sold 60,000 tickets based on the original promotion of John Cena's farewell match in Toronto, does John Cena still turn heel? Is part of the motivation to turn Cena heel based on slow ticket sales with him as the ultimate good guy on his final tour? Was the thought, "Hey, good guy Cena returning for a final run isn't moving the numbers beyond what we already do and we have him for a year, find a way to make him interesting. What do you think?
I don’t know for sure but I am guessing it was the plan for a while. As Mike Johnson reported, the plan a month or so ago was for CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns. That took the three natural rivals for Cody out of the picture. So if I am making an educated guess, this was the plan for a bit and not a last minute thing.
My question is about the recent AEW media call. I’m not sure if it’s more sad or pathetic that Tony Khan is still boasting about the ticket sales from the first All In PPV from 2023. Someone should inform and remind him that it’s 2025, he needs to live in the present instead of the past and focus more on why the current state of his product isn’t as good as it was 2 year ago.
They could try but would he listen? I don’t think so. Instead, he will be like Al Bundy from Married With Children and remember the good old says where he scored four touchdowns at Polk High.
Question, if you were a betting man - do you see Austin making a run-in at Wrestlemania this year?
I have no knowledge either way. You could definitely make the case that he could be the person to counteract Rock for Cody’s match with John Cena. You could have made that case last year as well. So flip a coin. That’s what I would do.
Since Badd Blood, was The Rock playing 4D chess all along with us? First, with his mysterious hand gesture to close that show, leading to his sudden congenial demeanor towards Cody on the Raw Netflix debut, to his "sell your soul to me" proposal on Smackdown - all as a set up to fatten Cody for the kill with the Cena heel turn at EC? Was this brilliant storytelling with Easter eggs and breadcrumbs that we missed? Or, did HHH save Wrestlemania 41 by convincing John Cena to turn heel to overcome The Rock from bigfooting WM AGAIN with his bizarre, high concept ideas?
So he does a throat slash gesture to a guy he would later tell us he had become good friends with and that’s 4D chess? I don’t see that. And I don’t see HHH convincing John to do anything. John can do what he likes and he has wanted to be a heel for years. Rock has full control of whatever he does. I think they just decided to do it, probably after the throat slash. If Cody was your friend then, you wouldn’t do it and he sure as hell wouldn’t stay friends with you after you did. I think Rock always wanted to be part of Mania due to the press it brings him. When he and Cena became aligned, I can’t say but again it isn’t 4D chess to me. It’s bad checkers on Rock’s part.
In hindsight, Cena's unexpected announcement at the Royal Rumble '25 press conference to declare himself an entrant in the Elimination Chamber without qualifying was a clear character shift. When do you think the decision for the big heel turn was finalized? The latest would be in early January before that press conference. Do you think this heel turn was the grand creative plan HHH, Rock, and Cena cooked up around the time of Badd Blood, when the Rock gave that cryptic hand gesture? Or, do you think this was the plan even before Cena's retirement tour was announced?
I think that is exactly why John grabbed the spot. His actions have made a lot more sense than Rock’s have from a logic standpoint.
You can send us questions for the PWInsider.com Q and A at pwinsider@gmail.com.
If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
Bang On Casino
