What’s the story?
The Face that Runs the Place was interviewed by WSVN-TV in Miami to promote the second season of American Grit, but a majority of the topics focused on Cena’s wrestling career. Cena discussed his return on the 4th of July, future championship title reigns and passing the torch.
In case you didn’t know...
Cena has been the face of the company since his rise to the top in 2006. During his full-time career, Cena won a multitude of world championships and has main evented countless pay-per-views.
In 2016, Cena began appearing on more of a part-time basis. His last return began in 2016 and lasted until WrestleMania 33 when he proposed to his long-time girlfriend, Nikki Bella.
The heart of the matter
Cena recently tied the record of Hall of Famer Ric Flair by winning 16 world championships and was asked about how many more he thinks he’ll receive. Cena responded by saying his only concern is performing at an elite level.
“I truly don’t look at it like that; I just want to be able to be able to perform at an elite level. I know that at 40 years old and 15 years in the WWE, now it’s been a long journey, longer than most. I have to find my grit every day to keep working hard to keep up with all of these young, strong guys.”
The leader of the Cenation also commented on what fans can expect from his return on July 4th.
“I just want to get back in the fray. I think it’s a wonderful time to be a fan, to be a member of our WWE Universe. The rosters on both sides, SmackDown Live and Monday Night RAW is packed with very capable, unbelievable superstars and I’m just waiting to get back into the mix and try to prove my worth once again.”
Cena would go on to discuss who he thinks he should pass the torch to and claims that there didn’t need to be a formal anointment of any individual wrestler.
“I think it’s been passed without me. There’s a lot of folks who are currently doing a lot of damage on the roster. The show is thriving in my absence, I think it’s extremely competitive…I think the company is moving on quite well. I don’t know if there needs to be a formal anointment but they’re really doing well without me.”
What’s next?
Cena is rumoured to be Jinder Mahal’s next opponent for the WWE Championship at some point; possibly at SummerSlam. It will be very interesting to see if these rumours come true as this could make for a fantastic storyline.
Author’s take
Cena’s return on the 4th of July is becoming more and more anticipated as the weeks go by and the fans clearly want to see him do something big when he returns. Whether the WWE will put him back in the title picture or have him feud with other wrestlers on the roster remains to be seen.
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