Undisputed WWE Champion John Cena, who has embraced a surprising heel character during his 2025 retirement tour, recently acknowledged Stephanie McMahon as a significant influence on his ability to portray a compelling villain.

Cena, who famously turned heel at the Elimination Chamber premium live event earlier this year by aligning with The Rock, had spent most of his two-decade career as WWE’s ultimate babyface.

During that time, he often found himself at odds with various on-screen antagonists, including Stephanie McMahon in her capacity as a powerful heel authority figure. Speaking directly to Stephanie on her ESPN+ show, Stephanie’s Places, Cena explained how her performances helped shape his understanding of being an effective heel.

“Can I just say I had some really good people to learn from. You are on a very short list of names that falls into [that category],” Cena told McMahon. He added, “I flat out steal a lot from you. So, thanks for helping me through this.” This admission highlights the respect Cena has for McMahon’s character work and her ability to generate reactions from WWE fans.

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Cena’s history with Stephanie McMahon in WWE storylines is extensive, primarily featuring her in antagonistic authority roles during his peak years as the company’s top babyface.

From 2013 to 2016, as part of “The Authority” alongside Triple H, McMahon used her power to create obstacles for Cena, delivering scathing promos and unfair scenarios against him.

Earlier in his career, during her tenure as SmackDown General Manager, she also had memorable confrontations with a then-rising Cena, often disapproving of his “Doctor of Thuganomics” persona. These on-screen rivalries provided Cena with countless opportunities to observe McMahon’s mastery of heel tactics, crowd manipulation, and promo delivery.

As Cena navigates the final months of his in-ring career, which is set to end in December 2025, he does so as the reigning Undisputed WWE Champion, fully embracing his heel side.

WWE fans will see this heel champion in action at the Money in the Bank premium live event on June 7th, where he will team with United States Champion Logan Paul to take on Jey Uso and Cody Rhodes. From there, speculation is Cena will face Rhodes.

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