Kamaru Usman discusses how WWE was crucial to Dwayne Johnson's and John Cena’s Hollywood success - "It's an art"

Kamaru Usman has heaped praise on WWE, stating that it's due to them that the stars such as Dwayne Johnson and John Cena have been so successful in Hollywood.

Cena and Johnson are without doubt two of the biggest stars ever to have plyed their trade in the squared circle. Both men began their wrestling careers in the 90's before eventually being signed by WWE (then WWF). They then spent years honing their craft both in the ring and on their characters, eventually leading to a multitude of titles between them and headlining Wrestlemania against each other twice.

Johnson eventually walked away from wrestling in the 2000's to pursue a career in Hollywood, where he ultimately became one of the highest grossing actors in history. Cena then followed suit in the 2010's, having his own success on the big screen.

In a recent episode of his Pound 4 Pound podcast with Henry Cejudo, Usman discussed the success of Dwayne Johnson and John Cena. Whilst he did note that both men are talented in their own right, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' believes the biggest catalyst to their success in Hollywood was being in WWE. He explained:

"It's an art what they do, to be able to put on that storyline, to play the character, to do the who shebang from start to finish. No wonder a lot of them can transition and be good movie stars. You see it with The Rock, with Stone Cold, John Cena, Batista. All these guys have made that transition."

Catch Kamaru Usman's comments here (12:30):

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Kamaru Usman defends Khamzat Chimaev amid declining fan hype

Kamaru Usman recently opted to defend his former opponent Khamzat Chimaev, after a section of fans have appeared to turn on the Chechen-born fighter.

Usman faced Chimaev on short-notice at UFC 294 last year. Despite a dominant round in the first by 'Borz', 'The Nigerian Nightmare' rallied and pushed Chimaev to his limit across the second and third rounds.

While it ultimately wasn't enough and Chimaev clinched the victory via majority decision, some fans perceptions changed following the fight, as they believe Usman would have won if it was a five-round affair.

Discussing Khamzat Chimaev on a recent episode of his Pound 4 Pound podcast, Usman urged fans not to count the 30-year-old out yet. He said:

"Because of my fight [with Khamzat] people are downplaying his skills, whether he's good or not...But I was a champion, you know... I think he's kind of getting the short end of the stick here... I still believe that he is a problem to deal with inside that octagon, and I know from that first round I had my hands full."

Catch Kamaru Usman's comments here: