10 WWE Faces Who Were Actually Total Heels

3. John Cena

Chris Jericho Stephanie McMahon
WWE.com

John Cena has been fantastic in his current WWE role, and there’s not much reason to gripe about his presence anymore. Roman Reigns has overtaken him as the company’s most divisive wrestler, and Cena looks set to gracefully wind his career down with the bulk of the crowd finally behind him.

You can’t, however, make a list pointing out WWE’s flawed babyfaces without mentioning his name. WWE’s franchise player has, at times, been the most obnoxious guy in the company, and one of the most unlikable faces that the company has seen. It’s not fault of his own, but Cena’s Superman character was the opposite of sympathetic, and his backlash was entirely justified.

Cena, like everyone else on this list, was a bully and at his worst, Cena was the most obnoxious, self-centered, and egotistical man in the company. From stealing Zack Ryder’s girlfriend, Eve Torres, then publicly shaming her as a “hoeski” to single-handedly destroying the Nexus, Cena’s rap sheet is almost endless, and while history will likely be kind to him, there’s no escaping the fact that he has been a terrible babyface for much of his run.

Things like the “five moves ‘o doom” argument and his stale, child-friendly character add further fuel to the argument, making Cena one of the nastiest “top faces” that WWE have ever produced.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.