Movie-goers may still yet see Coyote Vs. Acme after a Warner Bros. Discovery source rejected the notion that the film had been destroyed as a tax write-off.
In November 2023, it was confirmed that WBD had nixed the project despite filming having been completed for some time. This led to a ton of backlash against WBD and efforts by audiences for the film to be released in some format either in cinemas or online.
While it had been rumored that the final cut of the film had been destroyed, that no longer appears to be the case. A spokesperson for Warner Bros. Discovery told The New York Times that claims the notion that the film is being destroyed to facilitate a tax write-off is “inaccurate.”
In December 2023, it was reported that Netflix and Paramount had made formal bids to try and gain the rights for Coyote Vs. Acme. WBD is said to want more than $70 million for the project which would cover the cost of the initial tax write-off. Amazon is said to be mulling over the project.
Coyote Vs. Acme
The much-anticipated film features Wile E. Coyote of Looney Tunes fame hiring a lawyer to sue Acme, the creator of his many gadgets and traps that often backfire. John Cena was set to play Coyote’s former boss at Acme.
Coyote Vs. Acme wasn’t the only film WBD nixed, supposedly for tax write-off reasons. Other projects that were canned include a Scooby-Doo animated film that was finished, as well as a live-action Batgirl film that was set to feature Michael Keaton’s return to the role of Batman.
Posted April 16th, 2024 in WWE. Tagged: John Cena.
Pro-wrestler-turned-actor John Cena feels there can be only ‘one alpha’ in the longstanding feud between his Fast & Furious co-stars Vin Diesel and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.
On the Armchair Expert podcast, host Dax Shepard noted to Cena that Johnson and Diesel made “a tough pairing” after WWE’s ‘Final Boss’ joined the Fast & Furious franchise with 2011’s Fast Five. Cena replied that both the stars are very alpha, driven people but there can be only one.
“There’s certainly rumors about that. I can’t deny that. You have two very alpha, driven people. You get two, there can only be one.”
Additionally, the 16-time World Champion feels that he was simply “a guest” in the Fast & Furious world and expressed gratitude for the chance to be involved.
“I’m not trying to get the sandbox. That’s not my thing,” he said. “I’m grateful for what you’ve given me, I just want to be the best firetruck I can.”
Cena had joined the franchise when he starred in F9: The Fast Saga as Jakob Toretto, Dom’s estranged brother.
Dwayne Johnson, who starred as Luke Hobbs, has worked in as many as five films in the Fast & Furious franchise from 2011 and 2019. His character was originally introduced in Fast Five as an antagonist for Diesel’s Dominic Toretto character. However, as the story rolled, the two characters eventually joined forces in the future films.
Dwayne Johnson-Vin Diesel feud
In 2016, rumors started floating that Johnson and Diesel don’t share a cordial relationship behind the scenes. In a now-deleted Instagram post from 2016, Dwayne Johnson had called out his “male costars” of the franchise without naming anyone.
Johnson, who is also popularly known as The Rock had claimed in 2021 that he would not make appearances for the franchise. However, he did a cameo in last year’s Fast X. Apparently, the duo squashed the beef after Johnson returned for a mid-credits scene in the latest installment which potentially leaves the chance of him being featured in upcoming films.
John Cena is known to do the craziest things whether it is inside the WWE ring or outside of it. The prime example of it was The Cenation Leader’s appearance at the 2024 Oscars last month.
The former world champion was called up to present the award for the best costume design. In a shocking turn of events, the wrestling star turned up to the stage wearing almost nothing. The moment went viral on the internet and there have been all kinds of speculation on the thought process behind it.
During his most recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, The 16-time world champion was asked about the moment. McAfee remarked that the WWE star seems to be someone who doesn’t take things very seriously. John Cena contrasted the statement, explaining that he takes his work very seriously:
“So I think I do take it seriously, but I take IT seriously not me looking cool. Because if you try to look cool all the time, you’re just chasing a perfect view of yourself that doesn’t exist. Man, I know I got a bald spot in the back of my head. I flossed it last night at WrestleMania. Me, you and like seven out of ten dudes have them. So I don’t care. I’m not perfect. That’s not me.”
Make Me As Naked As Possible: John Cena
Explaining his mindset behind the viral Oscar moment, John Cena said that he is always thinking about how to make the best out of any situation:
“So I think instead of trying to craft every situation to ‘How can I look the strongest or the best?’ I look at every situation [and think] ‘How can we make this the best situation?’ When we go over the Oscar bit and they’re like, ‘Oh, do you want to wear Spanx or spandex or a speedo?’ [I’m like] ‘No, make me as naked as possible so Disney says it’s too naked.’
That’s how we go about it. That’s the funny bit. That’s the gag. That’s why everyone’s entertained. I think that’s what leads to polarising opinions and that’s what leads to interest. People can have that stuff and say ‘Oh, this is this.’ But it is what it is. It’s for your entertainment to decide what you want.”
John Cena was able to make it back for WrestleMania 40, and he stuck around Philly for the RAW after the show of shows.
Much to the surprise of fans in Philly, John Cena showed up on the RAW after WrestleMania, where he took part in a match. He also helped his team achieve victory in the process.
Cena’s Surprise Appearance
Judgement Day came out on RAW this week to hype their WrestleMania accomplishments. They are down the Tag Team Titles, but they are still covered in gold.
After Damian Priest was introduced as the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion, R-Truth came out next. He carried on his story with the Judgment Day, and then The Miz entered the situation. This resulted in a proposed match, but a six-man tag team match was arranged instead.
R-Truth said that their tag team partner against Judgment Day would be a guy that nobody can see. Some thought he was talking about Little Jimmy, but that’s not who he had in mind.
The six-man tag team match started as a handicap match. Suddenly, near the end of the match, John Cena entered the contest as Awesome’s Truth partner.
The three babyfaces executed triple 5 Knuckle Shuffles, and then they all hit Attitude Adjustments. The new RAW Tag Team Champions won the match with John Cena’s assist. It was quite a moment for fans in the Wells Fargo Center.
During an interview, Cena expressed his desire to temporarily step away from Hollywood to return to WWE for one final run.
He mentioned his hope for the Hollywood system to slow down a bit, allowing him the chance to reunite with his WWE “family” and embark on this journey.
John Cena returned for a cameo at WrestleMania 40, as he helped Cody Rhodes finish his story. He has hopes that he will be able to make it back to WWE soon enough, but this year isn’t looking likely.
During an interview on the Pat McAfee Show at WWE World, John Cena expressed his desire to temporarily step away from Hollywood to return to WWE for one final run.
He mentioned his hope for the Hollywood system to slow down a bit, allowing him the chance to reunite with his WWE “family” and embark on this journey.
“I’m crossing my fingers and my toes and my heart that maybe, maybe, just maybe I can tell the Hollywood to pump the brakes for a while and come back to my family for one last run. I hope, I hope, I don’t know. I’m trying. We’ll see what happens.”
John Cena’s last run with WWE was thanks to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA Strike. He started making preparations to come back to WWE as soon as the strike started. Once they worked out a deal, Cena had to go back to Hollywood.
"I'm crossing my fingers that I can tell the Hollywood World to pump the brakes and I can come back to my family for one last run"
John Cena managed to participate in WrestleMania because Honda rescheduled a prior commitment. He mentioned that his calendar is packed until approximately Christmas 2024, but after that, he intends to return for a final stint.
So, I was grateful enough that Honda kind of bumped a commitment I had to be able to do WrestleMania, so I’ll go from here to do something with Honda.”
“So I’m going straight to that. I have a cool keynote appearance with Samsung in Las Vegas. Their theme of the convention is ‘time is now’ so they called on yours truly to speak there. I’m very grateful for that. I have some more branding stuff to do before I leave for Europe to finish a movie that we started filming before the strike called ‘Heads of State’ with Priyanka Chopra and Idris Elba and then straight from that to Peacemaker season two. That’ll take us through just about Christmas and I’m crossing my fingers and toes and my heart that maybe, just maybe, I can tell the Hollywood world to pump the breaks for a while and come back to my family for one last run. I hope, I don’t know, I hope, I’m trying, I hope, we’ll see what happens.
The Peacemaker’s second season is starting filming in the Summer. He also has a ton of other offers for projects of every genre. His recent film, Ricky Stanicky, is still making waves as a breakout comedic performance for the 16x World Champion. He even opened up an OnlyFans page to promote it.
John Cena is making the most of his trip to Philadelphia for the WrestleMania 40 fallout. Cena was a surprise run-in for night two of the “Grand Daddy Of Them All” as the future WWE Hall Of Famer aimed to help Cody Rhodes against Roman Reigns. It was “Bloodline Rules” which meant anything goes and anything went as Rhodes vs. Reigns had several interferences and John Cena was one of them.
Cena saved Cody from a double attack from Reigns and Solo Sikoa as he ran down to take out Solo, putting him through a commentator’s table and giving Reigns an Attitude Adjustment. However, The Rock came out and delivered a Rock Bottom to his old rival from over a decade ago, taking Cena out of the equation. However, it was The Undertaker who trumped The Rock by delivering a chokeslam to ‘The Final Boss’ and Cody ended up getting the job done by hitting three Cross Rhodes to ending Roman’s reign.
Cena was one of many babyfaces to celebrate with Cody after he “finished his story” but Cena will have his own story to tell at WWE World in Philadelphia before WWE RAW.
Grateful to spend time with the #WWE Universe & be a part of #WrestleMania! Congratulations to @CodyRhodes on a history making achievement!
And the best part of it all… the @WWE story NEVER ENDS!!!!
Cena will be the guest of Pat McAfee on The Pat McAfee Show. He’s scheduled to show up at 1 PM ET, but fans haven’t seen him since last year after making a memorable run over the summer.
WWE WrestleMania 40 will be a massive event. Steve Austin, The Undertaker, and John Cena have been reported for possible appearances. That being said, Cena will be restricted if he shows up.
Filming for “The Peacemaker” series’ second season starring Cena is scheduled to start this summer, a detail corroborated by James Gunn. Cena’s health is very important to that project staying on schedule.
PW Insider reports that if John Cena can make WrestleMania this year, then “he will be off the board for anything major in the physical WWE realm for most of the remainder of 2024.”
It was also noted that John Cena’s WrestleMania 40 appearance hasn’t been confirmed, but there are many in the company who believe that he will be there.
Likely WrestleMania Appearances
John Cena and Steve Austin were both featured on WrestleMania 40 trucks in the background of WWE RAW two weeks ago. It was reported that them appearing on those truck wraps was not an accident at all.
The Undertaker will also be in town for another one of his 1 deadMAN SHOW engagements. That event is sold out, but this is common for Taker’s one-man show gigs at this point. We will have to see if The Deadman makes an appearance at WrestleMania 40 as well.
In the world of professional wrestling, one of the most meaningful ways to push a rising star is for him or her to defeat an established star. That’s especially true when the established star is a former world champion, or better yet a main event fixture.
On paper, beating John Cena should be huge for someone’s career. After all, Cena is a sixteen-time world champion, was the face of WWE for a decade-plus, and is one of those rare wrestlers to successfully crossover to Hollywood and arguably be even a bigger mainstream celebrity now than when he worked full time for WWE.
However, counterintuitively, beating Cena has actually not meant career progress for most of the men who’ve pinned him on TV within the past five years.
Solo Sikoa Has Taken A Backseat Since Decimating John Cena
In the build to Crown Jewel 2023, one point of drama was John Cena emphasizing he hadn’t won a singles match in years. Many fans took this storytelling as a sign Cena was going to get a big win again, but that wasn’t in the cards.
Solo Sikoa didn’t only defeat Cena. In repeatedly bludgeoning Cena with the Samoan Spike, Sikoa positively decimated the former champ, leaving him unable to defend himself in the ring. The youngest member of The Bloodline had already existed in the main event orbit. Many fans read this particular victory as a sign he was in line for a major push, perhaps replacing Roman Reigns as a top heel or turning face to challenge his cousin.
Instead, Sikoa has stalled out. Rather than the Cena match being a launching pad, there’s a subtle truth that that was actually Sikoa’s first ever WWE PLE singles match and his last to date. While he has remained featured as a top sidekick to The Tribal Chief and a proxy for him on house shows, Sikoa hasn’t seen his own career advance nearly a full half-year off the biggest win of his career.
Austin Theory Is In A Weaker Position Than He Was A Year Ago
It’s one thing to beat John Cena one-on-one in a televised match. It’s another to do it at WrestleMania.
Austin Theory accomplished that unlikely feat at WrestleMania 39, pinning Cena in a win that wasn’t entirely clean, but also wasn’t that dirty. This wasn’t a victory that pushed Theory to the main event. Though he’s flirted with that picture here and there, most of that was before the Cena match. Theory wasn’t getting established as a dominant secondary champ the way Gunther has been either. Theory dropped the United States Championship four months later after a largely uneventful remainder of his reign.
One year later, Theory barely earned his way into a twelve-man ladder match with his better-featured tag team partner Grayson Waller. Theory is still only in his mid-20s, so there’s plenty of time for him rise up. Nonetheless, Theory remains at this point the only man to have defeated Cena at WrestleMania who was not a world champion before, after, or at that time.
Bray Wyatt’s Career Trajectory Can’t Be Fairly Assessed Due To Tragedy
Bray Wyatt holds perhaps the most unusual victory over John Cena in having defeated him in a Firefly Fun House Match at WrestleMania 36 (after enjoying some success against Cena in their earlier feud as well).
To be fair, Wyatt did enjoy some successes after his last victory over Cena, including winning a world title. However, it’s worth acknowledging that that third world title reign was the shortest of Wyatt’s career, only lasting one week.
The following WrestleMania would be the last one at which Wyatt worked a match—losing a confusing, disappointing bout to Randy Orton. Wyatt would be on and off television for the year to follow between health and creative issues, including winding up released from the company for a period of months. Finally, after missing significant TV time, the wrestling world was shocked to learn of Wyatt’s passing.
It would be silly to associate winning a match over Cena with the real-life tragedy of losing a human being—let alone such a creative artist and a father. Nonetheless, it stands that Wyatt was on the list of men who didn’t enjoy appreciable career growth from beating the sixteen-time world champion.
Roman Reigns Is The Exception That Proves The Rule
The only man to defeat John Cena in a one-on-one televised match in the last five years and prosper was Roman Reigns. Indeed, Reigns beating Cena at SummerSlam 2021 made a statement as it cemented that WWE meant to go the distance with his title reign, and that Reigns had firmly supplanted Cena as “the guy” in WWE.
Every rule has its exception, but all the more so, one might argue that beating Cena wasn’t all that monumental to The Tribal Chief’s success. Beating Cena was undoubtedly the biggest win of Austin Theory’s career and the same is true for Solo Sikoa. The Firefly Fun House match, so uniquely tailored to Bray Wyatt’s character, could be perceived as the biggest win of his run.
For Reigns, there’s a very reasonable case that the visual of him pinning Edge and Daniel Bryan at the same time at WrestleMania 37, pinning Drew McIntyre in front of a UK stadium crowd, successfully defending against Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 39, or any of the times he survived Brock Lesnar were the highlights of this title reign, let alone of his career. As such, The Head of the Table may have withstood the curse of beating John Cena if only because the win wasn’t such a big deal for him in the first place.
Like most patterns in wrestling, the curse of beating John Cena probably doesn’t mean much. Nonetheless, it’s an interesting anomaly to track, and fans will have to wait and see if it continues or something shifts the next time Cena’s back in the WWE mix.
John Cena has praised the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns as a Superstar who is without comparison to anybody other than the Tribal Chief.
Reigns has been one of WWE’s very top Superstars for close to a decade now and has dominated as Universal Champion for over 1,300 days. This title reign has seen him defeat the likes of Bray Wyatt, Bill Goldberg, Brock Lesnar, Edge, Daniel Bryan, Cody Rhodes, and Cena himself.
John Cena on Roman Reigns
As part of A&E Biography: Legends episode on Roman Reigns, Cena spoke candidly about his respect for the Head of the Table. In a tweet featuring a clip from the show, Cena went even further, saying that Reigns is, in his opinion, the greatest of all time.
“It is on the job training, no matter what. We learn the most from failure and Roman had his share of knocks. And finally, he was like ‘F*** it, I’m doing it my own way.’ And it has been a wrap ever since. It has been like [mic] drop, conversation over. There’s nobody like him. He should be compared only to himself.”
Many have “held the title,” but none have elevated the position and have had as much success personally and for the entirety of the @WWE like @WWERomanReigns. A true one of a kind and, in my opinion, the greatest of all time.
Cena and Reigns have shared the ring 15 times in WWE (not including Royal Rumble bouts.) Their first match took place at WWE Elimination Chamber 2013 and saw The Shield defeat Cena, Sheamus, and Ryback. The pair would later headline WWE SummerSlam 2021 in a match Reigns would also win.
The duo’s most recent match came on the December 30, 2022, edition of WWE SmackDown. The match saw Cena and Kevin Owens defeat Reigns and Sami Zayn, who was with the Bloodline at the time. The match also kept Cena’s streak going as the 16-time WWE World Champion has had at least one match on WWE TV since his main-roster debut in 2002.
WWE has something special planned for their upcoming WrestleMania 40 event, but plans are being kept under wraps for the time being.
WrestleMania 40 will be the promotion’s fifth two-night WrestleMania, a tradition that began in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The show will take place on April 6 and April 7 from Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA.
John Cena & Steve Austin on Raw
During the March 25, edition of WWE Monday Night Raw, The Rock battered Cody Rhodes in the closing moments of the show, leaving the American Nightmare in a bloody heap.
During the assault, production trucks were seen in the background bearing the faces of John Cena and ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin. This immediately led to speculation that either (or perhaps both) could play a role at WrestleMania 40.
A WrestleMania Mystery
In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer addresses the rumors of Cena and/or Austin being part of the WrestleMania 40 main event. He was “told not to read into that regarding the main events.”
While Cena and Austin may not interfere with the main event of the show, it appears something is in the works for WrestleMania 40. Meltzer writes that there is said to be a “mystery slot” on the card for the show. It is currently unclear if this is for Cena or somebody else.
It takes a special kind of talent to become a WWE Superstar, especially at a high level. Logan Paul has been able to prove a lot of his doubters wrong, on even the highest levels of WWE.
Logan Paul revealed that Triple H laughed when he heard about LP’s interest in WWE. Triple H’s opinion on Paul certainly changed after he saw his dedication to pro wrestling and his in-ring abilities.
Triple H Laughed at The Maverick
Logan Paul is on the road to WrestleMania once again, and he is enjoying some big deals with WWE. Not only has his hydration brand, Prime, inked the biggest sponsorship deal in WWE history, but The Maverick is also in the middle of his own performer contract.
While speaking to Graham Bensinger, Logan Paul was asked about Triple H laughing at the idea of him becoming a WWE Superstar. LP confirmed that story was true, because Triple H admitted it to his face after he earned his respect.
“Yeah, [I heard Triple H laughed when he heard I was interested in WWE], he told me to my face. I’m sure he thought ‘there’s no way this internet kid can hang with the toughness and complex nature of this sport.'”
Triple H later said about Logan Paul that, “once he got into it, and I saw not only what he’s able to do, but his dedication to doing it, you know that’s a game-changer for me. He earned my respect right out the shoot.”
Logan Paul’s entrance in WWE made several fans roll their eyes. Once they saw what he was able to do in the ring, and how much he gave to the business, that changed a lot of fan perception, as he was welcomed as a bona fide WWE Superstar by the locker room as well.
John Cena on Logan Paul
John Cena was also featured in the video from Graham Bensinger. The footage, which was filmed on April 1, 2023, the day of WrestleMania 39, features a brief interaction with the 16x World Champion.
Cena, who was shocked to discover that April 1 is also Logan Paul’s birthday, gave a glowing review to what LP is capable of, and what he has been able to bring to WWE.
“I wish we had found him years ago and this would be his calling. I’m glad he’s found us, because he fits perfectly in what we do here.”
Logan Paul at WrestleMania 40
Logan Paul is walking into WrestleMania 40 as the WWE United States Champion. He will defend his title against Kevin Owens and Randy Orton during the event. He may not be happy about his situation, but he will give it all in Philadelphia at WrestleMania XL to retain his title.
SEScoops will have more on this story, and many more from the pro wrestling world. Keep checking back throughout the day for more of the headlines you need.
Last year, WWE announced their plans to film a new docuseries following the journey of several men and women as they look to become WWE Superstars. As per the original press release, this docuseries is set to air eight episodes, highlighting both the challenges and triumphs as WWE narrows down the pool of hopefuls from thousands to a select few.
WWE: Next Gen
Earlier today, WWE confirmed that the series, titled “WWE: Next Gen,” will stream for free on the Roku Channel beginning next Monday, April 1.
Per the series’ official trailer, Matt Bloom, Big E, and WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels will act as the coaches throughout the grueling recruitment and training process. “WWE: Next Gen” will also feature special appearances from Bianca Belair, “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair, and WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque.
Executive producers for the project include the likes of Arthur Smith, Frank Sinton, Ian Mallahan, Dan Baime, and 16-time world champion John Cena, who can also be seen giving a pep talk to several of the WWE hopefuls in the trailer.
After filming for “WWE: Next Gen” went underway last year, John Cena stated that he was particularly excited to be a part of this exclusive series.
“Millions around the world watch and dream of it, but only a handful of extraordinary individuals can become a WWE Superstar. I am so excited to bring ‘[WWE: Next Gen]’ to The Roku Channel and look forward to giving viewers an exclusive all-access perspective on how the WWE turns the dreams of talented young people into a reality,” Cena previously told The Hollywood Reporter.
Posted March 25th, 2024 in WWE. Tagged: John Cena.
For many years, John Cena has been involved in many big matches and moments at the ‘Grandest Stage Of Them All.’ He has won championships and even proposed at a WrestleMania. However, Cena has recently shared that he also had a featured match involving him being cut short compared to what was initially planned.
On his TikTok account, Cena shared that his Triple Threat Match against Big Show and Adam Copeland (FKA Edge) for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship was cut short. The match occurred at WWE WrestleMania 25 on April 5, 2009.
Fans may recall that the match before Cena’s was Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker. While Michaels and ‘The Deadman’ put on an all-time classic WrestleMania performance, the Triple Threat Match was cut for time.
Cena reflected on the match on TikTok and spoke about WWE’s decision. He also thanked Big Show and Copeland for their cooperation.
“…Those guys had a long match, which means you got to find the time somewhere, which means they took a lot of time away from this match. Yes, taking time away from your match happens at every level. I want to thank my opponents, Edge and The Big Show, for being so calm and collected and adjusting what we needed to do, and still being able to take some high-risk and give the audience some crazy moments,” said Cena.
One example he remembered was picking up both his opponents at the same time. He also revealed the match was supposed to last 30 minutes and noted how quickly he got out of the ring after his win.
Will John Cena Make An Appearance At WWE WrestleMania 40?
As WWE WrestleMania 40 approaches, fans wonder if Cena will appear. He is not scheduled for a match or a segment at the event.
Cena will likely not be in a match or be limited in how physical he can be with others, but fans will still enjoy seeing the former WWE Champion make a surprise appearance.
WrestleMania XL weekend is just two weeks away and WWE’s biggest event of the year is shaping up to be memorable.
The card is nearly set for the first WrestleMania to be held under the new regime of TKO Group Holdings, the new entity comprised of both WWE and UFC, the world’s leading mixed martial arts promotion.
WrestleMania is the culmination of the year’s biggest feuds and storylines. It’s where the stars shine brightest and Superstars deliver performances they know will echo through time. In addition to crafting the strongest possible match card, WWE often brings in legends and celebrities to ensure this PLE stands out from the rest.
Stacking WrestleMania 40
According to this week’s Wrestling Observer newsletter, this year will be no exception. WWE sources say the company is looking to have John Cena, Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Undertaker at WrestleMania 40.
“Cena is free but depending on what acting stuff he has and how quick after he’s filming would determine how much he can or can’t do for insurance reasons,” Dave Meltzer wrote. “Austin and Undertaker would be based on willingness that they have.”
In asking around with sources linked to WWE’s creative process, we have not heard anything for Cena or Austin planned for WrestleMania. However, this late on the Road to WrestleMania, any surprises involving stars of this magnitude would be a very closely guarded secret.
Keep it locked to SEScoops for our continued coverage of everything WWE on the road to WrestleMania 40. It’s going to be a crazy few weeks, but we’re going to be all-hands-on-deck to continue bringing our readers the best wrestling news coverage around.
Fresh off his viral Oscars 2024 moment, John Cena has yet again showcased his acting skills in another unique way with a video alongside soccer star Erling Haaland.
In a video call, Cena posed as the Norweigan striker, who currently plays for Manchester City. Cena went all out for the video as he donned a Man City shirt, scarf, and a long blonde wig to match the soccer star. Cena’s cosplay was complete with a glass of milk, which Haaland has claimed to be one of his favorite drinks.
In the video, the pair spoke about Manchester City’s upcoming tour of the U.S. that’ll kick off later this year. Haaland seemed far from impressed with John’s costume, telling the 16-time WWE World Champion “You have to stop doing this.”
Who is Erling Haaland?
Haaland is considered one of, if not the best soccer stars currently playing. Last year, Haaland broke the record for the most goals scored by a player in a single season, with 36.
His athletic prowess on the pitch is hardly a surprise, given that he is the son of Alfie Haaland, who played soccer for Norway, and women’s heptathlon athlete Gry Marita Braut. His cousins Jonatan Braut Brunes and Albert Tjåland are also professional footballers.
When Wrestling Met Soccer
Cena’s video with Haaland is hardly the first time soccer and wrestling have come together. In 2015, Wayne Rooney appeared at a UK edition of Monday Night Raw and would slap Wade Barrett.
Jose Mourinho appeared on an episode of Raw in 2007. The then-Chelsea boss was spotted by Shane McMahon, who proceeded to mock the Portuguese coach.
José Mourinho in the WWE is till date one of the most random crossovers ever. pic.twitter.com/wd3GTDz9tf
If you don’t think John Cena reads the dirt sheets, think again because the future WWE Hall Of Famer took notice of Kenny Omega’s recent remarks.
Kenny Omega had extremely high praise for Cena on his latest Twitch stream, noting that he has never met John, but realizes how much he’s done for the wrestling business in and outside the ring. Omega noted how Cena has reached heights wrestling stars hadn’t seen in years and the work he does for charity is unparalleled.
Cena has a wide range of personalities on social media as most times on Twitter/X he’ll write out thoughtful words of motivation while his Instagram is always a wordless vessel, simply pictures that either troll or indicate something on his mind. On Wednesday morning, Cena made clear he was thinking of The Cleaner.
Omega is out indefinitely from in-ring action after being diagnosed with diverticulitis. He noted in a previous Twitch stream that he was actually very close to dying but did express a big desire to get back into the ring.
In AEW storylines, Omega has been relieved of his duties as an Executive Vice President of All Elite Wrestling (and replaced in The Elite by his most hated rival). Despite the suspension, Omega did appear in promotional ads for AEW’s upcoming tour of Canada.
Catching Up with Cena
John Cena returned to WWE last year during the Hollywood strike:
After wrapping up that run, the 16-time World Champion has been keeping very busy. His HBO show The Peacemaker will film a second season this year. He also recently made his (unannounced) minor league baseball debut in February 2024:
Becky Lynch’s new memoir is proving to be a hit with WWE Superstars and legends alike with glowing reviews pouring in for the new book.
Becky Lynch: The Man: Not Your Average Average Girlis due to release later this month, and will tell the tale of how young Rebecca Quin became the internationally recognized WWE Superstar she is today. The book is 384 pages long.
The Reviews Are In
Lynch’s memoir will hit shelves on March 26 but some WWE stars have been able to get their hands on an advanced copy of the book. In reviews from Simon & Schuster Publishing WWE Hall of Famer ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin was impressed with how well The Man writes about her life.
“Becky’s writing style is infectious and contagious. Just like her personality. From hard times and hard decisions, to changing the landscape of sports entertainment, the self-described ‘underdog’ has always been destined to do great things. I’m sure there is more to come.”
John Cena, somebody Lynch shared the ring with for a segment in 2018, believes the memoir shows the merits of a three-word mantra of his.
“Her authenticity allows us to feel her struggles and mature alongside her as the story unfolds… It might just be the new Underdog’s Guide to the Galaxy. A trailblazer, a groundbreaker and a great example of my 3 favorite words, Never Give Up.”
Lynch’s husband Seth Rollins said that the book shares plenty in common with its author.
“Effortlessly authentic, poignant without ever trying too hard, and a little rough around the edges—that’s my lovely wife, and it’s also her lovely book… Between being a full-time WWE Superstar, a full-time mother, and a GOAT life partner, my one and only somehow casually found the bandwidth to pen a perfect memoir…because of course she did.”
Mick Foley, who knows a thing or two about writing a gripping memoir, was very impressed with the tome.
“Becky Lynch: The Man is one of the finest wrestling books—or memoirs of any kind—I have had the pleasure to read… I am so glad she has chosen to share that voice and her remarkable life story with all of us.”
Stephanie McMahon is confident about how the book will fare once readers get their own copies.
“Becky Lynch: The Man is the story of a remarkable woman who had the guts to put it all on the line… Becky Lynch defies every stereotype. The crowd loves her because she is vulnerable and real, and I have no doubt you will too!”
The Man at the White House
One person who may be reading the book soon is U.S. President Joe Biden. The Man was recently a guest at the White House as part of the recent St. Patrick’s Day festivities. Lynch even left a copy of her book in the White House, as she made clear with a tweet.
It’s fitting that Lynch was at the White House this past week as she’s been feeling a lot more American as of late. After this week’s Raw, Lynch had some big news to share with the WWE Universe.
John Cena has done a lot in his career as a 16x World Champion. Not only that, but his contributions to the overall industry has not gone unnoticed.
Kenny Omega gave John Cena flowers for his contributions to professional wrestling during a recent Twitch stream. He said that Cena is what the face of a pro wrestling company should be at this point.
Omega Speaks on Cena
During a recent Twitch stream, Kenny Omega shared his admiration for John Cena and the significant impact Cena has had on the professional wrestling industry. They have never shared the ring as part of the same company, but Omega certainly sees Cena.
Kenny Omega expressed his admiration for John Cena, highlighting Cena’s significant contributions to the professional wrestling industry. Despite not having personally met Cena, Omega praised him as a great professional wrestler who has made an immense impact on the business.
“No, I have not [met Cena], but I think he’s great. Great professional wrestler. He’s done an incredible amount for the business, I don’t think anyone will be able to match anytime soon. The reason why is because Cena wasn’t doing anything for the sake of an accomplishment or trophy or recognition.”
“People went out of their way after the fact to say, ‘look at all this stuff John is doing in his off time.’ Maybe he even laughs at it himself, but for the amount of effort he has put in to make people’s lives better, whether it be Make A Wish, fans at the arenas, or autograph signings, it’s a great example for what the face of a company should be or for the face of the industry. I’m a very big proponent of John Cena. I think he’s incredible.”
Cena and Omega
Omega and Cena represent contrasting paths within the wrestling world. While Omega has carved out his niche outside WWE, Cena’s tenure as a WWE mainstay embodied his status as a symbol of sports entertainment. Despite these differences, Omega’s acknowledgment of Cena’s achievements underscores the mutual respect that exists among wrestlers, regardless of company lines.
Only time will tell if Kenny Omega and John Cena ever meet. Odds are, Omega has Cena’s respect as well. So, a possible future meeting between the two might go very well.
John Cena’s career in Hollywood keeps him away from WWE. He is also not planning on wrestling into his 50s. Kenny Omega, on the other hand, is sitting out of action right now as he recovers from a diverticulitis attack.
We are less than a month away from WrestleMania 40 and this year’s edition of ‘The Show of Shows’ is bigger than ever. Will the fans witness John Cena at the show? Well, the 16-time World Champion is still waiting for the green signal.
This year’s edition of WrestleMania is set to be the fifth annual of the two-night extravaganza which started with the pandemic. It’s worth noting that the show will also be the first WrestleMania after the inception of TKO Group Holdings. The card is stacked with some huge matches and fans are speculating that ‘The Leader of Cenation’ will make his presence felt in Philly.
John Cena opens up on possible appearance at WrestleMania 40
Speaking on The Drew Barrymore Show, John Cena revealed that he is waiting for his invite as he hasn’t found a ‘golden ticket’ to the show. He said that he would try to be at the show. Cena said:
“I’m kind of waiting for my invite. Unfortunately, it’s not like a… I don’t have a prom date, so I have no one to go to prom with. I haven’t been asked to go yet. But that’s okay. That’s alright. I have not yet found a golden ticket in my chocolate bar, so I guess I gotta keep eating chocolate bars to find a golden ticket.
It’s the 40th installment of WrestleMania and that gives me a tremendous joy and happiness, because the event is bigger than it’s ever been. I believe you should leave a place better than when you found it, and I think I’ve done that. [It] brings my heart so much joy to see the event in the place that it is now.”
Though WWE never fails to pull some strings at the last minute and who knows, we might even end up witnessing John Cena at ‘The Grandest Stage of Them All.’
WrestleMania 40 takes place on April 6 & 7 at the iconic Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Welcome to SEScoops: the Daily Drop, your go-to for the latest news and rumors in wrestling for Wednesday, March 13. A lot of things changed in the past 24 hours, so let’s take a look.
Days until WrestleMania 40: 24
Tonight is AEW Dynamite Big Business, and AEW fans are expecting Mercedes Mone’s debut for the company. That being said, expect updates as we get closer to the big Boston show, and afterward.
WWE:
– John Cena is not locked in for WrestleMania 40 yet. I was told that they are still working on him. For what it’s worth, James Gunn said that Peacemaker season 2 is slated for the summer, so that probably won’t affect Mania. We will have to see what they can work out.
John Cena's WrestleMania 40 appearance is "still being worked on."
Nothing concrete. Nothing to announce yet.
I also asked if there was any internal reaction to his Oscars streaking stunt, and was told that there wasn't a reaction because they're "too busy. It's WrestleMania…
– WWE confirmed thatSummerSlam 2024 is coming to Cleveland on August 3rd at the Cleveland Browns Stadium.
– The March 11th episode of Monday Night RAW attracted 1.751 million viewers, showing growth from the previous week’s viewership of 1,649,000. Additionally, this week’s show achieved a 0.56 rating in the highly coveted 18-49 demographic, up from last week’s rating of 0.54.
– While making the big SummerSlam announcement, Logan Paul also said that Dave Chappelle, and so many more, will be at the biggest party of the summer in Cleveland.
– AEW star Buddy Matthews was shown during WWE RAW alongside Rhea Ripley at UFC 299. They did not name him, but Pat McAfee did ask who Ripley was with. Michael Cole just carried on with the show instead of addressing the former WWE Superstar in the photo.
– During SXSW, Bryan Danielson made it clear that he doesn’t want to win the AEW World Title. He said, ”I’ve had some people ask me or say things to me like, ‘Oh Bryan, you should be champion or you should’ve been champion’ or you should’ve this or you should’ve that and the reality is to me, no, the champions that we’ve had have been great. Hangman (Adam Page) was a great champion, MJF was a great champion and it elevated these younger people to where now these people are stars and you put Hangman on TV now and he draws a rating. You put MJF on TV, he draws a rating. It would be easy to just take stars of the past and make them your champion and make them your top guy. That’s the easy way. It’s much harder to take somebody like MJF who hadn’t been on national television and turn him into a star that draws ratings… That was my bigger goal is to transfer stardom from one generation to another.”
– Sting’s first post-AEW retirement appearance will go down at Galaxy Con on March 16th,
AEW Dynamite Big Business 3/13 Card:
AEW World Championship: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Wardlow
The New Elite vs. Pac, Penta, and Eddie Kingston
Darby Allin vs. Jay White
Chris Jericho and Hook vs Gates of Agony
Willow Nightingale vs. Riho, marking
Mercedes Mone’s Expected AEW Debut in Boston
Upcoming Major Pro Wrestling Events:
AEW Dynamite: Big Business will be hosted at Boston’s TD Garden on March 13th.
WWE NXT Stand & Deliver is slated for the afternoon of April 6th, just before the start of WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia.
WrestleMania XL is set to take place on April 6th and 7th at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as a two-part event.
AEW is coming to St. Louis, MO with AEW: Dynasty LIVE on PPV on Sunday, April 21st at Chaifetz Arena
Backlash France is scheduled for May 4th at LDLC Arena in Décines-Charpieu, France.
WWE NXT Battleground is booked for May 26th at Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia, exclusively available on the WWE Network and Peacock.
WWE Money in the Bank will be held on July 6th at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, followed by WWE NXT Heatwave on July 7th at the same venue.
WWE SummerSlam is taking over Cleveland’s Cleveland Browns Stadium on August 3rd.
WWE Bash In Berlin is marked for August 31st at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin, Germany.
John Cena proved the lengths he’ll go to entertain with his viral appearance the 2024 Oscars, according to his friend and former rival Booker T.
At this year’s Academy Awards, Cena was on-hand to present the award for ‘Best Costume’ alongside Jimmy Kimmel. In a throwback to the 1974 ceremony that saw a streaker interrupt a speech by David Niven, Cena appeared in the ‘nude’ and covered his unmentionables with a large envelope.
Of course, Cena wasn’t actually nude at the Oscars, despite what some may believe. Backstage photos have revealed he wore skin-colored trunks to give the illusion of nudity.
John Cena at the Oscars
Cena’s performance at the Oscars immediately went viral with people from both in and out of wrestling weighing in. Addressing what happened in Tinseltown during the latest episode of his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T said it demonstrated how willing John is to entertain.
“That was risky, but it just goes to show you how far we have come and how far John is willing to go to entertain. That’s all. That’s all it is. That’s a wrestler, doing something like that. Wrestlers gonna put themselves out there.”
What’s Next?
John is hoping to appear (clothed no less!) at WrestleMania 40 when the Showcase of the Immortals comes to Philadelphia, PA next month. The show will be the fifth-annual two-night WrestleMania, a tradition which began thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. As of right now, there have not been any publicly confirmed plans for the 16-time WWE World Champion.
“You know what, 50 is my absolute line in the sand,” Cena said. “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.”
The Doctor Of Thuganomics is set to turn 47 in April which only gives Cena three more years before turning half a century.
By some other legendary colleague’s circumstances, Cena would be hanging it up early at the age of fifty. The Rock is currently 51, Chris Jericho is 53, Rob Van Dam is 53 and Sting just donned the facepaint for the last time at 64.
John Cena Has Other Avenues He Wants To Pursue
Cena also noted that he was 100% driven by WWE back in his prime, but now other passions have taken over and it’s not just the silver screen.
“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,” Cena said. “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.”
With SAG and the writer’s guild on strike last year, Cena did spend some extra time in the squared circle and fans can likely expect the future WWE Hall Of Famer in some capacity at WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia.
H/t to The Wrestling Observer for the transcription.
Posted March 12th, 2024 in WWE. Tagged: John Cena.
John Cena could indeed be free for an appearance at WrestleMania 40, despite previous concerns that his filming schedule could prevent him being at the show.
Cena’s blossoming acting career keeps him very busy, which is why WrestleManias 37 and 38 came and went without an appearance. Now, the show’s own Jennifer Holland has given hope to fans wishing to see Cena at WrestleMania 40. Responding to a fan’s question about the show’s second season, Holland, who portrays Emilia Harcourt shared her excitement. She also noted that the plan is for Peacemaker season two to begin filming this Summer, long after WrestleMania.
“Yessss we start filming this summer! It’s gonna be so gooooood.”
John Cena at WrestleMania
Cena made his WrestleMania debut in 2003 during the pre-show, and would open the show by winning the U.S. Championship the following year. Cena has competed a total of 16 times at WrestleMania with eight of those matches being for a World Championship. He currently boasts a win/loss record of 10-6.
Welcome to SEScoops: the Daily Drop, your go-to for the latest news and rumors in wrestling for Monday, March 11. There are also a ton of great stories to take a look at, including RAW tonight. Let’s jump right into it.
Days until WrestleMania 40: 26
WWE:
– Brock Lesnar is back on WWE.com’s roster, and that was very interesting. I asked around to see if there is any word about his return, and was I was told that the creative team has not heard anything new about him since his stories were nixed after Janel Grant’s lawsuit went public.
Brock Lesnar is back on the WWE website roster, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be right back on TV.
After asking around I can confirm that the creative team has not been told that anything has changed with Lesnar.
He was supposed to be in the Rumble, face Dom at EC and…
AEW Dynamite: Big Business will be hosted at Boston’s TD Garden on March 13th.
WWE NXT Stand & Deliver is slated for the afternoon of April 6th, just before the start of WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia.
WrestleMania XL is set to take place on April 6th and 7th at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as a two-part event.
AEW is coming to St. Louis, MO with AEW: Dynasty LIVE on PPV on Sunday, April 21st at Chaifetz Arena
Backlash France is scheduled for May 4th at LDLC Arena in Décines-Charpieu, France.
WWE NXT Battleground is booked for May 26th at Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia, exclusively available on the WWE Network and Peacock.
WWE Money in the Bank will be held on July 6th at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, followed by WWE NXT Heatwave on July 7th at the same venue.
WWE Bash In Berlin is marked for August 31st at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin, Germany.
WWE’s own John Cena has revealed the truth that he’s buried for decades behind a lie; that he is visible and that fans can indeed see him.
Despite being one of WWE’s most prominently featured Superstars for years, Cena’s catchphrase ‘You Can’t See Me’ would become synonymous with Big Match John. The line has since branched off into a meme among fans who pretend not to be able to see Cena when he makes appearances both in and out of the ring.
John Cena Comes Clean
During a recent interview with MTV’s Josh Horowitz, Cena and Ricky Stanicky co-star Zac Efron were asked whether they’ve ever lied in an interview. Cena (admittedly tongue-in-cheek) used the question to make his stark confession.
“[I lie in interviews] All the time. I don’t think there’s an ounce of truth in anything I’ve said. Ever. I’m living in a lie. I’m living a whole lie. I think I’m visible. I think people can see me.”
The topic of dishonesty is a pivotal part of Ricky Stanicky. The film tells the story of friends who in their youth made up a fake friend (the titular Stanicky) to get our of trouble and obligations. Now grown up, the friends are confronted about Stanicky and hire an actor [Cena] to bring their fake friend to life.
What’s Next for John Cena?
Should the fans forgive Cena for his years of lying, the WWE Universe may indeed see John at WrestleMania 40. Cena is eager to do something at WWE’s annual two-night Showcase, though there are no confirmed plans for Big Match John publicly known at this time.
Posted March 11th, 2024 in WWE. Tagged: John Cena.