Tag: John Cena

Austin Theory shared a ‘really cool moment’ with John Cena at WrestleMania

Austin Theory said John Cena gave him some really profound advice after their WrestleMania match.

At WrestleMania 39, Austin Theory had one of the most significant matches of his career, leading off the show with a bout against John Cena for the WWE United States Championship. Although it may not have been the most memorable of the night, it was a crucial moment for Theory’s rise on the main roster.

Before their match, Cena threw numerous verbal barbs at Theory on Raw, which may not have helped the young pro wrestler’s standing. However, behind the scenes, Theory apparently received plenty of verbal wisdom from the one-time Doctor of Thuganomics.

On The Babyfaces Podcast, Theory said that Cena, after their WrestleMania match, told him to take everything in and enjoy being part of it. It seems Theory took that advice to heart, too (h/t Cageside Seats for transcription).

“Post-match, it was a really cool moment. He just told me to enjoy this day and enjoy this moment. And literally, there was no stress that day whatsoever. I wasn’t nervous. Everything that prepared me for that moment, everything that I had to go out there and perform, I felt like I had it. That was something really cool.

But something that John says … it’s so true, is just not being afraid to fail. And betting on yourself and just going for it. And a lot of times that’s what holds a lot of us back from things is us just, worried about this or that. And it might not even be you. You might believe in yourself, but just because one person has an opinion it bothers you, and it sets you off. That’s the biggest thing. Don’t be afraid to fail. It’s gonna be a ride. It’s gonna go up. It’s gonna go down. But just continually press forward.”

Cena’s advice may be sound, but Theory’s run with the United States Championship since WrestleMania has been far from memorable. He hasn’t had a premium live event title match since Backlash, and his reign could be cut short with a title match against Santos Escobar on SmackDown. Let’s see if fortunes change for him in the short term.

Best WWE SummerSlam main events of all time: Tier list rankings

Some WWE SummerSlam main events were legendary. Others were duds. Our tier list helps rank them all.

No matter what WWE tells you on television, this year’s SummerSlam has one true main event.

No, it is not the World Heavyweight title match between Seth Rollins and Finn Balor, nor is it the grudge match between Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar.

It’s undoubtedly, no, unequivocally, Tribal Combat between Roman Reigns and Jey Uso. That’s it, end of discussion, debate whomever you hold dear.

Although I believe Tribal Combat is the biggest WWE match of the year so far, does it have the chance to sit among the classic main events in SummerSlam history? Before we answer that question, we have to answer another question: What are the classic main events in SummerSlam history? And to that end, where do the other ones rank?

That is where I step in to help provide an answer … my answer, at least. I attempt to answer these questions with a tiered list of the main events throughout the event’s 35-year history.

I broke down every SummerSlam main event into four tiers: The Classics, The Hall of Very Good, “It was fine, I guess”, and “Feel free to skip.”

The only matches that qualify are the ones that closed the show, so no double main event nonsense here. However, there is one exception in 2013, which I will explain when it comes up.

Each match is listed in each tier based on chronological order, so don’t take anything away from the order that they are listed.

John Cena says first WWE contract barely covered his rent

Despite not making a ton of money right away by making the jump to pro wrestling, John Cena says his dad was proud of him for making the move.

John Cena is one of the most renowned figures in WWE history. He has achieved remarkable success beyond the wrestling ring, appearing in television and film and earning millions of dollars, thus making him one of the most successful talents ever in WWE.

But at one point, Cena was an up-and-coming wrestler striving to become successful in the professional wrestling industry. He began his career in Ohio Valley Wrestling, the former developmental territory of WWE, and eventually made his way to the main roster, where he grew into the star seen today.

As he worked his way up, Cena had a minuscule contract, if anyone can believe it. The co-star of ‘Fast X’ revealed on Kevin Hart’s Hart to Heart show that his contract when he had to work his way up was so small that it only covered his rent for the month (h/t Fightful for transcription).

“My first contract with WWE was $12,000 a year. I quit my job the day I was signed. I think my rent was $1,000 a month. So all my money is now rent. When I told my mom, she’s like, ‘I hope you’re okay.’ My dad, I could have told him any other position and he would have been like, ‘Yeah, whatever,’ but I told him I got a job with WWE. ‘Oh, my son. This is unreal. It’s going to great. I can’t believe it.’ Still, to this day, he’s extremely proud.”

Cena’s gamble definitely paid off. He probably made well beyond $12,000 just by stepping onto the entrance ramp at Money in the Bank.

It is also heartening to see that his parents approved of him signing with WWE. Feeling good about it is one thing, but parental approval makes it better. Clearly, it all worked out for the best for his career.

Despite John Cena’s efforts, UK WrestleMania appears unlikely

Fans in the U.K. would support a WrestleMania there wholeheartedly but may have to settle for Royal Rumble or SummerSlam for now.

When John Cena made a surprise appearance Saturday at Money in the Bank, he electrified the crowd at The O2 Arena. Not just by showing up unannounced and smacking around Grayson Waller, though those were definitely positives.

No, Cena managed to do the best possible cheap pop tactic ever in London with one simple idea: WrestleMania in the U.K.

If you watched Money in the Bank and heard those fans, it seems like a no brainer idea. The U.K. market would absolutely gobble up tickets for WrestleMania if held in that part of the world and provide an absolutely unforgettable atmosphere.

The problem, alas, is that WrestleMania has never been held outside North America. There are obvious travel and operations logistical hurdles, and it would mean an early start time in the U.S. — though the guess is that wouldn’t be much of a problem in the end.

So was Cena speaking hypothetically, or is this a move WWE is already planning? Fightful Select (subscription required) has some good news and bad news on that front.

In honor of Wade Barrett, we’ll do the bad news first. A U.K. WrestleMania is unlikely for the next few years at least. The 2024 edition is in Philadelphia, and the 2025 show is in the “late stages” of being finalized for a U.S. city. The year after that could work, but Fightful Select’s sources “don’t find it likely.”

The good news is that one of WWE’s other top premium live events could make the hop across the pond.

However, there was a survey taker near media day this week asking about what cities in the UK would be most convenient for a HYPOTHETICAL Royal Rumble or Summerslam in the area. Among those cities listed were London, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow.

WWE has shown an increasing willingness to hold some of its premium live events outside continental North America, including three in a row this year: Backlash in Puerto Rico, Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia, and Money in the Bank in England. A Royal Rumble or SummerSlam in the U.K. would be a logical progression.

And from there, a U.K. WrestleMania would be a smaller leap. Cena may have just been stoking the fans’ passions for now, but in a decade or so, maybe he’ll look like a prophet.

WWE Money in the Bank 2023 results: Priest, Sky soar, Roman Reigns falls in London

See all the winners from London as they claim victory at WWE Money in the Bank.

It’s not too often that the Money in the Bank Ladder matches aren’t among the top attractions at the event that bears their name, but as London’s O2 Arena prepares to play host to the 2023 edition, an argument can be made for that this year.

That’s not to say that the battles for the men’s and women’s briefcases won’t be entertaining. Both fields are full of the kind of talent that could benefit by winning them, and the women’s match, especially, features some of the division’s top names, past and present.

But neither figure to be the emotional high point of the show. That will almost certainly be the so-called Bloodline Civil War, where Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa will battle their own blood, The Usos. It’s the latest milepost in the longest running WWE storyline in years, one that has kept fans locked in for every new development.

There’s also a World Heavyweight Championship match that has its roots in events that took place seven years ago. Seth Rollins says his challenger Finn Balor has grown bitter since defeating him back then, but Balor insists that Rollins made him that way. Even though Rollins is heavily expected to win, there should be plenty of action and drama along the way.

And it doesn’t appear that any of those matches will even close out the show. Somewhat incredibly, the showdown between Cody Rhodes and Dominik Mysterio appears set to be the main event, with rumors swirling that it could be the vehicle for a big return of some sort. At least it will have the London crowd fired up to provide big and very opposite reactions.

Let’s head to London and see how everything plays out.

WWE Money in the Bank 2023 results from London:

(click on any match with a link for full match details)

  • Damian Priest wins the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder match, defeating Butch, Shinsuke Nakamura, Santos Escobar, Ricochet, LA Knight and Logan Paul
  • Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez def. Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler by pinfall to become the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions after Baszler turns on Rousey mid-match, attacking Ronda and then walking out
  • Priest tells Kayla Braxton he is now Señor Money in the Bank, and while he has some things to think about, the one thing he knows is that he will be a champion
  • Gunther def. Riddle by submission to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship …
  • … but after the bell, Drew McIntyre returns for the first time since WrestleMania; he gets shoved by Gunther and responds with a Glasgow Kiss and a Claymore before holding Gunther’s title belt over him
  • Cody Rhodes def. Dominik Mysterio by pinfall
  • Surprise! John Cena makes an appearance, talking up how long it’s been since there was a big event in London and that WWE doesn’t know what to make of the fans there; but as for why he’s really there, Cena says it’s to let the world know the London fans are underappreciated and have earned his respect … but also to try to bring WrestleMania to London (cont.)
  • Cena is joined by Grayson Waller, who mocks Cena and accuses him of lying to people; Cena declines his offer to appear on The Grayson Waller Effect and gets attacked from behind, but Cena ends up turning the tables on him
  • IYO SKY wins the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder match, defeating Bayley, Zelina Vega, Zoey Stark, Trish Stratus and Becky Lynch
  • Seth Rollins def. Finn Balor by pinfall to retain the World Heavyweight Championship
  • Kayla Braxton talks to Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, who are watching the event from a skybox, and Sami says he thinks tonight will be the night that Roman Reigns gets exactly what’s coming to him
  • The Usos def. Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa by pinfall to win the Bloodline Civil War tag team match when Jey Uso pins Reigns

John Cena credits Brock Lesnar, Steve Austin for WWE SummerSlam 2014 match layout

Stone Cold Steve Austin helped convince Brock Lesnar that squashing John Cena at SummerSlam was the way to go.

Brock Lesnar‘s stock reached an all-time high by ending the Undertaker’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania 30. Already a made man in WWE, Lesnar became an even larger figure for the next few years.

Of course, he needed someone else to feud with after the Dead Man. That became John Cena, leading to a shocking squash of the “Fast X” star at SummerSlam 2014. Blink and fans would have missed what happened in this “Suplex City” match.

Almost a decade later, Cena reflected on the match in an interview with Sam Roberts of Not Sam Wrestling. He said not only did Lesnar create the bout’s layout, but that Stone Cold Steve Austin had significant input as well (h/t Fightful for transcription).

“Brock is one of the most giving performers when it’s his time. He will make anyone look great. I remember Brock being like, ‘I had dinner with Steve Austin last night and we came up with this idea where I start suplexing you and don’t stop and then beat you.’ ‘Yeah.’ We both collectively agreed that you just beat the streak. We ruin that if we have a 50/50 match. It’s not my night, kid. Arn Anderson, in the back of my head, I hope he understands the influence he had on my wisdom with this. It’s not my night. How do you showcase the enormity of that win? How do we not waste the Undertaker’s streak. It’s not just Brock winning a match, it’s all those matches he had to lead up to losing. If I go out and have a 50/50 match where he just sneaks over, we wasted all that. If you take that unbelievable feat with another unbelievable feat, now we have passed the energy, and that is how you make someone. That someone can make others and that’s how the business works, you have to be able to work together. You can survive and thrive by also being generous and being giving and working with others.”

Essentially, they teamed to make a special WWE moment even grander.

As Cena said, a match in which they were equals would have compromised the significance of Lesnar ending the Undertaker’s streak as if it were any other match. Instead, the SummerSlam 2014 match further increased Lesnar’s status and made him a nearly invincible presence on WWE programming in the subsequent years.

Meanwhile, regardless of the result, nothing could have changed Cena’s status as one of WWE’s biggest stars ever, and his participation in this match only enhanced programming for the rest of the year and beyond.

‘What a hypocrite I am’: John Cena reflects on past criticism of The Rock’s movie career

John Cena says he could have talked things out with The Rock back in the day instead of calling him out for his acting pursuits.

Once the “Face That Runs the Place,” WWE appearances have become infrequent for John Cena due to his age, at 46 years old, but most importantly, his Hollywood career. It’s almost impossible to not find Cena in a major action movie franchise these days, or a film that showcases his comedic chops.

Once upon a time, however, Cena was anti-Hollywood, or at least, that’s how it seemed. He called out The Rock’s commitment to the movie life during their WrestleMania feud from 2011-13 and attacked him for his fading, almost nonexistent WWE role. It seemed more of a shoot than a work with genuine tension between them.

A decade later, Cena has a new outlook, of course, given his success in The Rock’s footsteps. In an interview with 92NY, ahead of his co-starring role in the latest Fast and Furious movie, Cena discussed his perspective where he “really messed up” about WWE stars changing their perception by succeeding in Hollywood (h/t Fightful for transcription).

“I would like to think, in my perspective, that we always have been good, except for one little patch where I really messed up. I got selfish and me, living WWE at that point, did not have any concept of growth or someone else’s perspective. I took Dwayne’s comments as not genuine, and my view was, if you love something, then be there every day. What a hypocrite I am. Because I still love WWE, and I can’t go all the time. I just didn’t see that. I was so selfish. I had his number and we could have talked about it. Instead of going, ‘Hey, man, I’d like to try to do this thing to hook you back in and maybe we can collaborate, and really make it big,’ I was like, ‘F this,’ and was calling this dude out. This is a moment, he gave me an opening, and I’m gonna kick the door open. I was diligent, and I understand why he got upset because he’s changing the perception of the industry. Him, Dave Bautista, they made it okay to be in WWE. WWE isn’t that carnival performer stereotype. Pro wrestlers have had that carny stereotype for so long, and these guys are breaking down barriers and shattering ceilings, and on top of that, just transcending the art form, and I just got selfish and wanted a main-event marquee match because it would better what I thought was the business. That’s so short-sighted and selfish,” Cena said.

Cena realizes the impact he and others can make on other WWE talent, including someone like Seth Rollins, for example, who apparently joined a Marvel Studios movie. Others will inevitably follow as WWE becomes more mainstream, opening new opportunities for the wrestlers of the present and future.

20 best WWE matches of all time: Stone Cold, Shawn Michaels, John Cena and more

Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker and Kurt Angle are among the WWE superstars with multiple matches on this list.

Rankings of the best anything are always tricky, definitely subjective, and absolutely a lot of fun. When it comes to the best WWE matches of all time, however, there’s also another factor: There’s just so many of them.

Consider lists of the best movie or TV series. Yes, there are a ton of each over the years. But in any given year, there are maybe dozens of movies to consider, and great TV shows tend to last for several years, even in the modern streaming age.

WWE goes nonstop every tear, putting matches on Raw and SmackDown weekly and holding bigger premium live event cards monthly. That’s hundreds of new matches annually, and while some are unquestionably more significant than others, each one is a separate performance with its own unique context.

Just narrowing that list of potential candidates down could be a Herculean effort, but we found a way to reduce the work and make the resulting list pseudo-scientific at the same time. We came up with a formula that incorporates both Cagematch ratings and the Wrestling Observer’s star ratings to give each of the greatest WWE matches ever their own score.

The end product has a satisfying cross-section in terms of both types of matches and chronology, as it includes bouts from 1994 up through this year. Certain names appear multiple times — you’d expect nothing less from the likes of Shawn Michaels, for instance — but there’s also nice variety in terms of who made the cut overall.

And while we certainly have our own opinions about where certain matches should fall in the top 20, we decided to let the rankings remain where the numbers said they should fall. After all, debating lists like this is part of what makes being a pro wrestling fan so much fun. Where possible, we’ve included the full video of the match so you can relive them as you go.

Without further ado, here are the best WWE matches of all time, working from 20 up to No. 1.

Charlotte Flair wants to reach the ‘next level’ of John Cena, The Rock

It sounds like the Queen is taking a bigger picture view of her career beyond the wrestling ring.

Rhea Ripley defeated Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania in April, after Flair had taken significant time off due to injury ahead of WrestleMania season. Her return was brief, as she has remained off WWE programming since losing the title match.

Flair has accomplished plenty in her decade in WWE, including headlining multiple WrestleManias and becoming one of the most decorated women’s champions in company history. But like others before her, she’s pondering how top WWE stars have sought opportunities in the wider entertainment world and found incredible success.

In an interview with Boardroom, when asked about what she still wants to accomplish that she hasn’t yet, Flair said it’s about “getting to that next level” of cross-entertainment fame like her WWE predecessors have — the likes of John Cena, Batista and The Rock.

I think now, it’s just getting to that next level. Like, I know that my name is popular within sports entertainment, but I wanna get to that male level of John Cena, The Rock, Batista still. I want to cross over like my dad has so gracefully, and I’ll continue to do that until I get to that point. I hate that I started so late in the game, but I’m here. I think that’s just a matter of time.

If that’s the case, it sounds like Flair has her eyes on post-WWE life, or integrating more outside opportunities into her business pursuits.

At age 37, Flair is behind when Cena and The Rock started their Hollywood careers, but Batista made a name for himself in his late 40s with Marvel Studios’ “Guardians of the Galaxy” and other starring movie roles. While Cena did begin earlier, his ascension arguably began in his early 40s as well.

Flair is slightly behind her male counterparts chronologically, but it’s still the perfect time for her to start a new career outside WWE when she chooses.

In honor of May the 4th, look back at 4 times Star Wars, WWE crossed over

Nothing will top Sasha Banks in “The Mandalorian,” but a few other Star Wars moments with WWE superstars were also fun.

If you’re cynical about commercialized “holidays,” there’s a good chance you don’t celebrate May the 4th, a.k.a. Star Wars Day. Yes, it’s a little cringe-inducing that it got picked just because it’s verbally so close to saying “May the Force,” as in “May the Force be with you.”

But guess what? Tons of people love Star Wars, and we’re no different here at Wrestling Junkie. That means it’s only appropriate to use this May the 4th to look back at a few times the worlds of WWE and Star Wars collided.

Kind of like the IP itself, some were kind of awful and others were amazing. Also your opinions on which are which may vary. But they were definitely all memorable. Let’s take a spin through times not that long ago in a galaxy that’s actually our own.