Steve Austin Says He Never Should Have Turned Heel At WWE WrestleMania X-Seven

The wrestling world was shook when John Cena turned heel at WWE’s 2025 Elimination Chamber premium live event, undergoing one of the biggest heel turns in the history of professional wrestling. Cena’s move to the dark side has been compared to previous heel turns from megastar babyfaces Hulk Hogan and Steve Austin, both of which were major twists in professional wrestling history. 

Austin’s heel turn at WrestleMania 17 was met with a mixed reaction both at the time and in hindsight, with many disliking the decision. When looking back, Austin too was not overly fond of how things played out. When speaking to Sports Illustrated, Austin was asked about advice he’d give to John Cena on turning heel due to the comparison between their respective turns. 

"I loved working heel when I was in WCW. I loved working heel when I first came into WWE, because that was a true heel. When I turned heel at what WrestleMania 17, the people didn't want me to turn heel. It was a force to turn. It was my idea. Vince always likes to do something big on a WrestleMania. So, I suggested that. And he said, okay, but it was a s**t move. People weren't ready for it. People didn't want it. I just figured it go over like gangbusters. The heel I was trying to be was so hated, so so much, so fast. I think I tried too hard. When I look back at it, sure, I got to push the creative envelope and do a lot of things that were cool or whatever, and, you know, push the envelope in a different direction and go out on a limb. But, people didn't want me to turn heel, and so I should have never done that. So, I don't think that I'm in a position that I need to offer John Cena any advice from Steve Austin."

Austin may not have too much to say on Cena’s heel turn, but Megatron was certainly full of praise of this new villainous Cena - his comments can be seen here. Reports emerged over the last few weeks that WWE had originally planned Cena’s heel turn for WrestleMania, but this was brought forward.