John Cena gives his Judgments
THE last time SunSport spoke to John Cena it was very controversial.
First he told us injury and movie commitments would mean he was away from our screens for months – before returning less than a week later.
Then he criticised The Rock for turning his back on a business he claimed he loved, fuelling a debate that went around the globe and led to Rocky getting his own back at the WWE Hall Of Fame.
Now, catching up with Cena again, the world’s most prominent wrestler expands on what he told us and the fallout from it.
He also reveals his frustration with making movies, disappointment at Ric Flair’s shortened HOF speech and views on this weekend’s huge WWE Judgment Day PPV.
Hi John. What happened after our last interview? You told fans you’d be away until after WrestleMania, then days later we all watched you winning the Royal Rumble.
Well I was shooting a movie, so I wasn’t kidding about that. And I thought I wouldn’t get medical clearance.
But my rehab was going very well, and very quickly, so I decided to ask my doctors and specialists if it was possible for me to return for the Rumble.
They said: 'Yes, your pectoral muscle should hold up but you also run the risk of tearing it back open and having us re-do the work.'
The four months I’d been out had already been way too long for me to be away from the ring, so I said: 'To hell with it. Let’s give it a try.'
Then I called Vince and told him what I just told you and that I’d be ready whenever he needed me.
He said: 'What do you think about the Rumble?'
I replied: 'Are you kidding me? Let’s go!'
And away we went.
What happened next? Because as far as I can tell only a handful of people knew you’d be there and it came as a genuine surprise to fans and your co-workers – which very rarely happens in wrestling.
The whole thing happened so quickly.
When someone is fully rehabilitated and just waiting to return, it’s as if people know they’re due back.
But I wasn’t even scheduled to make a return for another eight months. The original talk was coming back for the Survivor Series in November!
And because it happened so quickly, at such short notice, there was only time for a few people to know.
I took a very late flight and only ended up getting into New York at about 7pm on the night of the Rumble.
There were probably two people in that ring that knew I was going to be there.
I did get a lot of joy out of the surprise, as there are a lot of fans whose main goal is to see what happens before it happens.
I respect that because they are very passionate.
But those moments when you can genuinely surprise everybody are few and far between in our business – and you have got to enjoy them all!
The crowd in New York even cheered you for a little bit, before they remembered that they didn’t like you.
And it was cool. For that one brief second there was a genuine reaction from everyone.
Then reality sets in and it’s back to normal.
The match was great, the energy was fantastic and, while I would have loved to been out there for hours, it was everything I could ask for and more.
It was a truly unique experience that I don’t think will ever happen to me again.
From there you moved onto WrestleMania in a great triple threat match against Randy Orton and Triple H. Were you disappointed not to go on last?
WrestleMania was a fantastic event from top to bottom.
I’m never disappointed with my place on the card. I’ve been in that scenario before. I went on first with Big Show in 2004 and second to last with JBL in 2005.
Of course in a perfect scenario, you want to close the show at WrestleMania – but just to be part of it is a huge honour.
Especially this one, because I thought I wouldn’t be there.
It’s interesting that it is Randy and Triple H who’ve traded the title though. Was that because you were filming the movie 12 Rounds so couldn’t do house shows?
I do think that someone doing a movie can be WWE champion and do a very good job at carrying that championship.
It would take a lot of work and you’d lose a little bit of sleep but it can definitely be done.
My film is now wrapped, we finished last Tuesday.
Movie schedules are usually Monday to Friday but in the next film I do, I will modify it to allow me to do most of the live events.
There is so much waiting around on movie sets anyway and a lot of the time I just found myself sitting there thinking about wrestling.
I know how much you love the wrestling business. So was there a part of you making 12 Rounds that didn’t want to be there?
The day after the Royal Rumble I left for New Orleans and started doing stunt and weapons training.
We had a great cast and crew and I couldn’t have asked for a better city.
But towards the end of the movie, I was really getting frustrated.
After being for four months, and coming back for one match, I was ready to go full time.
But this film schedule we had meant I could only come back for TV and PPV shows, so I felt the rug had been pulled out from under me.
Only on this week’s Raw, did I really feel that I was properly back.
Talking of movies and wrestling, last time we spoke you had a few things to say about The Rock and at the Hall Of Fame, he made sure to get a receipt shot on you. Did you know that was coming?
Absolutely. Rock is the ultimate entertainer and I most certainly deserved it.
But it was good to see him and judging by the reaction he got, I wasn’t the only one who felt that way.
If Rock wanted to stand out there for two hours and make fun of me, he could do that.
As long as he’s there.
I just wish he would come by more often.
Were there any cross words from Rock when you caught up backstage?
No, because there was no problem or controversy – and Rock is first and foremost a gentlemen.
As I said at the time, I think it is great that he has become such a huge success in the movie business.
He has made some great films and has an enormous contract with Disney.
What I don’t understand is when I hear people in our business, and not just him, say “I’ve wanted to do this all of my life” - but they’re not willing to put forth the commitment and the dedication it takes to be a success here.
And Rock is one of those guys who gave the “I’ve wanted to do this all of my life” speech, but in actuality he wanted to be an actor.
Now, trust me, that is totally fine with me. It’s OK.
But just don’t say one thing and do another. Because our fans are extremely loyal and when you do that it p***es them off.
All of us work so hard to make the show as good as it can be.
So it’s hard when people give the impression of 'this is the greatest gig in the world' and then jump ship to movies.
Now I have every interviewer asking me when I’m leaving WWE for films.
And the answer is I’m never doing that, because I love wrestling more than I do movies.
It’s guys like that who set the precedent of using wrestling as a stepping stone to do films.
But there’s no controversy to any of that – as Rock is a successful and actor and that’s what he has always wanted to be.
Also at the Hall Of Fame Ric Flair gave an emotional speech the day before his last ever wrestling match. How did you feel listening?
I actually felt kinda robbed, because I thought he deserved more time.
I wish he was able to tell some stories but sadly he fell victim to the time constraints of television.
Ric Flair is one of the most entertaining guys to sit down with and by entertaining I don’t mean he has catchy phrases, but that he’s been through so much and his experiences are so genuine I could listen to him talk all day.
It was a fantastic speech, but I know he had a lot more to tell.
He basically thanked everyone he wanted to thank, but had he been given a lot more time he would have the stories to back that up – which would have been fun to hear.
WWE Judgment Day is on Sunday. It’s on Sky Box Office over here. Why should our readers shell out for the show?
Because the card is totally stacked and very rarely at a PPV do you get two really high calibre one-on-one championship matches.
Anybody who saw WrestleMania will know exactly what they’re in for with Undertaker v Edge.
And Triple H v Randy Orton in the cage is going to be as brutal as it is exciting. Triple H is one of the best inside the steel cage.
I’m actually quite interested in seeing The Miz and John Morrison in a high profile PPV match against Kane and CM Punk.
I’ve never really been a fan of Morrison, but I always thought he had a lot of potential. I hope he understands the opportunity he’s getting and steps up to the plate.
And on a personal note, I am very very happy to be back in there with JBL. We’ve had some brawls in the past and I can’t wait to slug it out with that loudmouth Texan again.
It should be a good match but on behalf of all your fans I have to ask – when are you getting your belt back?
Oh man, I certainly have my eyes on the prize.
Triple H and I have only had one real true singles meeting together, so to have another one would be awesome. And I think everyone enjoys seeing me and Randy in there.
I’m not looking past JBL by any means but I will certainly have my sights set on whoever wins that championship match!
The Sun.co.uk
