By Rick Gardner, PWTorch specialist

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a column where I identified the return of Randy Orton as being more significant to the WWE than the much hyped return of John Cena. In truth, I expected the momentum from the weeks of vignettes to carry Cena through to the end of the year as the number one babyface until his act began to wear thin.

On Raw this week, eight days after returning from injury, John Cena was jeered by a large proportion of WWE fans. There was once a time when the fans had a say in which wrestlers were pushed and turned because, you know, they are the ones who order the Pay Per Views, buy the merchandise and watch the TV shows.

In 1997, Dwayne Johnson was being pushed as a clean-cut, traditional babyface Intercontinental Champion Rocky Maivia. The only problem was that the WWF fanbase, jaded by years of characters that they could not relate to, hated him, to the point where his televised title loss to the America-bashing Owen Hart was met with cheers from the Omaha crowd.

Later that year, Johnson turned heel, proving that he could cut an effective promo in the process. In fact, Johnson was so impressive in his role as wise-cracking heel, that it wasn't long before the same audience that rejected him so coldly a year earlier was clamoring for The Rock to become a babyface.

In the same year Steve Austin became a babyface, after seeing his fanbase grow exponentially as a result of his famous "Austin 3:16" promo at the 1996 King of the Ring. In a historic encounter at WrestleMania 13, Bret Hart went heel in the same match, in response to signs that his popularity was beginning to wane.

Both men were instantly reinvented as fresh characters, and Austin would go on to lead the WWF into its most commercially successful period in its history. On the back of Steve Austin's face turn, the WWE once again became the most popular wrestling organization in America, which was no mean feat considering that WCW was enjoying the most profitable years since it came into existence.

There were a number of reasons why WCW beat the WWF in the Monday night ratings for 83 weeks in a row, but the formation of the NWO catalyzed by the heel turn of Hulk Hogan was significant factor. WCW fans had rejected Hogan, who had the same stale act since the 1980s. In turning heel, Hulk Hogan became relevant once again.

John Cena's current babyface run was precipitated by huge crowd support towards the end of his time as a heel. In the subsequent four years the WWE have resisted any attempt to turn him back, despite reactions in arenas that have ranged from mixed to downright hostile. WWE management may be worried that a Cena heel turn would have a damaging effect on merchandise sales and TV ratings. However, as The Rock proved in the late nineties, doing so could take Cena's character to the next level.

At a time when American wrestling fans are switching off Raw year-on-year, the last thing the WWE needs is a main event wrestler who so effortlessly alienates a significant proportion of its fanbase.

We suggest these recent related articles...

10/5 WWE Raw Hits & Misses: Natalya vs. Paige, Owens vs. Cara, Stephanie McMahon, Sasha Banks, Xavier Woods

COLLECTIBLES COLUMN: The History of Foam Hands in Pro Wrestling

9/28 WWE Raw Hits & Misses: Kane's Split Personality, Divas Revolution, Heyman & Big Show, Reigns vs. Wyatt