Reason Behind John Cena's Questionable Booking in His Final Run, According to Former WWE Writer
John Cena’s in-ring career officially concludes at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event, but much of his farewell tour has been criticized for inconsistent storytelling and questionable booking decisions. Former WWE head writer Vince Russo has now offered an explanation, claiming he learned the real reason from someone inside the company.
Cena returned in January to begin his retirement run, delivering his first heel turn in twenty years on the road to WrestleMania 41. Initially surrounded by megastars such as The Rock and Travis Scott, Cena’s heel alignment quickly lost momentum as those alliances dissolved. By August, he had already abandoned the heel persona ahead of his rematch with Cody Rhodes.
Speaking on Behind The Turnbuckle Studios’ The Coach and Bro Show, Vince Russo stated that an established WWE talent informed him that Cena was originally controlling his own creative direction. Russo added that, following the collapse of the planned storyline involving The Rock and Triple H’s backstage fallout, Cena apparently gave up creative control and simply followed whatever WWE management presented.
“At the beginning of this retirement tour, I spoke to a talent in WWE—an established name—and he assured me Cena was calling the shots. Cena was laying out the creative because he was fully in control,” Russo explained.
“But I think once The Rock and Hunter situation blew up and everything went off course, Cena realized the story was already damaged. From what I was told, he essentially said, ‘Do whatever you want.’ He stopped steering the creative and just went with whatever they gave him.”
John Cena Signs New Five-Year Deal With WWE
Although Cena’s retirement match this weekend marks the end of his in-ring career, it does not end his association with WWE. Speaking with Tom Rinaldi after RAW, Cena confirmed that he has signed a five-year contract to serve as an ambassador for the company.
While he won’t be competing physically again, the 17-time World Champion will remain a prominent figure in the Stamford-based promotion as he transitions into the next chapter of his career—balancing Hollywood commitments with global brand responsibilities for WWE.
