WWE President Nick Khan recently appeared on The Bill Simmons Podcast, where he offered a rare look behind the curtain at WWE’s biggest creative decisions — particularly those involving megastars like John Cena, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Cody Rhodes, and Paul “Triple H” Levesque.
While fans have debated the possibility of a Cena heel turn for over a decade, Khan explained that Cena’s unmatched popularity and merchandise sales remain a key reason WWE never pulled that trigger during his full-time run:
“Number one, John Cena’s merchandise is still off the charts. Top of show at every event, or almost every event.”
Khan then shifted to more recent creative, appearing to reference the WrestleMania XL storyline, where Cena aligned with Rhodes in his battle against The Rock and Roman Reigns’ dominant heel faction. Khan emphasized that when it comes to major moves like that, the decision wasn’t divisive — it was unanimous:
“The sort of collective decision to make that heel turn [or major angle], Triple H, Cena, Dwayne Johnson, Cody, everyone immediately on board with the whole thing.”
This comment speaks volumes about how much alignment and trust exists among WWE’s top-tier talent and leadership in shaping monumental moments. The recent storyline — with The Rock embracing a villainous role and Cena stepping in on behalf of Rhodes — drew rave reviews for its execution and star power.
As WWE continues riding its post-WrestleMania momentum, Khan’s remarks shed light on the collaborative force behind the company’s current creative renaissance.
