John Cena made his in-ring return to WWE television on the December 30 edition of SmackDown by teaming with Kevin Owens to take on Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn in a tag team match.
WWE set up the match on the December 16 edition of SmackDown as Owens needed to find a tag team partner for the bout, and Cena appeared on the big screen in a pre-taped promo where he confirmed he would team with “KO.” This match extended his streak of wrestling every year since his main roster debut in 2002.
The match served as the main event, although there was a commercial during it that kept the match short. There was a near fall, with Owens hitting a frog splash to Reigns. Cena mostly stayed on the apron before getting the hot tag. Owens pinned Zayn with the stunner.
After SmackDown went off the air, Cena was attacked by The Bloodline. This led to The Brawling Brutes and Drew McIntyre making the save. Cena cut a promo to thank the fans for their support over the past 20 years. When he found out that the last show of the year would be in Tampa and it is his only match of 2022 to extend the streak, he had to do it.
It looks like Logan Paul will be getting his wish of wrestling John Cena at WWE WrestleMania 39.
Paul earned plenty of praise following his match against Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Crown Jewel a few months ago. John Cena took notice as he shared a photo of Paul on his Instagram account with no caption. Later, Paul responded with the eyes emoji on Twitter of a tweet saying Cena was looking for a WrestleMania opponent.
Paul previously stated on his ImPAULsive podcast that he wanted a match with Cena and pitched the idea to Triple H.
“After Crown Jewel, John Cena posted me on his Instagram and then I saw an article saying he’s looking for an opponent at WrestleMania. I favorited it, responded with the eyes. Truthfully, I think me vs. John Cena would break the internet. I texted Triple H right away, ‘Do you want to break the internet again?’ That’s a dream match. WrestleMania, in LA, on my birthday. Triple H, throw me a bone, give me a birthday present, let me take out John Cena. That’d be crazy.”
WrestlingNews.co reports that Paul vs. Cena is planned for WrestleMania 39.
Other Planned WrestleMania 39 Matches
WWE Championship Match: Seth Rollins vs. Cody Rhodes or Drew McIntyre
WWE Universal Championship Match: Roman Reigns vs. The Rock or Cody Rhodes
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship Match: The Usos vs. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens
Barring any injuries, the matches listed above are very likely to happen as planned at the show that takes place in April.
John Cena is set to wrestle for the first time this year at the December 30 edition of SmackDown.
The longtime star-turned-Hollywood actor will tag with Kevin Owens against Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn. John Cena has not wrestled since his SummerSlam main event loss against Reigns last year. In that time, Cena has been focusing on film and TV work, including the popular HBO series Peacemaker.
As per the Wrestling Observer, several angles for John Cena at next year’s WrestleMania could be implemented in next week’s match. Despite interest in seeing the 16-time World Champion perform at the Show of Shows, it’s not yet definite he will be able to. The former face of the company is very busy with other commitments at the moment but it’s believed he will manage to make the Mania event.
Due to his show business commitments, John Cena will be unavailable for much of February and March. This could make building his WrestleMania angle troublesome.
Who Did Vince McMahon Want Cena To Face At WrestleMania?
Before his retirement earlier this year, Vince McMahon was apparently keen on John Cena facing Austin Theory next year. Seeds for a feud were seemingly planted at Cena’s 20th Anniversary celebrations on RAW earlier this year. Theory was in his first run as US Champion at the time. The rising star cut an aggressive promo on “The Doctor of Thuganomics”.
Since then, Theory has lost the US Title, won and failed to cash-in the Money in the Bank briefcase, and regained the US Championship. The title’s long been synonymous with John Cena due to both his early years in the WWE midcard and his acclaimed 2015 title run. Therefore, a US Title bout between the two could work as a passing of the torch-type angle.
Vince McMahon reportedly considered Theory the next John Cena-level star. However, Cena has been inserted into the Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn/Roman Reigns angle. With this in mind, a Theory feud coming soon doesn’t look as likely as it did earlier this year.
Neither John Cena nor Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson are guaranteed for next year’s WrestleMania 39 Premium Live Event in April.
WrestleMania 39 will take place on April 1, and April 2, at the SoFi Stadium, in Los Angeles, California.
The event will be the fourth WrestleMania in a row to take place across two nights, a tradition that began with WrestleMania 36.
Not a Sure Thing
With WrestleMania being WWE’s biggest event of the year, it’s no surprise that the promotion wants its biggest stars.
It has been reported that both Cena and The Rock are expected to compete at next year’s show.
On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer explained how The Rock is far from guaranteed due to his commitments to the XFL.
“Am I saying he’s not going to do it? No, I’m not saying that at all. And if he’s doing it, wow, you have him, Austin, and Cena all on the same show – or the same weekend because they’ll split them up, obviously.”
Dave Meltzer.
The XFL will kick off in early 2023 and will be the third iteration of the football league, and the first to not involve Vince McMahon.
It has been rumored that The Rock will face his cousin Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39.
John Cena
Like The Rock, John Cena has plenty of big commitments in 2023, and as Meltzer explained, he isn’t guaranteed for WrestleMania 39.
“Cena’s not 100% either, by the way. He’s got a movie in February and March, so he’s not going to be able to do a lot of TVs. I don’t know…he will do the show if he’s available, but it’s the same thing. He may have other things going on. I was told… I guess the best way to put it is Cena is a ‘probable’, and Dwayne is a ‘possible’ maybe a probable, I don’t know, but neither is a sure thing.”
Dave Meltzer.
John Cena will team with Kevin Owens to face Reigns and Sami Zayn on the final SmackDown of 2022.
Tickets for the December 30, episode of WWE SmackDown on FOX are getting increasingly more difficult to come by, and it is all thanks to John Cena.
On last week’s SmackDown, Cena appeared on the titantron to announce that he will team with Kevin Owens on the final SmackDown of the year.
The former opponents will face off against the Bloodline’s Sami Zayn and Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.
Cena Still Drives Business
Often considered by many to be arguably the last drawing name in wrestling, it should come as no surprise that Cena is moving tickets.
During the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reported that Cena’s involvement in the show is proving to be a draw.
“We always say, and it’s true, ‘It’s the brand and not the guy’, but John Cena is the exception. They’ve sold 4,000 tickets in Tampa since he was announced on that show, which is amazing. You know, he is the exception to the rule. If you’re wondering, ‘Is anyone a draw?’ It’s like, well, he is.”
Dave Meltzer.
The December 30, SmackDown will mark Cena’s first televised match for WWE since Summerslam 2021, where he lost to Roman Reigns.
SmackDown
John Cena will keep his streak going on the final SmackDown of this year, by having a WWE match every year since 2002.
Other names promoted to appear for the show include SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey, Bray Wyatt, and Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos.
Solo Sikoa Vs. Sheamus will also take place on the show, in the second singles collision between the two.
Sikoa defeated the former WWE Champion on the October 21, episode of SmackDown.
Roman Reigns has addressed John Cena’s upcoming return. The Tribal Chief says Cena’s support will do nothing for Kevin Owens, who will pay dearly for being a thorn in The Bloodline’s side.
Cena is lacing up his boots again next Friday, December 30 for a special edition of WWE Smackdown on Fox. Cena and Owens will team up against Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn.
Reigns and Cena have clashed before, with Reigns grabbing the proverbial torch right on both occasions. In their two high-profile matches, Reigns was victorious both times (SummerSlam 2021 and No Mercy 2017).
These two generational ‘Faces of WWE’ will collide one more time in just a matter of days. Reigns is dismissive of Cena and says he won’t help Owens overcome The Bloodline.
Not Worried About Cena
Roman Reigns served up some trash talk for Cena and Owens on the December 19 edition of WWE Raw.
In a backstage segment that opened the show, Reigns told Owens he’s going to need a lot more than John Cena to stand a chance against him. He’s going to need the entire Raw locker room to have his back. Otherwise, the Bloodline will “torture” him and make his life a living hell – and there’s nothing Cena can do about it.
The final SmackDown of 2022 will mark Cena’s first match of the year. As he mentioned last week during his surprise appearance on SmackDown, this will keep his 20-year strike alive of not missing a year without wrestling.
This may be the final time Reign sand Cena trade blows inside a WWE ring, making this a can’t miss event. Cena is no longer an active member of the WWE roster, but Reigns may be underestimating the legend from West Newbury, MA.
A big Roman Reigns match has been announced for the December 30th edition of WWE SmackDown.
On the final episode of SmackDown of the year, Roman Reigns will be teaming up with a member of The Bloodline. During tonight’s edition of SmackDown, Roman Reigns and Jimmy Uso had a conversation backstage. Jimmy wondered what Reigns had planned for Sami Zayn’s “big night” tonight. Reigns said he wanted to talk to WWE Official Adam Pearce and Paul Heyman called him into The Tribal Chief’s locker room.
Roman Reigns said he wanted to team up with Sami Zayn against Kevin Owens and a partner of his choosing. Paul Heyman suggested December 30th as the date for the match. John Cena will also be returning on the final edition of SmackDown of the year in Tampa Bay, Florida.
At the end of WWE SmackDown, The Bloodline came to the ring in what was supposed to be a big night for Sami Zayn. However, John Cena interrupted on the jumbotron and announced he will be Kevin Owens’ tag team partner against Roman Reigns & Sami Zayn on December 30th.
Sami Zayn Leads The Bloodline to Victory at WWE Survivor Series WarGames
Sami Zayn has spend the past several months trying to prove his worth to The Bloodline and he finally did so at WWE Survivor Series WarGames last month.
On the SmackDown before the premium live event, Jey Uso overheard Kevin Owens talking to Sami Zayn outside The Bloodline’s locker room. Owens suggested that Sami betray The Bloodline before they do so to him. Sami then lied to Jey about the conversation taking place, but admitted everything to The Tribal Chief when he talked to him at Survivor Series.
At the end of the WarGames match, Sami hit Kevin Owens with a low blow and followed it up with a Helluva Kick. The Honorary Uce then stepped aside and allowed Jey Uso to hit KO with a Frog Splash for the pinfall victory. Roman and Jey shared a hug with Sami after The Bloodline’s victory at the premium live event.
Roman Reigns & Sami Zayn Emotional Moment ? After Survivor Series 2022 Men's Wargames Match. ? pic.twitter.com/BPEMw4rWRZ
John Cena is slated to return to WWE television on the December 30 edition of SmackDown.
According to Fightful Select, there’s been talk of seeing him before then. Per the report, “there have been discussions within WWE and even plans to integrate Cena into upcoming episodes of SmackDown even before he arrives.”
Some of the talks included having a “video presence” of some sort, but the extent of that wasn’t known. That was one of the several things that were teased to hype up Smackdown this week.
The report added that the Cena appearance will be promoted heavily over the next two weeks and that they wanted to make the December 30 show a “must-watch.”
His Last Appearance
During Cena’s return on Raw for his 20th Anniversary celebration over the summer, he did not set up his match with Theory at SummerSlam, which had been speculated about because they had been publicly teasing a match.
Instead, nothing was announced regarding his WWE future, as Cena stated he wasn’t sure when he would wrestle again.
Shortly before WWE confirmed Cena would be appearing on this episode of SmackDown, it was reported that Cena was expected to work WrestleMania 39 although an opponent wasn’t mentioned.
John Cena is set to star in a new action/comedy film Aquaman star Jason Momoa.
According to Variety, the film will be called “Killer Vacation” and will be released through Warner Brothers. Details of the plot of the movie have not been revealed.
Cena currently stars in the HBO Max series Peacemaker, reprising his role from The Suicide Squad. He has also been cast in Peter Farrlly’s upcoming comedy film Ricky Stanicky alongside Jim Carrey and Zac Efron.
The Leader of the Cenation also had a supporting role in the recently released film The Independent.
John Cena to Return to WWE on the Final SmackDown of the Year
16-time World Champion John Cena will return to WWE on December 30th.
Cena will appear on the final SmackDown of the year emanating from the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. The news was first reported by Variety and the report added “more announcements are planned for the episode in the coming weeks”.
John Cena last appeared on WWE TV on the June 27th episode of RAW to celebrate 20 years with the company. He cut a promo and announced that he will be wrestling more than just one match when he returns.
Triple H took to Twitter and congratulated Cena on twenty years in WWE. He said that Cena is arguably the greatest superstar of all time and a great ambassador for the company as well.
He made himself the success he was for those twenty years, arguably the greatest superstar in the history of the WWE. Not only that, through those twenty years becoming the greatest ambassador and truly represented what it means to be a WWE Superstar.
I’ve had the pleasure of calling him a coworker, a competitor, and most importantly, a friend. Congratulations on 20 years, @JohnCena! Enjoy YOUR night on #WWERaw! pic.twitter.com/GuX0gehbiy
John Cena will come home to WWE for the second time this year. He was on RAW in June to celebrate his 20th anniversary in the company. He will be appearing on the final SmackDown of the year. The show will be live from Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL on December 30.
According to Variety, the announcements of Cena’s return will begin airing in a few weeks. No further details are known at this time.
John Cena at WrestleMania 39
There’s been speculation that Cena will wrestle at WrestleMania 39. The “Show of Shows” will take place in Los Angeles on April 1 and 2, 2023.
Logan Paul earned plenty of praise from fans and wrestlers following his match against Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Crown Jewel.
Paul was not victorious, but his performance stood out, and even John Cena took notice as he shared a photo of Paul on his Instagram account with no caption. Paul noticed that and responded with the eyes emoji on Twitter of a tweet saying Cena was looking for a WrestleMania opponent.
On the latest episode of his ImPAULsive podcast, Paul offered more insight into a potential showdown with Cena.
“Triple H, throw me a bone, give me a birthday present, let me take out John Cena. That’d be crazy.”
– Logan Paul
“That’s my dream. I’ve proven the model twice now. I’ve proven the model of; headstrong capable internet kid vs. a GOAT, a top-tier industry leader. Floyd (Mayweather). That worked. Generated $65-70 million dollars. Reigns. Crown Jewel became the number one most-viewed international pay-per-view event WWE has ever had. I’ve done it twice. The reason is, when I’m paired with a legend, a top-tier industry leader, the model works.”
After Crown Jewel, John Cena posted me on his Instagram and then I saw an article saying he’s looking for an opponent at WrestleMania. I favorited it, responded with the eyes. Truthfully, I think me vs. John Cena would break the internet. I texted Triple H right away, ‘Do you want to break the internet again?’ That’s a dream match. WrestleMania, in LA, on my birthday. Triple H, throw me a bone, give me a birthday present, let me take out John Cena. That’d be crazy.”
Paul stated that when he is put up against legends, he delivers, whether that’s Floyd Mayweather or Reigns, and brings in money.
During his bout at Crown Jewel, he suffered a knee injury, although he clarified on the podcast that it could have been worse and planned to give an update on his condition soon.
Cena’s thriving Hollywood career has kept him away from the ring, with his most recent televised match taking place all the way back at Summerslam 2021.
John Cena has faced some of wrestling’s biggest names at WrestleMania, including Bray Wyatt, The Rock, the Big Show, and Shawn Michaels, but who is next for Big Match John?
4 – Austin Theory
Is the long-rumored Cena-Theory match destined to happen at WrestleMania?
To many people, the most obvious choice for WWE, a match between Cena and Theory makes a lot of sense.
It was earlier this year that the two teased a feud, with both men throwing shade at one another on social media.
At the time, fans predicted that a match at Summerslam 2022 was bound to happen, likely for the U.S. Title Theory held earlier this year.
That of course didn’t happen, and while he’s confident the Cena match will come in time, Theory has been on a downward spiral since then, recently failing in his Money in the Bank cash-in attempt.
At just 25 years old, Theory is a star WWE could get a lot out of for years, possibly decades to come, but they need to have that big win.
A match with Cena would be a fantastic mix of generations, and if Theory was to get the win, would set the cocky heel back on track on his road to the main event.
3 – Logan Paul
Logan Paul wowed fans with his gutsy performance against Roman Reigns at WWE Crown Jewel 2022.
Fans may love him or hate him, but there’s no denying Logan Paul’s talent in the ring.
In just three matches, Paul has shown that he can hang with full-time WWE Superstars, and he could soon be sharing the ring with John Cena.
Cena’s thriving Hollywood career and Paul consistent YouTube fame would guarantee the match mainstream exposure, something WWE always wants, especially for WrestleMania.
The story would not need to be too complex, and while WWE could go with a heel Paul disrespecting the legend, the feud would also work as face vs. face.
It could be as simple as Paul saying that he wants to prove himself by facing the best, and boom! John Cena storyline, and Paul recently tweeted interest in the match.
The big question however is Paul’s recent injuries, which are expected to keep him out for the foreseeable future, and could force him to miss WrestleMania.
With that said, Cena himself became known for recovering from injuries at a near super-human rate, and if Paul can match that, then this unlikely dream match is a possibility.
2 – Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER
2022 has been the year of the Austrian powerhouse GUNTHER, who could have a war with John Cena.
As anyone who watches SmackDown will know, 2022 has been the year of GUNTHER.
Debuting on the blue brand earlier this year, the Austrian quickly captured the Intercontinental Championship and has held on to it with an iron grip.
Of course, GUNTHER’s rise to prominence has come during Cena’s hiatus from wrestling, but a match between the two would be a spectacle.
The clash of styles alone would make this a potential Match of the Night, and the story would play into Imperium’s quest for respect for wrestling.
This match is more than wishful thinking, however, as like Paul, GUNTHER has also addressed rumors of a match, and is all for facing Big Match John.
Should he hold the Intercontinental title that long, there would also be the possibility of John Cena finally winning the gold and becoming a Grand Slam Champion, one of a select few accolades not on his resume.
GUNTHER’s title reign has done wonders to bring prestige back to the Intercontinental Championship, and having the biggest star of the past two decades would certainly add to that.
1 – Randy Orton
It’s been over five years since the two veterans faced off. Will WrestleMania 39 mark the end of one of WWE’s biggest feuds?
All matches so far are never before seen bouts, but what if WWE wants an opponent Cena is VERY familiar with?
Holmes and Moriarty. Batman and The Joker. Some opponents are made for each other. Orton and Cena are such a pair.
Fans may groan at the idea of seeing YET ANOTHER Cena-Orton match, but bear in mind that it’s been five years since their last bout, and close to nine years since their last match at a Premium Live Event.
Cena and Orton are two of WWE’s biggest stars, and a rematch (especially one billed as their final collision) is worthy of WrestleMania.
But there’s another reason why this match makes sense for WrestleMania 39: Time.
As we’ve seen, Cena isn’t around as much these days, and it’s not impossible to think that WrestleMania 39 could be the last time he competes at WWE’s flag-ship show.
There’s also questions that need to be raised about Orton, who’s missed most of 2022 with an injury, and is expected to miss the rest of this year.
If WWE wants one final epic Cena-Orton match, then the window of opportunity is closing, and WrestleMania 39 could be a fitting send-off for one of the biggest feuds in wrestling.
It’s not easy being a WWE Superstar and constantly being on the road. Countless performers have spoken about the difficulty of living out of a suitcase and the never-ending slew of airports, rental cars and hotels. Aside from the grueling schedule, talent also has to make time for exercise and eating healthy.
John Cena was the consummate professional during his time as an active member of the WWE roster. When you consider Cena’s charitable work with organizations like Make-a-Wish, it’s even more impressive that he was on top of the industry for as long as he was.
Cena carried WWE on his back throughout the TV-PG era, but even he faced challenges keeping up with the lifestyle.
Former WWE Superstar René Duprée worked alongside Cena in for several years in the mid-2000’s. According to Duprée, Cena regularly battled food poisoning and got “violently ill” at times.
Travel Woes
Duprée discussed Cena’s situation on the latest episode of his Cafe de Rene podcast.
“A guy that got food poisoning a lot was John Cena. The fact that he always ate so clean that anytime he’d have like some sort of undercooked meat or some type of weird spice, he would get like violently ill.”
– Renee Dupree on John Cena
Cena’s WWE career has been winding down in recent years. He’s been more focused on Hollywood than pro wrestling as of late, but he hasn’t wrestled his last match. He’s spoken about wanting to wrestle again and might be back on WWE television in early 2023…
John Cena will be donning his jorts and sneakers for next year’s WrestleMania according to a recent report.
Cena, a 16-time WWE World Champion, was once the face of the promotion but has appeared less in recent years due to his thriving Hollywood career.
John hasn’t competed in WWE in over a year, with his most recent televised match seeing him lose to Universal Champion Roman Reigns at Summerslam 2021.
WrestleMania
Cena appearances are becoming increasingly rare, and the former World Champion has missed the past two WrestleManias.
“Cena should be there and Cena should be wrestling.”
WrestleVotes.
WrestleVotes also refuted the idea that Vince McMahon’s retirement from WWE in July this year would hurt Cena’s chances of a high-profile match on the card.
“Vince is out of the picture, Cena still has a love for this place. John Cena and Triple H have a respect for each other.”
WrestleVotes.
WrestleVotes added that Cena competing next year makes sense if John wants to be ‘the next Rock,’ as WrestleMania 39 will take place in Los Angeles, California.
Cena Vs. Theory?
With WrestleMania still months away, there’s no confirmation on who John Cena will face at WrestleMania 39.
Earlier this year, a feud was teased between Cena and Austin Theory, who like John held the United States Championship early into his career.
While many expected a match between the two at Summerslam, that did not take place, and Theory instead faced Bobby Lashley on July 30.
Despite this, Theory has said he expects to face Cena at next year’s WrestleMania.
John Cena has often been labeled as Mr. Five Moves of Doom, but that couldn’t be further from the truth according to AJ Styles.
Styles debuted for WWE at the 2016 Royal Rumble as the #3 entrant after a lengthy career in TNA/Impact Wrestling.
The Phenomenal One has since gone on to become a two-time WWE Champion and captured WWE’s Grand Slam in 2021.
Surprised
After Chris Jericho and Roman Reigns, Styles’ third major feud in WWE came at the expense of John Cena.
After defeating Cena at Money in the Bank (thanks to interference by the O.C.) Styles would get a rare clean win over the Hollywood star at that year’s Summerslam.
Speaking on The Halftime Show, Styles reflected on his experience working with Cena and how the 16-time WWE World Champion surprised him.
“A guy that surprised me with how good he was in the ring would be John Cena. John is not known for being a technical mastermind in the ring, but he’s pretty good. I had some of my better matches against this guy.
“His mind for how everything needs to work and transition-wise. He’s just good. He knows what he’s doing. It’s one of those things were you thought, ‘I’m the superior wrestler in the ring,’ but once you get in there with John Cena, you realize, ‘Well, okay, I didn’t know that. Let’s keep going.’”
Styles would capture his first WWE Championship after the Cena feud, which he’d lose to Big Match John at the 2017 Royal Rumble.
Cena: Will he Wrestle Again?
Once considered the face of WWE, Cena’s appearances for the company have grown rarer as his career in films and on TV continues to grow.
Cena’s most recent match came at the Summerslam 2021 event in a losing effort to Roman Reigns, and some have questioned if he is done in the ring.
Earlier this year, a feud with Austin Theory was teased, but this did not lead to a match.
Despite this, Cena has remained adamant that his in-ring career isn’t over yet, and Theory has teased facing the former WWE World Champion at WrestleMania 39.
John Cena made his acting debut in the WWE film, The Marine in 2006. He’s gone on to be part of the Fast and the Furious series and stars in Peacemaker, among a bevy of other roles. In his latest role, he plays a gold medalist-turned-politician in The Independent.
Cena joins a cast featuring Jodie Turner-Smith (Anne Boleyn), Brian Cox (Succession), and Ann Dowd (Law and Order). It began streaming on Peacock last week with very little promotion. In fact, it came out exactly one week before the U.S. mid-term election. Since WWE’s PLE air on Peacock and Cena is one of the biggest stars they’ve ever had, you’d think Peacock would bank on that to attract the WWE crowd.
The official synopsis reads “It’s the final weeks of the most consequential presidential election in history. America is poised to elect either its first female president or its first viable independent candidate. Reporting history as it’s made, an idealistic young journalist teams up with her idol, legendary journalist Nick Booker, to uncover a conspiracy that places the fate of the election, and the country, in their hands.”
John Cena Has a Supporting Role
While Cena is one of the more well-known cast members, he is not the star of The Independent. As Nick Sterling, he plays a key, but supporting role. The star of the film is Turner-Smith, the aforementioned “idealistic young journalist”.
Cena is a natural at playing a politician. WWE fans got a taste of this when he partnered with the #WeAreAmerica campaign several years ago. Sterling could’ve made that an ad for his campaign.
The big speech that Sterling gives sounds very much like a wrestling promo. He relates to the crowd with an anecdote about his family. There was a clip of the speech going around on social media in which Cena uses his old trademark line, “Their time is up, our time is now.”
The Independent has a run time of 108 minutes and probably could’ve been about 20 minutes shorter. It’s clunky in parts and is a little slow going in the beginning. I found myself losing interest at times. Turner-Smith and Cox are excellent together and carry the movie. Cena holds his own and does a great job as a potential presidential candidate.
If John Cena is looking to take on more dramatic or serious roles, this is a good way to dip his toe into the water.
John Cena has another Hollywood role lined up as the former WWE Champion has signed onto a new project.
The Hollywood Reporter reports that Cena will star in Ilya Naishuller’s next film, “Heads of State” along with Idris Elba. In October 2020, Amazon Studios picked up the rights for “Heads of State” during a competitive Zoom presentation.
The film will be produced by Peter Safran, co-chair and co-CEO of DC Studios, and John Rickard via The Safran Company, while the initial script was created by Harrison Query, who recently set up My Wife and I Bought a Ranch
Josh Appelbaum & André Nemec, who worked on the recently wrapped Beverly Hills Cop reboot, wrote the final draft.
Cena’s Other Films
The film is described as “Air Force One meets Midnight Run,” centered on a mismatched pair who are in over their heads in a high-stakes situation.
Cena recently finished filming movies such as The Independent, Snafu, Coyote v. Acme, Argylle, and Freelance while he is currently filming Honeymoon Friends.
As previously noted, The Independent, which comes out next month, will be exclusively on Peacock.
Peacock is slated to premiere a new movie featuring John Cena next month.
Peacock announced today that the political thriller “The Independent” will premiere exclusively on the streaming platform on Wednesday, November 2.
The movie comes from Emmy-nominated director Amy Rice. Evan Parter wrote the script. Relativity Media and Park Pictures are releasing the film, along with Anonymous Content and NEXT Productions, in association with Orogen Entertainment and The Exchange.
Also starring in the movie include Cena, Ann Dowd, Jodie Turner-Smith, and Brian Cox. The official synopsis reads like this:
The Plot
“It’s the final weeks of the most consequential presidential election in history. America is poised to elect either its first female president (Ann Dowd) or its first viable independent candidate (John Cena). Reporting history as it’s made, an idealistic young journalist (Jodie Turner-Smith) teams up with her idol, legendary journalist Nick Booker (Brian Cox), to uncover a conspiracy that places the fate of the election, and the country, in their hands.”
The film is produced by Sam Bisbee, Theodora Dunlap, Caddy Vanasirikul, Ryan Cunningham, and Evan Parter. Executive Producers include Laura Grange, Julia Stuart, Brian Cox, Jodie Turner-Smith, John Cena, Blair Ward, Anders Erdén, Eric Harbert, Bill Kiely, Whitney Moehle, Michael Arrieta, Marc Danon, David Robbins, Lex Miron, Amy Jarvela, Charles Stiefel, Brian O’Shea, Giovanna Trischitta, Nat McCormick, Jackie Kelman Bisbee, Lance Acord, and Cody Ryder.
Although no trailer has been released, you can check out a new first-look clip for the movie with Cox and Turner-Smith:
Jeff Jarrett has expressed his respect for wrestling legend ‘Bullet’ Bob Armstrong, calling the WWE Hall of Famer the John Cena of his era.
Armstrong broke into the wrestling industry in 1960 and would compete for over half a century before his final match in 2019.
Armstrong would capture dozens of championships throughout his career, including over a dozen reigns as a Heavyweight Champion.
Less than a year after his final match, Armstrong passed away in August 2020 due to complications with bone cancer.
Bullet Bob Armstrong
In 2002, Armstrong began working with the up-start promotion TNA Wrestling, known today as Impact Wrestling.
Working with TNA put Armstrong together with company founder Jeff Jarrett, a long-time fan of Armstrong.
Speaking on his ‘My World’ podcast, Jarrett praised Bullet Bob as one of the greatest of all time.
“Bob was a regional, a territory superstar, but he was like a megastar. He was a Hulk Hogan. He was a Stone Cold [Steve Austin.] He was a John Cena of the territories. He was so good at his trade, at his craft.
“He could talk them into the building like none other. He looked great. He worked out, daily into his late, late, late, late years. Until he got really sick, he was in the gym. He took care of his body. He worked his a** off. He was just a megastar.”
“He was a Hulk Hogan. He was a Stone Cold [Steve Austin.] He was a John Cena of the territories.”
Jeff Jarrett on ‘Bullet’ Bob Armstrong.
Speaking about Armstrong’s 2011 induction into the WWE Hall of Fame, Jarrett said there were very few more deserving of the honor.
“His place in the WWE Hall of Fame is big-time rightfully deserved in so many ways.”
Jeff Jarrett.
“He was box office, and at the end of the day, that is what the industry is about. You can be a good in-ring performer, you can have a great promo skill. You can do this and that. In this era, you can have all kind of five-star accolades. Bullet drew money, and that’s the most important thing at the end of the day. Bullet put butts in seats.”
Bullet’s Legacy
While Bob Armstrong was an accomplished wrestler in his own-right, he would also be the father to four sons who broke into the industry.
Armstrong was the father to Bob, Scott, Steve and Brian Armstrong, the latter of whom fans known as ‘Road Dogg’ Jesse James.
Speaking about the family, Jarrett had even more praise.
“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Scott, Brad, Steve, Brian. They’re all phenomenal workers… Brian by far has the best verbal skill but in-ring skills, they can all tell stories.”
Jeff Jarrett.
All four Armstrong sons would compete in the ring, and Scott Armstrong would go on to become a WWE referee.
16-time World Champion John Cena has shared a heartwarming story about a WWE fan who breaks records while dressed as him.
Matthew Akpan was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome later in life at the age of 24. He grew up in Leeds and attended Manchester Metropolitan University but wasn’t succeeding. Matt thought something was holding him back and was diagnosed with Asperger’s in 2013.
His father passed away the same year and Matthew decided to pay tribute to him in a unique way. He dressed up as John Cena and started running marathons. Matt told Leeds-Live that he watched wrestling for twenty years with his father and wanted to pay tribute to him.
Unfortunately, my father died in 2013, we watched wrestling for like 20 years and I thought that as a tribute to him and victim support, so I wanted to become a superhero, so I chose John Cena as he has done a lot for children.I thought he would be the best one to do, even though it wasn’t easy it was easy in his style, I ended up with a lot of blisters, scars and rash burns.
Matt participated in the York Marathon in 2021 in an attempt to achieve a world record. Guinness gave him a target time of three hours and thirty minutes to complete the race and Matt finished in less than three hours. He now holds the record as the first person to complete a marathon dressed as a professional wrestler.
John Cena took to Twitter to share the story and complimented Matthew on running for a cause and with purpose. Cena ended the tweet with his “never give up” catchphrase as an acronym.
A fun record worth celebrating for it’s substance and message (and maybe it’s style). Thanks to @GWR for recognizing a young man who is running for a cause and with purpose. #NGU
A fun record worth celebrating for it’s substance and message (and maybe it’s style ?). Thanks to @GWR for recognizing a young man who is running for a cause and with purpose. #NGUhttps://t.co/H5AaPflp0y
The Southpaw Regional Wrestling was one of the most absurd yet entertaining pieces of programming WWE ever produced. It allowed the featured wrestlers to leave their usual personas behind and have fun with some of the most outrageous characters ever created in wrestling. Two such stars who had a lot of fun with the show were John Cena and Fandango. They did the commentary for the series.
The former WWE star who goes by the name Dirty Dango recently appeared on Cafe De Rene. He was asked to tell an interesting story about the web series. Replying to it, the former WWE star recalled the first time he worked with John Cena on the show:
“So they asked Cena to be the commentator for the show, which was set in the 80s. I was kind of the color guy adjacent to John at the desk.” recalled Fandango, “John had probably 10 pages, probably six episodes of verbiage. He looked at it for about 20 minutes, memorized the whole thing. I’m pretty shocked.
I’m like, ‘I’ll just go on the fly and go off you’ Because he had to remember all the verbiage and he did it all in one take. I’m like, ‘Holy shit – this guy.’ That was the first time I’m like ‘This is acting’ because this is what he does. His brain is wired for that. I was like, ‘Holy fuck. this guy’s pretty good,’”
You can check out Fandango’s full interview below:
John Cena has become a leading man in Hollywood, but that has come at the expense of his WWE schedule.
In 2016, Cena transitioned into a part-time role for the promotion, after a decade of being the company’s top star and 14 years on the main roster.
Since transitioning into a part-time role, Cena has worked with blockbuster franchises including Fast and Furious and The Suicide Squad, with his Peacemaker character from the latter having their own HBO Max series.
Breaking the Streak
It’s been over a year since John Cena’s last match, where he competed against Roman Reigns at Summerslam 2021. The 16-time WWE World Champion was unable to dethrone the Tribal Chief last year, and hasn’t competed since.
Unless he competes some time in the next three months, then 2022 will have come and gone without a John Cena wrestling a match. If so, it’ll be the first time since 2000 that Cena has not had a sanctioned match for WWE.
While he would not debut on the main roster until 2022, he had matches for the company in 2001 as part of Ohio Valley Wrestling.
(Credit to Sean Ross Sapp for noticing this incredible statistic.)
What’s next for John Cena?
John Cena hasn’t wrestled this year, despite belief that he was set for a match at Summerslam.
In June, Cena celebrated the 20th anniversary of his main roster debut, which came after weeks of Austin Theory taking shots at the former WWE Champion online.
Some have speculated that Cena could face Theory at WrestleMania 39 in April 2023.
John Cena has set a new record for the most wishes granted through the Make-A-Wish Foundation with 650. The Make-A-Wish Foundation announced the news today and the milestone has been recognized by Guiness World Records.
Since becoming a top star in WWE after his rise in 2005, he was portrayed as a babyface who was a hero for fans and the face of WWE’s “Be a Star” anti-bullying campaign.
Cena made his first wish come true in 2002 and granted Make-A-Wish’s 1000th wish to a fan named Cardon in 2012.
John Cena’s Inspiring Work
John Cena
The non-profit organization helps fulfill the wishes of children who have been diagnosed with a critical illness. Children between the age of 2 and 18 can choose to meet a celebrity, go to an event, or even give a gift to someone else.
When children meet the former WWE Champion, they can take photos with him and hang out.
He told Reuters: “If you ever need me for this ever, I don’t care what I’m doing, I will drop what I’m doing and be involved because I think that’s the coolest thing.”
“I just drop everything,” Cena said when he was honored for granting 500 wishes. “If I can offer a fantastic experience, I’ll be first in line to do my part.”
Cena is the most requested celebrity, and nobody else has ever granted more than 200 wishes in the 42-year existence of the foundation.
Austin Theory is “”pretty confident” he’ll get to face off against John Cena at WrestleMania 39 next year.
Theory was recently interviewed by CBS Sports, where he discussed the comparisons he’s received to Cena in recent years.
The former United States Champion and current Money In The Bank briefcase holder admitted to modeling his career after the 16-time World Champion.
“It’s so weird to meet somebody and pretty much have to explain to them, ‘I modeled my whole life after you.’ It’s one of those things as a kid getting bullied, my dad not being in my life a lot. Cena, I could watch him and just escape.
“It was the connection to his personality,” Theory said. “And that’s something I learned from him. He told me, ‘Don’t ever think people go out there and want people to connect to their performance.
“Nobody will connect to your performance unless they connect to your personality.’ I started thinking, even with that process through NXT to finally being drafted to Raw officially, it was a time to figure stuff out. How can I connect to them with my personality?
“This is a world in WWE where everybody can kill it in the ring. Everyone can go hard in the ring. So what’s going to set you aside from killing it in the ring? I learned that from him.”
With the comparisons between Cena and Theory running so rampant, there have been rumors about a potential match between the pair. Things really seemed likely for this past SummerSlam, however, that didn’t pan out.
Now, many speculate that the match could take place at “The Showcase Of The Immortals,” WrestleMania 39. Next year’s WrestleMania goes down from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. It will be a special two-night event on both April 1 and April 2.
“To have that moment with him, the person that — I had to put in my own work — but somebody that got me to the dance mentally, it takes the words out of my mouth to think of that actually happening,” Theory said.
Since leaving WWE, John Cena has become a leading man in Hollywood, working in huge franchises like the Fast and the Furious.
Last year, Cena became Christopher Smith/Peacemaker for ‘The Suicide Squad,’ and reprised the role for the Peacemaker series on HBO Max.
In February, Peacemaker was renewed for its second season following critical acclaim for the show.
The Marine
Before Cena was sharing the screen with the likes of Margot Robbie and Vin Diesel, his first leading role was in The Marine.
The 2006 action film sees Cena as discharged U.S. Marine John Triton who must rescue his wife Kate (Kelly Carlson) after being kidnapped by gangsters led by Rome (Robert Patrick.)
The film was Cena’s first time as the main star, but the 16-time WWE Champion wasn’t thrilled with the final project.
In his book ‘There’s Just One Problem,’ ex-WWE Head Writer Brian Gewirtz recalls watching the final cut of the film with Cena, weeks before the premiere.
“We sat in silence after it was over, both of us realizing it didn’t really capitalize on John’s strengths and probably wasn’t going to make any year-end ‘Best Picture’ lists. Finally, John broke the tension by simply saying ‘we need to go drink.’”
“We need to go drink.”
John Cena’s less than favorable review to his first watching of ‘The Marine.’
Gewirtz explained that while The Marine is no doubt an action film, it gave little opportunity for Cena to show his range as an actor and prevented him from sharing his funny side.
The Marine Today
Cena’s role as John Triton would be the first and last time he would be in the franchise.
The Marine 2, starring Ted DiBiase Jr. released in 2009 without a theatrical release, as did the rest of the series.
The Marine films 3 to 6 all starred The Miz in the leading role as ‘Jake Carter.’
