As much of a pop that John Cena got from the 101,000-plus fans who watched him run into the ring and come to the aid of The Rock at WrestleMania 32, there were still those who made sure to pepper him with boos.
It's been the plight of the veteran WWE Superstar for years, as he's been one of the most polarizing figures to ever star on the company's roster.
Many times, it even feels like Cena's love-hate relationship with the WWE Universe is leaning more towards the latter.
Delving into that intrigue is the fact that Cena seems to enjoy walking the fine line, as evidenced by his appearance on Conan on Wednesday night, where he taught the talk show host's audience how to sing the "John Cena Sucks" chant in tune with his WWE theme music.
When asked if he likes it when the crowd turns on him, Cena even said, "I like it when they get excited."
Add that to the fact that he didn't seem to rule out a heel turn during an interview with Complex last week. It's almost like World Wrestling Entertainment is waiting for something to cross the line and make Cena a full-on heel.
It has been a long time in the making and if you ask us, long overdue. With an influx of younger talent from NXT continuously invading WWE, giving Cena a heel turn would seemingly be just what he needs to extend his career and longevity that much further.
Look, we know Cena's a company guy. In fact, he spent a portion of his interview with Complex talking about just that.
"I believe in our brand and I believe that my success has come from believing in our brand," Cena said. "Entertainment is often a medium in which you can put yourself front and center. But just as we're doing a photo shoot now, there will probably be someone else in here an hour after me and an hour after that and an hour after that. We are easily replaced. The spotlight shines quick and then it shifts."
He's right. But it's time that the company shifts the spotlight onto him, giving its audience a reason to hate the guy within its storylines, enabling him to keep generating heat - but in a different way than his current good-guy, never-quit persona.
With the wildly popular Shane McMahon continuing to gain steam, perhaps Vince McMahon using Cena as a way to even things up would do it. But that's just an idea.
Let's see if WWE is willing to cross that line with one of its top performers.
