Bully Ray: Why Hogan’s Heel Turn Matters More Than Cena’s

One Big Thing

WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray believes Hulk Hogan’s 1996 heel turn will leave a more lasting impact on wrestling than John Cena’s recent character switch, citing the expected short-term nature of Cena’s villainous role.

Key Details

• Hogan’s turn at WCW Bash at the Beach 1996 launched the iconic nWo faction
• Cena turned heel after 21 years as a babyface, targeting Cody Rhodes
• Cena plans to end his in-ring career in 2025

Direct Quote

“Hogan turning heel I believe will be a bigger heel turn than Cena’s, because I don’t think Cena’s is going to be [long-term],” Bully Ray said on Busted Open Radio.

Why It Matters

• Hogan’s heel turn sparked wrestling’s most profitable era
• The nWo storyline changed wrestling storytelling forever
• Cena’s turn focuses specifically on elevating Cody Rhodes

By The Numbers

• Hogan: 15 years as a babyface before turning
• Cena: 21 years as a fan favorite before his heel turn
• nWo storyline ran from 1996-2000

What’s Next

Cena and Rhodes will meet on tomorrow’s WWE Raw in Brussels, building toward their WrestleMania 41 confrontation.

The Bottom Line

While both turns shocked the wrestling world, Hogan’s heel turn created industry-wide changes that still influence wrestling today. Cena’s turn appears designed for a specific storyline with a planned endpoint.

What do you think – will John Cena’s heel run surprise us and have a bigger impact than expected? Share your thoughts in the comments below.