Backstage reaction to John Cena's heel promo & WWE RAW return: Report

(Courtesy : WWE/Netflix)
The 16-time WWE World Champion made his return for the first time since turning heel!
The WWE universe was on its edge as they tuned in to watch the 03/17 episode of Monday Night Raw, which featured the return of John Cena since turning heel at Elimination Chamber and attacking Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes.
Cena aligned with The Rock at the Elimination Chamber PLE and battered Rhodes leaving him bruised and bloodied. This was a historic moment as the 16-time World Champion turned heel for the first time in his illustrious career.
Cena kicked off the 03/17 show of Monday Night Raw which emanated live from Forest National in Brussels, Belgium. The 16-time World Champion blasted the crowd for making him a puppet and claimed that he had been a victim of an abusive relationship.
Cena clarified that he was not a babyface and neither a heel; he was a human being. He stated that the fans would get what they had earned, which was ‘nothing’ no new look, no new music, and the only thing they would get was a long look in the mirror to see how awful they had been to him for 25 years.
WWE backstage was thrilled with the reception John Cena got in Brussels
The reaction John Cena got in Brussels was nothing sort of iconic as the crowd roared and chanted drowning Cena in boos, “f**k you Cena”, shut the f**k up” “You sold out!” “Cena’s a f**king b**ch”, and the iconic “Let’s go Cena!, Cen Sucks!”
Following the 03/17 episode of Raw, a new report from Fightful Select reveals the backstage reaction to the fans’ hostile nature towards a heel John Cena. According to the report, the promotion was “ecstatic” with the reception the 16-time World Champion got from the fans in Brussels.
Fightful further added that one source told them that the crowd was the “hottest TV environment they’ve experienced”. They also added that this could be a positive sign for the city to host more TV tapings in the future.
On the other hand, the Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes got an overwhelmingly positive response from the Brussels crowd as they cheered him.
For more updates, follow Khel Now Wrestling on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Telegram & Whatsapp.
Abhijit Singh is a budding sports journalist with over three years of experience in the field, and a photographer capturing stories through his lens since 2018. With a background in philosophy and political science, he brings a thoughtful, analytical edge to his reporting where every word is guided by curiosity and intent. Whether he's capturing the emotion of a moment or unpacking the deeper narratives within the game, Abhijit’s work is rooted in insight and passion. When he’s not covering sports, he’s often exploring new ideas through reading, traveling or just procrastinating.
- WWE NXT Preview (December 16, 2025): Match card, news, timings & where to watch
- John Cena officially retires: Two WWE superstars who won their final match
- WWE SmackDown Spoilers for December 19, 2025 episode taped on December 15
- WWE RAW: Rhea Ripley in action; Bayley to face Roxanne Perez & more set for next week (December 22, 2025)
- WWE RAW Results & Winners (December 15, 2025): Mystery masked man revealed; Bron Breakker attacks CM Punk & more