John Cena did the unthinkable at WWE Elimination Chamber—he turned heel for the first time in over 20 years, delivering a five-knuckle shuffle straight to Cody Rhodes’ future children. And in doing so, he didn’t just shock the world—he broke a Guinness World Record.
Yes, according to the Guinness World Records, Cena’s betrayal officially marks the longest time between turns in WWE history, clocking in at an astonishing 7,786 days since he last played the bad guy. For context, the last time Cena was a heel, gas was under $2 a gallon, MySpace was the peak of social media, and people thought The Matrix Reloaded was a good movie.
Cena’s record smashes the previous one held by Hulk Hogan, whose 5,420-day good guy streak ended in 1996 when he leg-dropped Macho Man and formed the nWo. In comparison, Cena’s babyface run was so long that it saw four different Spider-Men play Peter Parker in theaters before he finally snapped.
From Charity King to Wrestling’s Latest Supervillain
Ironically, this new Guinness World Record stands in stark contrast to Cena’s other record—one that makes him look like a literal angel. Cena also holds the Guinness World Record for the most Make-A-Wish wishes granted, with over 650 granted as of 2022. That number has likely grown since then, because while WWE fans waited two decades for Cena to embrace his inner villain, sick children only had to ask once.
Cena’s first Make-A-Wish visit happened in 2002, and since then, he has not only granted more wishes than any celebrity ever but also became the first celebrity to grant 1,000 wishes in 2012. At this point, Cena has probably granted so many wishes that he’s just a genie in jorts.
So, to summarize:
✅ Most Make-A-Wish wishes granted = Literal superhero
✅ Longest gap between heel turns = Wrestling’s most patient villain
John Cena is now officially both the most wholesome and most treacherous man in wrestling history. But hey, if he follows in Hulk Hogan’s footsteps, there’s a solid chance he’ll be back to selling Fruity Pebbles and hustle, loyalty, and respect T-shirts in a few years.