John Cena is the epitome of a freelancer. Mr WWE has been an incredible servant for the company since his debut in 2002. Having recently tied Ric Flair’s record of 16 World Title wins, The Face that Runs the Place is without a doubt one of the greatest wrestlers to have stepped foot inside the squared circle.
But what if things were a little different? What if Cena had chosen to move on from bodybuilding into the world of MMA instead of pro wrestling? Would he have been just as successful? Well, I certainly think so.
In my mind, Cena would’ve been just as good inside the octagon and would have been an amazing asset to the UFC just like he is for Vince McMahon and the WWE today. I’m sure a lot of you are losing your minds about this so let me clear things up for your ASAP.
Without any further ado, here are 5 reasons why John Cena would’ve been a great MMA fighter:
#1 Incredible physical strength
John Cena is amongst the strongest men in pro-wrestling today. This has nothing to do with a gimmick or an angle, but rather it’s the truth. The Cenation leader’s physical strength is absolutely legendary and this is a key aspect of who he is.
Right from his early days as a bodybuilder, Cena has always emphasised on strength training and this is one of the most important attributes to be a successful MMA fighter as well. Sure, there are people like Dominick Cruz who are all about speed and movement but at Cena’s weight class, it’s all about the power.
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This high level of strength would serve him very very well in his fights in the UFC’s Heavyweight or Light Heavyweight divisions. Had he chosen to go on to the MMA route instead of pro wrestling, John Cena’s physical strength would have certainly been enough to earn him a UFC World Title.
#2 Innovation
What makes MMA so interesting is that fighters need to constantly evolve and keep up with the changing landscape. If you get complacent, you get left behind in the dust. Just look at what the UFC was 10 years ago and compare that to what the UFC is today. They are two different animals.
One of the most underestimated things about John Cena is his ability to innovate.
Despite all the jokes about his “5 moves of death”, Cena has constantly evolved as a wrestler. He has added some insane moves such as the top-rope fameasser as well as the modified Candian Destroyer to his arsenal, just to name a few.
It is this level of innovation which would make him a perfect fighter in the MMA world. As the landscape evolves, so does John Cena. A match made in heaven.
#3 Hard work
If there’s one thing that has defined John Cena in his decade and a half run in the WWE, it is his hard work. There is no one in the company who works as hard. In his early days, he was one of the best workers to have ever graced the company as he constantly took on all comers without any hesitation.
Even during his run as US Champion, he made a concentrated effort towards bringing back some much-needed prestige to the beleaguered title. Regardless of where is on the card, he takes his job very seriously.
Hell, even after all these years, the man still refuses to take it slow as he constantly keeps popping up on Smackdown to make an impact before he jets off to do more movies and TV appearances and what not.
This level of hard work is exactly what is required in order to succeed in MMA.
There are no off days in the world of fighting. You are constantly training and improving yourself through good ol’ hard work. In preparation for a fight or while recovering from one, there is no substitute for hard work and Cena has got it in spades.
#4 Mic skills
A key aspect of being a great MMA fighter is to the ability to sell a fight. For that, you need someone who is great on the mic. Just look at how Conor McGregor has made himself into the biggest name in the fight game through his gift on the mic.
Something a lot of people seem to forget about Cena is that he was one hell of a talker back in his early days as a white rapper. He generated some major heat and made himself into the most popular Superstar on the roster through his trash talking.
That, combined with his now more mature and passionate approach on the mic make him an ideal candidate to hype up a fight and to make a name for himself. He can do it just as well as McGregor can and could’ve been just as successful inside the octagon.
#5 Never say die attitude
John Cena’s recent Never Give Up shtick might be widely ridiculed amongst the more hardcore pro-wrestling fans but that doesn’t take away from the fact that it was based on a real aspect of his personality: His never say die attitude.
This is one of the most important things for a fighter to have when they are in tough fights against the very best the world. In MMA, you will take a beating but it is your ability to not quit and come back stronger that makes you a great fighter.
You can say whatever you want about John Cena but you can never question his heart.
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