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Roman Reigns vs. John Cena is probably the biggest rivalry in pro wrestling at the moment. The Leader of Cenation has finally returned, intending to end the Tribal Chief's reign of terror. Roman Reigns, on the other hand, is furious over this unexpected challenge from Cena.
The two superstars have a long-coming history together. Their feud in 2017 produced several intense moments that are still fresh in the memories of the WWE Universe. There were times when both Reigns and Cena crossed every line to insult each other. There were personal attacks, a lot of swearing, and some unforgettable verbal assaults.
But aside from their on-screen differences, how is their relationship in real life? Are Roman Reigns and John Cena friends? In this article, let's take a look at John Cena and Roman Reigns' off-screen connection.
Are Roman Reigns and John Cena friends?
Roman Reigns and John Cena share a very complex relationship. The duo might not be too fond of each other, but they certainly have mutual respect for one another.
In a 2017 interview, Reigns opened up about his relationship with the former 16-time World Champion. Reigns made it clear that he and Cena are far from being close friends. However, Reigns also emphasized that he has the utmost respect for John Cena's valuable contributions to the pro wrestling industry.
“I’ll be completely honest: Me and John have always been cordial, but I would not say we are close friends by any means. There is a business respect, but I think that’s what makes this so special that we’re truly competing against each other and I think people see that.”
The Tribal Chief claimed that he was not much affected by the harsh words used by Cena during their feud. He was thankful for getting a chance to work with Cena, as it helped him get better as an overall performer.
In a recent appearance on the Cheap Heat Podcast, the reigning Universal Champion acknowledged John Cena as the perfect locker room leader.
John Cena believes that Roman Reigns is the one who defines the new era of WWE.
John Cena also seems to be a big admirer of the Tribal Chief. In an interview with Bleacher Report's Graham Matthews, John Cena gave his honest opinion of Roman Reigns as the next big star attraction.
He praised the Big Dog for believing in his natural ability instead of trying to fill someone else's shoes. He seemed to be quite impressed with how Roman Reigns proved the doubters wrong.
"Taking brave choices and those brave choices haven't stopped and aren't stopping today as I continue to try to challenge myself. Roman has hit that point and that is, for audiences, a beautiful thing. Now he's going to challenge himself and entertain the audience in ways they didn't think he was capable of."
Even during his time away from wrestling, The Cenation Leader kept a close eye on Roman Reigns' character development. Cena claimed that Reigns had done some of the best work of his career in the last ten months.
John Cena and Roman Reigns are not best friends in any way, as one would expect them to be. However, they share a mutual admiration for each other, which is often reflected in their segments and matches. Their unmatchable chemistry adds to the quality of the story every single time.
Roman Reigns said 'No' to John Cena's challenge
The latest episode of WWE Smackdown was quite significant from a storyline perspective.
The show kicked off with John Cena, who seemed quite excited about having a face-to-face conversation with Roman Reigns. Unfortunately for Cena, the Tribal Chief did not have any interest in confronting the Cenation Leader.
In the main event of the show, Roman Reigns said no to Cena's SummerSlam challenge. He declared that Cena was not worthy of his attention. He was soon interrupted by Finn Balor, who came out to issue a challenge of his own.
Roman Reigns did not let the Prince go empty-handed and gladly accepted him as his next opponent.
Do you think John Cena will find his way back into the Universal title bout at WWE SummerSlam? Sound off in the comments.
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