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Otis believes John Cena reached a level in WWE that all superstars should strive to match.
Cena performed as WWE’s top full-time attraction for more than a decade before he reduced his schedule in 2015 to focus on acting. He appeared on Monday’s episode of RAW to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his debut.
Speaking to “The Bridge News,” Otis explained how superstars can be inspired by Cena’s work ethic and association with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
“That inspires all of us to just be like, ‘Hey, man, we have to not only try to do what he did but also do it at the same level,’” Otis said. “So it’s definitely a challenge to be like, ‘Man, 20 years, John Cena.’ Now you have to not just be there [mid-level], you gotta be up here [high level] now because now it’s like the bar is set. We gotta move the bar even higher now, and we’re all happy to do it.” [20:06-20:33]
Several legends recorded video messages for Cena to mark his WWE anniversary, including AEW stars Bryan Danielson, Chris Jericho, and Paul Wight.
Otis watched John Cena live as a WWE fan when he was a kid
A long-time WWE viewer, Otis attended a SmackDown live event at the DECC Arena in Duluth, Minnesota, on January 19, 2004.
The American Alpha member witnessed Cena defeat Rhyno and instantly knew the up-and-coming star was destined for big things.
“The first time I seen John Cena in a live match as a fan was the DECC Arena,” Otis added. “He was working Rhyno. It was the opening match right there doing The Doctor of Thuganomics and all that. Watching him there in person, as a veteran would say, ‘This kid’s got it all. He’s got potential.’ Man, he put on a show that night, as I remember, and of course his career grew as it grew.” [20:37-21:06]
Chad Gable and Otis lost a handicap match against Bobby Lashley on the latest episode of RAW. Read details about Cena’s role on the show here.
Please credit “The Bridge News” and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.
