In a recent episode of the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, WWE star John Cena expressed regret and acknowledged feeling “short-sighted and selfish” for initiating a feud with fellow wrestler and Hollywood actor Dwayne Johnson. Reflecting on their beef, the wrestling icon-turned-actor shared his thoughts openly during the interview.
Talking on the podcast, Cena said the pair had “always have been good, except for one little patch where I really messed up.” Cena was referring to the pair’s falling out in 2011, when Johnson, aka The Rock, returned to the ring after a decade away from the sport, to pursue an acting career in Hollywood.
John used Dwayne’s return to wrestling as an opportunity to challenge him to a fight (Image: Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) At the time Cena took it as a provocation and opportunity to “call him out” for coming back, and challenge him to fight. The Trainwreck actor explained he “got selfish, and me living WWE at the point and not having any concept of growth or someone else’s perspective” caused him to start the feud.“My view was, if you love something, be there every day,” Cena said.
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Dwayne had spent a decade away from wrestling pursuing an acting career (Image: Getty Images)To stay up to date with all the latest news, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.
“What a hypocrite I am, because I still love WWE and I can’t go all the time. And I just didn’t see that, I was so selfish.” Cena and Johnson went head-to-head at WrestleMania 29, with Cena saying he had pushed for the “main event marquee match” because he thought it would bring in more money for the business. “I wanted a main event marquee match because it would (be) better (for) what I thought was the business. And that’s so shortsighted and selfish,” Cena said.
“It worked, but it worked at the cost of two people who communicated and almost put it in jeopardy.”
Cena and Johnson have worked together in film since the 2011 feud, including the latest Fast and Furious film, Fast X, and Cena said while “it was almost at the cost of our friendship, I would like to say now (it) is in a really good place.”
