What happens when two generational superstars lock horns inside the ring? Fans get to witness an iconic rivalry. The WWE Universe has been privy to many such encounters, and Dwayne Johnson and John Cena’s storied clash is one of the greatest to have played out.

Now, an ECW legend has revealed how Vince McMahon’s company gained from the real-life heat between the two icons.

Backstage heat between John Cena and Dwayne Johnson helped WWE monetarily

Speaking on the Busted Open podcast, ECW legend Tommy Dreamer said the WWE benefitted from the John Cena-Dwayne Johnson real life feud. The former ECW World Heavyweight Champion said not just the Cena-Johnson feud, Vince McMahon made money out of Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels’ feud as well.

“Think of the greatest storylines ever from behind the scenes. Bret and Shawn, how much money do they draw? Rock and Cena. They had a lot of issues. There’s all these things that go on behind the scenes,” the 52-year-old said.

Dwayne Johnson was already making a name for himself in Hollywood when John Cena began taking charge of the WWE as its main star. Despite his absence, The People’s Champ continued to be a force to reckon with within the Stamford-based promotion, confirming his legendary status.

This didn’t go down well with Cena, who began reminding fans of The Rock’s absence and even questioned whether his senior peer cared about the pro-wrestling business.

Dwayne Johnson didn’t take too kindly to John Cena’s rant and started a feud after his comeback to the promotion after seven years. This led to two dream matches in 2012 and 2013. While The Rock won the first encounter at WrestleMania 28, Cena avenged his loss the following year to win his 11th WWE Championship.

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The superstars were, however, able to put aside their differences later and work toward what was best for the business. Their initial match and build-up at WrestleMania 28 was heated due to personal differences but given the money they made working together, the Once in a Lifetime match was revisited again a year later at WrestleMania 29, where the two again made loads of money and had more respect for each other by this time.

Wrestling to Hollywood- Dwayne Johnson and John Cena’s shared history

Both Dwayne Johnson and John Cena have a lot of similarities. They started in wrestling, made a name there, and later ventured to Hollywood to ply their trade. Apart from the superb in-ring displays, both ‘The Brahma Bull’ and ‘The Cenation Leader’ possess versatile mic skills.

They both made their transition to Hollywood while being at the top of WWE. Today, both superstars are versatile actors with a filmography that’ll give many of their Hollywood peers a run for their money. Interestingly, Johnson and Cena have been a part of the same franchise as well- Fast and Furious.

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With so much shared history between the two, WWE fans would hope for an encore of 2012 and 2013. Who do you think would ace the battle if the two decide to meet inside the ring again? Let us know in the comments.