3 WWE Superstars who can turn babyface to face John Cena

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John Cena shocked the world last weekend when he turned heel and aligned with his former rival, The Rock, at the 2025 WWE Elimination Chamber. Although his main target was Cody Rhodes, the character change will deeply affect the rest of the locker room in more ways than one.

At the 2025 WWE Elimination Chamber, Cody Rhodes refused to sell his soul to The Rock and be the corporate champion. Unbeknownst to him, John Cena took the deal. As the legend who helped many current talents rise to the roster, a superhero for many fans, and the face of the company, the change will expectedly have some ripple effects across the roster. Interestingly, this heel turn might even cause some names to turn babyface instead.

For this list, we will look at three WWE Superstars who can turn babyface to face John Cena.


#3. John Cena previously backed up Carmelo Hayes in NXT

Before Carmelo Hayes became one of the rising heels on SmackDown, he was one of the top stars in NXT. As a testament to how big he got at the developmental brand, he even received guidance from John Cena during his feud with Bron Breakker in 2023.

In the coming months, both men can meet again, but under different circumstances. Hayes can express how he used to look up to John and treasure his teachings despite their short time working together in 2023, only to be dismissed by The Cenation Leader.


#2. The Miz was a forgotten superstar in John Cena and The Rock's iconic feud

One of the biggest feuds in the 2010s, and possibly in history, was between The Rock and Cena. This feud kicked off at WrestleMania 27 when the former interfered during The Franchise Player's WWE Championship match, causing The Miz to retain the title.

This moment is something that The A-Lister has referenced several times in his career, mainly recalling how both men took away the glory and attention from his successful title defense. When John returns, The Miz can confront him and The Final Boss about their actions and claim they always think about themselves and not the people around them.

This could lead to a short rivalry between Cena and The Miz, possibly after WrestleMania.


#1. Finn Balor can kick off his rumored singles run by feuding with John Cena

One of the former rising stars Cena helped in the main roster was Finn Balor, whom he even endorsed in 2019. Now, Balor is part of the heel stable The Judgment Day, though reports have noted that he might return to being a singles star this year.

If Finn does branch out from The Judgment Day and return to being a singles star, his first feud with John can help elevate his babyface character again. As The Prince was previously endorsed by The Cenation Leader, seeing his views and beliefs change will surely get him questioning some of his teachings and choices as well.