'Deep down, I was a fan': John Cena admits he 'wanted to do anything to get Dwayne Johnson back' in WWE
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Legendary pro-wrestler John Cena has acknowledged being a longtime admirer of his WWE rival Dwayne' The Rock' Johnson.
The wrestler-turned-Hollywood actor was asked about his infamous former feud with Johnson at a recent press conference for WWE Fastlane, during which he criticized the 'Jumanji' actor both on and off-screen.
The 16-time World Champion was asked to admit whether or not his earlier criticisms of Johnson now mirror his similar career moves at the end of his portion of the conference.
John Cena said his initial feud was fueled by frustration
In his response, Cena admitted that the initial feud was fueled by his frustration and disappointment that Johnson abandoned WWE in order to pursue acting.
However, Cena, said he himself would follow the same path later in his career. He confessed to the press that he “100% see[s] and understand[s]” how people could believe he’s a hypocrite for taking that stance and then following Johnson’s trajectory.
“I went about it the wrong way. I violated his trust and I made allegations about his perspective that I knew nothing about,” confessed Cena, according to People.
“And deep down, I was a fan. I wanted The Rock back [in WWE]. I wanted to do anything to get The Rock back, but I did it the wrong way," he added.
John Cena previously admitted that he did not behave properly with The Rock
“So I had to eat a little bit of crow. I had to say ‘I’m sorry and I was wrong,’ because I am sorry and I was wrong, and that’s a very humbling experience. Dwayne is a hell of a guy," Cena confessed, adding “I became who I despised. I see that perspective and I understand it. It was a great learning experience from my mistake with feuding with The Rock.”
He revealed that the two were able to have conversations with one another which ultimately led to Johnson returning to the ring, making their feud reach a “true full circle moment.”
"It's very difficult for people who are all into the WWE universe to see anything else that goes on, but here. We all have our own struggles. We all live our own lives,” concluded Cena.
John Cena returned to wrestling due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike
Cena admitted that once the strike ends, he will return to Hollywood again. “I made it perfectly clear you can’t do both because of the liability insurance,” shared Cena.
“If I were trying to juggle both that’s very selfish because I’d put a whole lot of people in the movie business out of work if something happened to me," he said.
He revealed that he stopped the project during the middle of production due to the strike. “As soon as we get back to work, we go back to work. I don’t control any of that. I’m crossing my fingers and hoping we can find a resolve that everyone is happy with," he said.
"For right now, I think this is the best way I can help is to come back home to my family," he concluded.
