10 Most Unthinkable WWE Changes In The Last 5 Years

By 2011, John Cena’s reputation as WWE’s all-conquering burial merchant was well established. People had turned on him as early as late 2005, and by 2011, the wrestling world was practically begging for him to drop his stale character, turn heel, and relinquish the spotlight so that others may shine.

Things showed no sign of letting-up in the ensuing years, however. Bray Wyatt, Rusev, and countless others went the way of Wade Barrett, Umaga, and The Miz. None of them were ever the same after being fed to the Cena career derailment machine, and it continued all the way through to 2015.

It seemed unthinkable that Cena’s stranglehold on the main event scene would ever be released, but in 2016, it has finally reached an end. Cena’s age and part-time schedule, coupled with the rise of AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose, has seen him become a role player in a company he once ruled with an iron fist. He’s still the company’s top dog, but he’s no longer acting as a roadblock to other wrestler’s success, and that’s absolutely key.

Cena’s role has changed immensely, and so has his perception. Roman Reigns has largely inherited his position as the most divisive man in wrestling, and with Cena’s reduced importance and evolution as best big match performer in the business, WWE have done a great job of turning some of those jeers into cheers. It took a long time to reach this point, but this is almost exactly what fans were crying out for in 2011.