Tag: John Cena

Exclusive ‘Biography: WWE Legends’ sneak peek: John Cena calls Roman Reigns ‘the greatest of all time’

The Undertaker and Hulk Hogan also offer lofty praise for Roman Reigns as the face of WWE.

WWE has been marketing John Cena in his most recent appearances as “The Greatest of All Time,” and it’s hard to argue against that honor for the 16-time world champion. But who would Cena himself anoint as the GOAT?

It’s a champion with a few other nicknames of his own. The Tribal Chief. The Head of the Table. It’s Roman Reigns, who is preparing to head to WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia to put his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship on the line on night 2 in a rematch against Cody Rhodes — but only after he teams with The Rock to battle Rhodes and Seth Rollins on night 1.

Reigns just happens to be the subject of the pre-WrestleMania episode of “Biography: WWE Legends” (probably no coincidence, that), and in the exclusive clip below, you can Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker and Reigns’ Special Counsel, Paul Heyman, talk about why they feel he’s ascended to the very top of WWE and is uniquely suited to remain there.

But it’s Cena who offers the most succinct and high praise.

“We only recognize something when we romanticize about it, when we look back on it,” Cena says. “I hope there’s a few more folks out there that can realize that Roman Reigns is a very unique individual. There’s never been a performer like him.

“Roman Reigns as the Tribal Chief is the greatest of all time.”

The Roman Reigns episode of “Biography: WWE Legends” is set to premiere this Sunday, March 31, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on A&E. It follows a new episode of “WWE Rivals” that focuses on The Miz vs. Daniel Bryan at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

You can also find full episodes of A&E’s WWE shows as soon as the next day on aetv.com and for free on YouTube, and they make for some perfect viewing as we prepare for WrestleMania 40 in less than two weeks.

Don’t expect John Cena to wrestle past age 50: ’50 is my absolute line in the sand’

John Cena repeated his desire to wrap up his in-ring WWE career before he turns 50 in 2027.

Despite the common jokes, you can still see John Cena in a WWE ring from time to time at the moment. But if he has his way, that’s not going to be true for all that much longer.

There’s no question that Cena is much closer to the end of his wrestling career than the beginning, but it turns out he’s actually given some thought to when he’d like to retire from WWE. He stated earlier this year that he plans to call it quits before age 50, and he hasn’t changed his mind since then.

While appearing on “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” Cena said he’d like to have his last match before age 50 (and he’s nearly 47), but if he doesn’t, that milestone birthday will definitely be it (h/t Wrestling Observer for the transcription).

You know what, 50 is my absolute line in the sand. I would like to try to do it before that. But at 50 I’m just going to tweet, ‘Peace out, see ya.’ That’s it, I’m good.

Cena has famously appeared in at least one televised WWE match every year for more than two decades, though he cut it close at the end of 2022, wrestling on the Dec. 30 episode of SmackDown. He’s yet to have any in-ring action in 2024, though he’s teased some kind of role at WrestleMania 40 next month.

And while his acting career has certainly taken off in a way that consumes much more of his time, Cena pointed to other areas of his life that he’d like to focus on as he heads toward the end of his 40s.

I was very much driven where WWE was my passion 24/7. And I’m very grateful, but I’ve grown and there’s a lot of other avenues I’m curious about in life. And certainly being a great husband and partner is one of those. So I just want to try to do what I can in those avenues.

It’ll be a somewhat surreal day when Cena finally decides he’s wrestled for the last time, but it sounds like it’s not that far off. WWE fans should cherish every time he steps in the ring from here on out, because there might not be that many more times left.

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Was John Cena really naked at the 2024 Oscars? 1 photo tells you the real answer

Here’s the answer!

It’s the question you were wondering the moment you saw John Cena peek from behind the set of the 2024 Oscars: was the actor and WWE legend really naked for the bit in which he presented the Best Costume Design award in the nude?

We have an answer, thanks to one photo snapped backstage: of course he wasn’t. Cena was wearing some kind of undergarment covering his front and some of his backside, which makes complete sense. There’s no way the Academy or the broadcast would have let a full on nude Cena go out there.

Here’s the photo that was shot (WARNING: This may be NSFW!)

(Photo by RICHARD HARBAUGH/AMPAS/AFP via Getty Images) 

 

Watch: John Cena walks onstage naked at the Oscars, talks up the importance of costumes

John Cena wanted all of us to see how important costume design is during the Oscars on Sunday night.

WWE fans know that one of the most famous John Cena catchphrases is “you can’t see me.” Sunday night at the Oscars, however, everyone watching got to see a whole lot of Cena.

The wrestler/actor got to be a part of the 96th Academy Awards ceremony as a presenter for Best Costume Design, and in a very memorable way. Cena first popped up to complain to host Jimmy Kimmel that he didn’t want to do the “streaker” bit they discussed, with the late night host eventually talking him into it.

“You wrestle naked, why not?” Kimmel said.

“Dude, I don’t wrestle naked, I wrestle in jorts!” Cena responded.

“Jorts are worse than naked,” Kimmel implored.

As a continuation of the funny bit, Cena eventually shuffled sideways onto the stage, seemingly naked except for an oversized envelope he held in front of him.

“Costumes, they are so important,” Cena said as the audience laughed. “Maybe the most important thing there is.”

Check the whole clip out here:

In case you need the answer to who actually won the Oscar in question at the end of this segment, the answer is Holly Waddington for “Poor Things.”

Oh, and Cena eventually did get covered up.

Cena wasn’t up for any Oscars himself but did have a role in a movie that was nominated for eight awards. That would be “Barbie,” which managed to nab one trophy for Best Original Song thanks to “What Was I Made For?”

It might be a bit of a stretch to expect Cena to be nominated himself at this point in his acting career, but there’s no question he put on one daring performance during the ceremony itself.

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John Cena showed up naked to the Oscars, and we can’t un-Cena it

A naked John Cena was not on our bingo card.

John Cena seemingly presented the award for Best Costume Design at the Oscars while naked. Yes, NAKED.

Jimmy Kimmel and John Cena surprised the entire audience at the Academy Awards with the naked body of Cena. Kimmel was reminiscing about a previous Academy Awards moment when a man streaked across the stage. He then asks the audience, “Can you imagine if a nude man ran across the stage today?” At that point, Cena was supposed to streak across the stage but was “afraid” to do the deed.

Kimmel told him to stop making it weird. That’s when John slowly inched his way out to the podium, with only an envelope covering his nether region, to present the award for Best Costume Design. He fittingly opened his award presentation dialogue with “Costumes are so important.”

Will John Cena be at WrestleMania 40? ‘I’m free that day’

John Cena won’t commit to a WrestleMania 40 appearance but is certainly keeping the door wide open.

While it’s not official yet, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is almost certainly going to be on the card when WrestleMania 40 rolls into Philadelphia next month. But what about WWE’s other prominent wrestler turned actor, John Cena?

Unlike The Rock, Cena has taken part in WrestleMania recently: as in last year, when he lost to Austin Theory in California. He also returned to WWE for a run of several months last fall, culminating in a defeat by Solo Sikoa at Crown Jewel in November.

That was possible because the Hollywood writer and actor strikes put Cena’s showbiz career on hold. He’s since resumed his acting work, temporarily making him busier than Johnson in that regard.

While no one expects Cena to take part in a full-on match at WrestleMania 40, he’s been teasing a role of some sort both in the media and on his social accounts. That continued Wednesday night when he was a guest on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (h/t Wrestling Observer for the transcription).

People are talking. WrestleMania 40. They’re speculating that The Rock and I will be in the ring in Philadelphia for WrestleMania 40. They’re going to keep talking until it happens, we don’t know yet.

When the audience didn’t seem to like that answer, Cena playfully chided them for wanting either a spoiler or to promise something he might not be able to deliver. He did, however, suggest that his schedule would allow him to be in Philadelphia if need be.

I mean, I’m free that day. I’m just saying. I’m just saying to you guys out there. Now the energy’s coming back a little bit.

It would not be surprising to see Cena in Philadelphia in some capacity, even if it’s just to give the rub to some up and coming talent. We’ll find out in just over four weeks if we’re going to see him, pun intended, for at least a little bit at WrestleMania.

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Elimination Chamber winners: Every WWE wrestler to win an Elimination Chamber match

Check out our Elimination Chamber winners list, with details on every WWE wrestler to enter and win Elimination Chamber matches since 2002.

The Elimination Chamber is the answer to a question many wrestling fans probably never thought they’d ask: What’s more formidable than a match inside a steel cage?

WWE came up with it anyway in 2002. Said to be the brainchild of Triple H and Eric Bischoff, the Elimination Chamber combines the brutality of a steel cage match with the chaos and “who’s next” suspense of the Royal Rumble. And the structure itself is a key component, with its roofed cage and four pods — which have become central to some of the match’s most creative spots over the years.

Like the Royal Rumble, the Elimination Chamber has gone on to become the star of its own series of premium live events, with men’s and women’s versions of its namesake match. Not bad for a gimmick match that was originally a brand-only affair.

After the 2023 Elimination Chamber event in Montreal, WWE will be past 30 total Elimination Chamber matches, with no end in sight. Let’s take a look back at every winner since the first one was held in 1992.

John Cena talks Vince McMahon allegations with Howard Stern: ‘I’m a big advocate of accountability’

John Cena also said he wondered about the WWE itself and “am I doing all I can to make it better?”

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When the first set of sexual harassment and abuse allegations surfaced against Vince McMahon in the summer of 2022, John Cena faced criticism from some corners for his apparent willingness to stand by him no matter what. At the time, Cena said, “When you love somebody, you take them as imperfectly perfect as they are. We all make mistakes, we all have poor decisions.”

Since then, of course, even more disturbing allegations have arisen in the lawsuit brought forward by Janel Grant — which ultimately led to McMahon’s resignation from WWE parent company TKO.

That means it’s more than fair to ask Cena if his stance had changed, which is something that Howard Stern did on his show today. While some fans may be dismayed to hear Cena profess his love and friendship for McMahon again, he did agree with Stern’s assessment that there is a line past which the only thing to do is to disassociate yourself with someone.

I am a big advocate of love and friendship, and honesty and communication. But in the same breath, I’m also a big advocate of accountability. I think you explained it well: If someone’s behavior lies so far outside your value system, that the balance shifts, of like ‘man, I can’t operate in a world where this works.’ That’s the end result of being accountable.

Cena also noted that it saddens him to think of WWE as a place where the things the alleged victims claim could happen, as he wants everyone’s experience there to be as good as his was and is.

That’s really the thing that sucks, because not only does it deal with an individual I love, it deals with an entity that I love. And it’s one that I speak highly of. I want everyone to have the experience I had.

If you’re an employee at Disneyland, you want everybody to go to Disney and think it’s the greatest place on Earth. And when someone doesn’t, or when you find out there may or may not have been things going on there, that this place I was speaking so great about, well in some aspects needed a lot of work.

That’s more than just how do I feel about this person, you know? Now I shift to OK, am I doing all I can to make it better?

That’s a question that Cena can only answer for himself. But it’s arguably the most important one for WWE to go forward into a future that avoids the mistakes of its past.

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John Cena appears for Savannah Bananas baseball team with electric entrance

John Cena has many talents outside a WWE ring, but baseball might not be one of them.

(This story was originally published on USATODAY.com)

The Champ is − at the plate?

The Savannah Bananas, the exuberant exhibition baseball team known for playing its own style of baseball across the country, were in Tampa at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Saturday as part of their world tour.

Known to sometimes have guest players on the team, the Bananas welcomed a one-of-a-kind guest on its squad: WWE and acting star John Cena.

Cena even came out of the dugout in full baseball uniform to his signature “The Time is Now” entrance song from WWE, and even did his whole routine as if he was entering the ring, while his new teammates did the “You can’t see me” gesture. He also had a championship belt given to him.

Cena went in the batter’s box and took a Craig Counsell-like batting stance on the first pitch, which he took for a ball. The 16-time WWE Champion then squatted in hopes of drawing a walk, but he was called out on strikes. He then looked like he was going to charge the mound, but instead raised the hand of the pitcher, signifying he took the victory.

Savannah has had several guest stars appear for the team, including former MLB players like Jonny Gomes, Johnny Damon and Josh Reddick. Former outfield Nick Swisher appeared for the team on Friday.

John Cena joined the Savannah Bananas for a brief plate appearance to promote new movie

John Cena. Savannah Bananas. What more do you need?

The Savannah Bananas are always good for some surprises, but introducing a wrestling legend-turned-Hollywood star isn’t usually one of them.

To kick off the 2024 season in Tampa, actor John Cena surprised the crowd, wearing a Savannah Bananas jersey and ready to take an at-bat.

The jersey had the name “Stanicky” on it, which leads you to believe Cena was in attendance to promote his new comedy Ricky Stanicky that’s coming out next month on Amazon Prime Video.

While this doesn’t mean Cena is about to travel the country with the Savannah Bananas, it is a really fun moment you just didn’t expect to see.

Cena has turned into one of the most beloved personalities in all of film and television, and we’re so glad we got to see him join the Savannah Bananas for at least one inning.

If he ever decides to retire from his show business career, it looks like he’ll have a nice fallback option in Savannah.

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