John Cena, Who Likened Himself to NBA Great Michael Jordan, Revealed How He Saw LeBron James in a Fierce Rival in 2017

Roman Reigns is undoubtedly the top dog in WWE currently. But there was a period in his career when his wrestling credentials and mic skills were questioned by the fans. And Reigns was in for a tough ride when the WWE decided to pit him against John Cena in 2017.

During this iconic rivalry, the Doctor of Thugonomics not only went on to tutor the Tribal Chief in the ring but also tutored him on his mic skills. This famous feud from 2017 had it all, and the fans couldn’t help but compare it with iconic rivalries from other sports.

John Cena appeared in the Michael Kay Show (h/t: iwnerd.com) in 2017. His then-ongoing feud with Reigns was compared to the iconic Hulk Hogan vs The Ultimate Warrior rivalry by Peter Rosenberg. The Cenation Leader, however, went a step further and brought a famous comparison from another sport into the equation.

Cena comes up with a comparison of his own

He responded, “I guess the best interpretation of it, it would be like Michael Jordan being able to play Lebron James in a game of one-on-one. I think that’s a much better comparison because everybody wanted to be like Mike and now Lebron is the front-runner and the face of the NBA.”

“It is kind of like that scenario. Michael Jordan being a very competitive man, I am kind of, of the same cloth. I don’t want to go quietly in the night so to speak. For the past few weeks of WWE, I have been making sure that if this guy, Roman Reigns says he is the future of the WWE, I want to see if our future is in good hands,” added the wrestler-turned-actor.

Was John Cena right in his comparison?

Keeping the details of the iconic Michael Jordan and LeBron James comparison aside, John Cena did go ahead and compare himself to the NBA legend Jordan and likened Reigns to LeBron James. However, by the time their one-on-one rivalry did come to fruition, Cena was not a regular fixture on the roster.

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The feud did help in cementing Roman Reigns’ top place on the roster. The Head of The Table would eventually go on to beat John Cena in the No-Mercy 2017 event. This moment is also remembered by WWE fans as a symbolic passing of the torch to the new generation.

The two WWE superstars have gone on to make a name for themselves, albeit in different fields. While Cena has shined in his Hollywood endeavors, Reigns has become an unstoppable force in the WWE. 

Cena comparing his feud with Reigns to the never-ending comparison between Michael Jordan and LeBron James would get the nod of many fans. The comparison does bear some similarities. Nevertheless, wrestling buffs would consider themselves privileged to witness the feud between John Cena and Roman Reigns in their lifetime.

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