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Wrestling Veteran Dutch Mantell recently discussed John Cena's references to CM Punk and Dean Ambrose (Jon Moxley) on the latest episode of WWE SmackDown. Mantell believes it wasn't unscripted, providing some cohesive logic to back his claim.
On the latest edition of Smack Talk, Dutch Mantell reviewed SmackDown and the inaugural episode of AEW Rampage alongside Rick Ucchino and Sid Pullar III. He gave his insight on a variety of topics. Check out the video below.
Mantell had the following to say about John Cena referring to two of the biggest names in wrestling not affiliated with WWE anymore in the opening segment of SmackDown:
"So you don't think any of that second part of the next segment was scripted? I do [think it was scripted]. I really do, because now Vince, he knows he has some competition with AEW and we saw that tonight, but I think Vince let that through. I think if anybody convinced him [to allow references to Dean Ambrose and CM Punk], Cena convinced him and it worked," said Dutch Mantell.
The callbacks surely elicited a strong reaction from the crowd given that it had an element of surprise considering WWE's history with the two wrestlers. WWE does not often mention AEW or even refer to the company's talent, thus it felt as if Cena had gone off script and said it off the cuff.
What exactly did John Cena say on WWE SmackDown?
John Cena and Roman Reigns opened SmackDown last night and took countless harsh verbal jabs at each other before Cena referenced two people who are no longer associated with WWE. The 16-time World Champion first stated that Roman Reigns was responsible for Dean Ambrose's (now Jon Moxley) exit from WWE.
Cena took it even further after he made a very obvious reference to CM Punk. He revealed that he possibly planned on taking the Universal Championship and running out of Allegiant Stadium through the crowd at SummerSlam and maybe even "blow a kiss" on his way out.
This was a clear callback to what CM Punk did a bit over a decade ago when he beat Cena at WWE Money in the Bank in 2011.
The two are now set to collide at SummerSlam next Saturday in Nevada as Cena challenges for the WWE Universal Championship. This will be their first pay-per-view match against each other since their encounter at No Mercy in 2017. Reigns came out on top then, but a lot has changed since then.
Who do you think will walk out as the Universal Champion at WWE SummerSlam? What do you think of John Cena referring to CM Punk and Dean Ambrose in the opening segment of SmackDown? Let us know in the comments section below.
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