“He Wasn’t a Great Athlete, but..”: Olympic Hero Decodes John Cena’s Mantra of Success Despite Possessing Major Flaws

During the past two decades, John Cena has featured in close to 2,200 matches. The volume indicates his glory in the industry. But as his Hollywood career is on a roll, he has been making only sporadic gigs in the company since 2017. Just a day ago, on the last SmackDown of the year, the wrestler-turned-Hollywood star faced off The Tribal Chief. However, a former WWE champion and Hall of Famer thinks Cena carries a major flaw while wrestling.

In a new clip from The Kurt Angle Show, the Olympic gold medalist can be heard discussing Cena’s shortcomings. The former World Heavyweight Champion said The Cenation Leader “wasn’t a great athlete”. Kurt Angle, however, showered praise on his former rival for being disciplined.

One of the most decorated pro wrestlers, the ‘Milk-o-Mania’ star lauded the Hollywood star’s ability to work in the ring. The 54-year-old wrestler said the 16x WWE champion was “safe, and he was polished with the pro wrestling technique”.

Not just Kurt Angle, other WWE legends have also spoken about John Cena’s keenness and ability to learn from his seniors.

During an episode of Table for 3, Booker T regaled colleagues JBL and Rey Mysterio with John Cena stories. The Hall of Famer said it was “easy working with John” as he was a good listener.

This proves that one doesn’t always have to be talented to rise through the ranks. If you’re willing to work hard, like the Peacemaker star, there’s a chance you will succeed. Cena’s popularity among WWE fans serves as a helpful reminder of that fact.

Emotional John Cena thanks fans for undying love

The Champ appeared on 2022’s last episode of SmackDown and picked up an impressive win over the tag team of Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn.

After SmackDown went off air, the 16x champion thanked his fans for welcoming him with open arms. “I want to thank those I share the wing with for helping me make magic every night,” Cena said.

Cena, who fought a staggering 202 matches in 2011 alone, said, “None of this exists without you. Thank you for a wonderful 20 year run.”

After his victory over Reigns and Zayn, Cena and Kevin Owens were attacked by the other members of The Bloodline. However, a rearguard from The Brawling Brutes and Drew McIntyre, cut them short. The crowd went wild as Cena dropped the Attitude Adjustment on Zayn.

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The Trainwreck actor has always been a crowd favorite and even with his flaws, he makes it up with an impressive mic game and stage presence.

Cena’s presence drives viewership numbers

John Cena’s return to SmackDown is likely to have helped the show with its best viewership numbers in two years. According to Wrestlenomics, WWE Friday Night SmackDown had an overnight viewership of 2.44 million. The site reported that they expect the final viewership to be 2.6 million viewers.

If it turns out to be true, this will be the highest viewership for the program since Christmas 2020. The site also reported that the “second hour was slightly more highly viewed than the first hour“. The second hour of the show featured Cena’s match. Is it just a mere coincidence? No, if you keep in mind the ticket sales.

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After the WWE announced Cena’s return, reports stated a rise in ticket sales for the event. Cena may not be performing actively, but if numbers are a way to judge someone’s ability, he’s still top-notch.