Ric Flair Explains Why John Cena Can’t Be a Heel

Ric Flair Explains Why John Cena Can’t Be a Heel

YouTube: The Ariel Helwani Show / WWE

As one of the greatest heels in the history of the business, Ric Flair knows exactly what it takes to be a bad guy. While guesting on The Ariel Helwani Show, Flair spoke about John Cena’s pivotal heel turn and explained why Cena as a villain hasn’t resonated with fans.

Flair was on combat sports journalist Ariel Helwani’s show to pay tribute to Hulk Hogan, who suddenly passed away last week. Flair was shocked by Hogan’s death, openly weeping in an interview with TMZ and telling Helwani he’d Facetimed the Hulkster just two weeks earlier.

As Flair and Helwani discussed Hogan’s iconic 1996 heel turn, where he revealed himself as the third man in the nWo, the discussion turned to Cena and his 2025 turn.

“It’s hard to measure the two,” Flair responded when he was asked to compare Hulk and Cena’s heel turns. “But I loved the thing with John. The thing about John… John is Ricky Steamboat. There’s nothing bad about John. Some guys like Jack Brisco, Ricky Steamboat, Sting and all that… they just can’t be a heel. John, as great as he is, he’s just not a bad guy. Hulk could be a prick, but it’s from all those years of battling for his spot. Everybody wanted Hulk’s spot.”

Check out the full interview with Ric Flair below.

Jim Ross' 10 Greatest Calls in WWE

There's no debate to be had -- Jim Ross is the greatest commentator in the history of professional wrestling. JR's run during WWE's Attitude and Ruthless Aggression Eras remains unmatched, even when considering the longevity of Michael Cole's career and the explosive personality of Joey Styles in ECW.

No commentator has ever put more of themselves into the role, often calling matches as if they were biblical battles unfolding in a WWE ring. JR could make you believe that the ultimate fight between good and evil was taking place right before your eyes. He allowed a generation of wrestling fans to put their hopes and dreams into an antihero like Stone Cold Steve Austin, while stirring the WWE Universe's seething hatred for demonic villains like Triple H.

This list isn't about JR's best catchphrases like "Business is about to pick up!" or "Bah Gawd!" It's about compiling the times when Jim Ross' commentary elevated a moment to the highest level possible, evoking emotions in the viewer that rival any call in sports or entertainment broadcasting.

Check out our definitive list of the greatest calls in WWE history from Good Ol' JR -- Jim Ross!

Gallery Credit: WWE

10 Fastest Championship Matches in WWE History

A lightning fast championship match can be shocking, both for the right and the wrong reasons. Some of the quickest matches in WWE history have caused Superstars like Daniel Bryan to be catapulted to the top of the card, while others like Kofi Kingston had short moments of glory snatched away from them.

For this list, we're not counting Money in the Bank cash-ins like Dean Ambrose pinning Seth Rollins in nine seconds or Jack Swagger taking Chris Jericho's title in eight seconds. These are mostly traditional matches, minus one Money in the Bank precursor where Trish Stratus pulled the biggest heel move of her career.

Of course this is wrestling, so cheating is 100-percent legal for this list. If you happened to low blow your opponent just moments before the match began, only for the bell to ring thanks to some hapless referee -- that's a'okay with us!

Whether it be an iconic retirement match at Wrestlemania or a bizarre untelevised moment between a veteran and a rising star at Madison Square Garden, these are officially the 10 fastest championship matches in the history of WWE. Get out your stopwatches if you don't believe us!

Gallery Credit: WWE

Filed Under: John Cena, Ric Flair
Categories: WWE
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