How did John Cena prepare for his role at Payback? Sneak peek into the advice he received

When John Cena made a surprise appearance at Money in the Bank 2023, fans were pleasantly surprised and may have wondered if this was a sneak peek into something bigger to come. However, no one could be sure about the capacity in which The Champ would be used in WWE.

The former WWE Champion appeared on SmackDown again before playing host to Payback 2023 earlier this month. He made his presence known from the beginning to the end, and even played the role of special guest referee during LA Knight vs. The Miz, ending with endorsing Knight after his victory.

Considering he was the guest referee, it was different from what he’s used to doing in the ring. Hence, preparation was a must. To do that, The Champ took advice from some referees such as Chad Patton, Aja Smith, Dan Engler among others. All of them advised him on the best way to work the ring as a referee, before John Cena realized he was being filmed.

However, this wasn’t the first time The Champ has played a guest referee in WWE. It’s possible WWE used The Champ as a guest referee for Payback to ensure LA Knight’s stardom skyrockets after being enforced by John Cena!

---

John Cena had a special message after WWE Superstar Spectacle

The multi-time WWE Champion has worked with WWE for 20 years, and during that time, he has made several special appearances across the globe. However, he made an appearance for his fans in India for the first time at WWE Superstar Spectacle.

The Champ teamed up with Seth Rollins to take on Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci in a tag team match. After the match, The Champ shared a special message for his fans in attendance.

"I've been imagining this moment right here for 20 years. I wanted to end tonight by saying this moment was far greater than I could ever have imagined.”

The Champ has built up quite the fandom across the world and is one of the most popular celebrities working with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. His fandom has led him to find popularity in Hollywood as well!