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Ever since John Cena turned heel at WWE Elimination Chamber, fan reaction to the retiring wrestler has been mixed rather than overwhelmingly negative. Nowhere has that been more prevalent than at WWE WrestleMania 41 and the episode of "WWE Raw" that followed, with fans loudly sharing their support for Cena despite his heinous actions.
"Busted Open After Dark" host Tommy Dreamer reacted to the latest "Raw" earlier this week, and he was taken aback by the crowd's support of Cena. Despite WWE and Cena doing their best to get the fans to boo him, many just aren't playing along.
"Does it go to the fact where you feel he's acting?" Dreamer asked rhetorically. "Or, like we've said, you grew up loving John Cena and wanting John Cena to turn heel, and now that he did it you just think it's cool? I think John really did everything he could ... to help you hate him."
If the fans continue to cheer for Cena next week, once the hype of WrestleMania has died down, Dreamer believes the response is unlikely to change anytime soon, no matter what Cena does or says. Even more puzzling for Dreamer is the fact that fans are cheering Cena despite his part-time status, which is something that has historically bothered the hardcore wrestling audience.
"I don't get it," Dreamer continued. "But maybe the business is changing. Maybe this is what you want to see. ... I have said this for a long, long time, especially in the WWE: where have all the heels gone?"
The way things stand in wrestling today, Dreamer feels like the lack of strong face-heel dynamics tends to make many matches come across as uninteresting. The former WWE star would make those classic elements of the industry more prevalent again to bring some excitement back into most wrestling shows.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Busted Open After Dark" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
