John Cena Once Revealed the “Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich With the Crust Cutoff” Moment, That Led Him to Become WWE’s Franchise Player

Apart from the physical aspect, pro wrestling is equally about a wrestler’s mic skills. Many wrestlers have displayed great athleticism inside the ring but had an underwhelming ability on the mic. Take Brock Lesnar as an example. The Breast Incarnate is a mix of enormous size, brute strength, and agility. However, he’s weak with his promos compared to his peers. Then there’s John Cena– a 16-time world champion and one of the greatest behind the microphone.

For context, a young John Cena left Dwayne The Rock Johnson speechless in a promo battle once. If you are familiar with The Rock’s promo-cutting abilities, then you would know that Cena’s feat is impressive. But long before he caught Johnson off-guard, the Hollywood star delivered a promo that admittedly kick-started his pro-wrestling career.

Know the story behind John Cena’s promo that elevated him

Before he started appearing as himself- John Cena- in the WWE, the 46-year-old wrestler’s gimmick was The Prototype. As a half-man, half-machine character, Cena failed to captivate the audience. He himself has resented portraying The Prototype many times. In a chat with popular host Jimmy Fallon of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2021, Cena shared his sentiment about his failed gimmick.

“So I was 50 percent man, 50 percent machine, and 100 percent awful,” the wrestler-turned-actor said. Interestingly, this gimmick also brought Cena opportunities. A positive to come out of The Prototype was Cena’s ‘Genetic Lunchbox’ promo: “I look in your genetic lunch box and find a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with the crust cut off. I am 50 percent man, 50 percent machine. You’re 100 percent fatality.”

He said that he indulged in the promo spontaneously as part of a session. “When you learn your craft, part of that is impromptu promo class, where they just put a bunch of people in a room and the job is to catch you off guard. Everybody was kind of stumbling and they just asked me to get up there and say something, so I came up with that on the spot and threw it out there,” he recalled.

“They actually put it on TV. That ‘genetic lunchbox’ monologue kind of kicked the whole thing off for me. So I wouldn’t be anywhere if it wasn’t for a ‘peanut butter and jelly sandwich with the crust cut off”,” Cena added.

Once that promo came out, it showed his ability with the mic. The rest, as they say, is history. But why is John Cena rated so highly by industry veterans and fans alike? Let’s find out.

John Cena’s baffling numbers in the WWE

There’s a reason Cena’s referred to as WWE’s franchise player. Not just the title wins and the approval from fans but his numbers in the promotion are equally envious.

Read More: WWE Universe Admires John Cena’s Perspective of What’s Best for Business After His Secret Endorsement for Current SmackDown Star

In a career spanning two decades, The Cenation Leader has fought in over 2,200 matches. Till December 2022, Cena had 1,756 wins under his belt. His win percentage is nearly 80 percent. Apart from that, the 46-year-old had wrestled in 202 matches in a year alone- in 2011. Cena has also wrestled in 47 countries.

While wrestlers mostly witness a drop in popularity, Cena is experiencing a reverse. His return to Monday Night RAW in March this year alone pulled millions of viewers.

Of late, Cena is wrestling occasionally as he’s busy with his growing Hollywood career. But whenever he makes a return, the WWE Universe gets excited, which shows the value he still brings to the table.

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