During a recent interview with Alfred Konuwa of Forbes.com, WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan shared his thoughts on the ongoing John Cena heel turn storyline that began at Elimination Chamber 2025. Hogan, who was central to one of the most memorable heel turns in wrestling history with the formation of the nWo in WCW, offered both praise and critique as he compared Cena’s shift in character to his own groundbreaking moment.

Reflecting on Cena’s impact over the years, Hogan was quick to show admiration for the 16-time world champion and his contributions to the industry, particularly outside the ring.

“Well, first off, John Cena was my favorite wrestler. Because I grinded for years, brother, and there was no Rock, no Stone Cold. There was only me for 20-plus years… So John stepped up and really ran with the ball, and he did a really great job. I think he saw more Make-A-Wish kids than anybody’s ever seen.”

Hogan then addressed the way Cena’s heel turn was presented, referencing his own experience turning heel during the infamous Bash at the Beach moment in 1996. He highlighted how the success of the nWo storyline came from the build-up and the continuous development of characters that kept the momentum alive.

“And at the end of the day, when he turned heel, like the [nWo] storyline, like Eric said, we set it up, we set up, we set up, then we delivered. And then not only did we deliver, we rolled out with me, Hall and Nash. And that story kept snowballing… And so for me, watching that story with John Cena, when The Rock did the throat thing, cut his throat, and John Cena turned heel, I expected more of the same. And then John Cena came out and there was no Rock, and I just got disconnected at that point, ’cause I was expecting the characters to keep rolling out like we did… it didn’t feel like that big tidal wave coming at you. Like when the nWo took over, man… we just cleaned house and beat everybody’s ass, and we just killed it.”

Hogan’s comments point to a sense of missed opportunity in how WWE followed through on Cena’s shocking turn, suggesting that it lacked the continued escalation and unpredictability that made the nWo angle so effective.