On March 5th, John Cena was the latest guest on the Insight With Chris Van Vliet Podcast. In the hour-long interview, he discussed his newest movie, Ricky Stanicky, and reflected on his two-decade-plus-long wrestling career. The interview had people talking, and there are some key takeaways.
John Cena Almost Became Heel In 2012
During the Cena-Rock feud in 2012, there were plans for Cena to become heel for the first time since 2003. He revealed that the heel turn would have taken place after WrestleMania 28. There would have been a new theme song and new gear for Cena. He said, “It would’ve made me lean into the opposite of everything you stand for. I would begin not to work as hard… I would be untrustworthy and unloyal. All those things you can take and make interesting stories.”
John Cena Likes Some Of The Newer Talent On The Roster
Cena told Chirs Van Vliet that he likes the newer faces in the company. He admitted his love for NXT and how their fan base is loyal and energetic to their superstars. When Chris Van Vliet asked Cena about LA Knight, Cena stated, “He is the embodiment of perseverance and hard work and believing in self. He has earned every inch. It was really fun to be in there with him.”
There was a point in the interview where Chris talked to John about Logan Paul and what he has done thus far in WWE. Cena tied in a prior conversation of the older Cena versus the Cena today and said this about Logan: “I actually told him the old me would have hated it. And the old me would have been like, what are you trying to take from us?” He admitted to having an archaic way of thinking but praised Logan for his drive and passion in the industry.
He even took some time to give respect to Austin Theory and Solo Sikoa, whom he put over earlier this year at two different PLEs.
Cena’s Thoughts On AEW
The 2000s golden boy of WWE usually remains verbally quiet about WWE’s competitors unless you follow him on Instagram. Chris asked John about his picture with MJF at the Iron Claw film premiere. He loves what MJF is doing right now as a wrestler. Regarding AEW, Cena said, “There’s room for competition, and competition is great. Just because you don’t wear the company brand I have doesn’t mean you are a bad performer.”
He Never Felt Like “The Guy” In WWE
Although he hinted that his favorite championship reign is his next one, he told Chris Van Vliet that he was never “the guy” in WWE. Cena said that because things became more grey, new industry terms like “the locker room leader” and “the guy” came to be. He said back then, it was easy to tell who “the guy” was by whoever had the championship. Even with 16 world title reigns, 5 United States championship reigns, and four tag title reigns, Cena somehow feels like he was never known as “the guy.”
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