Today’s WWE SmackDown was the first time fans saw Naomi fully step into her new era after her heel turn, and not only did she debut a new look to go with it, but she cost Jade Cargill her first singles loss in WWE. That’s all after the outstanding exchange with Bianca Belair where the big reveal was made, and after comparing Naomi’s heel turn with John Cena’s shocking turn, I’m pretty sure Naomi’s is already better.
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The comparison comes after both Cena and Naomi have had their returns to TV since the turn occurred, though those appearances were different. Cena made his return to TV on this week’s Raw, delivering a scathing promo to the WWE fans before getting checked by Cody Rhodes. Naomi has now made her return to TV as well, and though she didn’t get on the mic, I think her second outing was much more effective.
What no one is going to argue is that John Cena going heel is one of the biggest shocks in recent memory, mostly because no one thought he’d ever go for it. Cena was one of the biggest babyfaces of all time, and with his retirement from wrestling nearing, it seemed as if he would go out that way too. That’s likely to still be the case mind you, but he’s taking a major detour into heel country first, and everyone (including me) lost their minds when he became WWE’s biggest villain in one night.
Not only did Cena turn on WWE’s other biggest good guy Cody Rhodes, but he also aligned with the corporately powered Rock, and it was an amazing moment that won’t soon be forgotten. The big question was then could Cena follow it up and convince everyone that No. 1 he was truly a villain and No. 2 justify his actions, and while he made strides in the former, I don’t think he succeeded in the latter.
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Cena is one of the best to ever do it on the microphone, and he delivered a fiery and engaging promo that scolded the WWE Universe for being selfish and making him their puppet. He made some compelling points throughout the nearly 30-minute segment, and it was just as captivating as you’d expect, with Cena even calling out his young fans near the end. That said, while he made compelling points, he never actually justified why now. He never revealed what Rock sold him to cause their alliance, and while he said the fans ruined his retirement tour and his return, he didn’t explain how they ruined it, and there are a lot of holes that start to show upon closer examination.
Then there’s Naomi, who like Cena delivered her reasoning with emotion and conviction, but also backed it up with straight and undeniable facts that everyone saw play out over time. Naomi pointed to all of the times that she supported Bianca and Jade during their run as a Tag Team, and many of those moments were part of the show at one time or another, with all three even sharing a WrestleMania moment as a trio.
That’s what gave her argument credence, and while her actions were even more extreme than Cena’s when you compare a low blow and attack to slamming someone into a car windshield, the rationalization still rang true, so much so that you could even empathize with why she hit her boiling point. The emotion of it all sent it over the top, and now she’s targeted Jade again, costing her now nemesis the first singles loss of her WWE career, which is a logical and brilliant next move.
While Cena’s lack of new music or gear was addressed brilliantly in his promo, it would have still been great to have him switch up his look ever so slightly. Naomi on the other hand has fully leaned into her heel run, debuting new gear on TV while also hitting hard on social media, and the combo is working.
Cena was always going to have an uphill climb on following the pure shock of his turn, and so far it’s a mixed bag. While I fully buy that he is a heel now, I don’t buy the why, and that makes it feel more hollow as a result. That’s in stark contrast to Naomi’s, so while Cena’s heel turn was one of the most shocking moments in WWE history, Naomi’s heel run is already off to a much better start.
So what do you think about Cena and Naomi’s heel turn? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things wrestling with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!
