Even if you’re not a pro wrestling fan, there’s a good chance you know that John Cena turned heel (became a bad guy) at the WWE Elimination Chamber event on Saturday.
And with the landscape of the industry having now changed as we know it, we’re now learning more about what was one of the most legitimately shocking moments in pro wrestling history.
During his post-show press conference, WWE chief content officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque was asked about the creative process that went into Cena’s heel turn. And in in answering, the pro wrestling legend-turned-executive made it clear that one of his primary goals was to make sure the twist didn’t leak.
“People are pretty savvy, right? They’re tuned into a lot of the stuff we do. They sense things coming. And it’s why we get so upset when we see spoilers and things leak,” Levesque said. “Believe me, half of the things that are spoilers and that leak are wrong. But like, when you do get the ones that are out there where you’re like, ‘arrgghh,’ it drives you nuts.”
So how did WWE manage to keep Cena’s turn a secret? By letting so few people know about it ahead of time that Levesque says he temporarily took over the show’s production.
“The one thing about tonight that I absolutely loved is that it was no where — no where. Because nobody knew,” Levesque said. “Like when I say nobody knew here — like nobody. Right before the finish of the Elimination Chamber [match], I had to say the truck, ‘everybody lay out, I have traffic of where we go next.’ Because nobody knew what was coming. It was a very, very tight circle of people. Because we’re just trying to entertain people and do it in a way that is amazing and next level and things they don’t see coming.”
This isn’t the first time Levesque has taken over production to protect a secret, as he reportedly performed a similar tactic when CM Punk returned to the company at Survivor Series 2023. While it’s unclear whether this is a regular occurrence or were special circumstances unique to Cena and Punk, whatever WWE is doing with regard to creative secrecy has been working. And the lack of leaks has undoubtedly played a role in a product that’s less predictable than it previously was.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.