“The Unbridled Enthusiasm”: John Cena Looks Back at His Surprise 2008 Royal Rumble Return That Defied All Logic

John Cena has cemented a legacy in pro wrestling that is hard to surpass. Moreover, his Royal Rumble supremacy contributes to his insurmountable legacy. He dipped his feat eight times in the 30-man battle so far while securing two decisive wins. To talk about the first-ever Rumble victory, Cena defied all odds back in 2008. And it’s all worth reminiscing, as we are rapidly nearing this year’s January extravaganza.

Being the ultimate standard bearer of the promotion, the Cenation Leader has graced countless PLEs during his illustrious WWE run. Cena reminisced at his magical 2008 Royal Rumble run as rumors of a return to this year’s event heats up.

John Cena recalled the ‘element of surprise’ that blew fans away during the 2008 Royal Rumble PLE

The 2005 Royal Rumble return was a special call for Cena as it marked his most anticipated return after being sidelined with an injury for a long time. Detailing the warm reception he garnered that night, The Champ explained, ”I, like everyone else was just caught up in the moment and I think that is what makes that moment in time so special. You could see the unbridled enthusiasm. A few months before I completely tore my right pectoral muscle and that’s usually an injury where you need nine months to a year to recover but through diligent work and recovery I made extreme gains very fast.”

The Hollywood star continued, “And called everybody up and was like ‘hey I think I am ready to go and they were like it’s been two months I said yeah I know but I am good I am back to where I was before. Then came the element of surprise. He’s like maybe we put you in the Rumble.” 

Nevertheless, John Cena’s return to the fore emerged as an incredible shock and experience due to the severity of the circumstances of his injury. In a time when wrestling promotions and wrestlers embellish their injuries to make their return more spectacular, Cena’s comeback was awe-inspiring. But what exactly were the circumstances of his injury and subsequent return to the Rumble?

John Cena 2008 Royal Rumble return: Explained

Unfortunately, in October 2007, John Cena had to drop the coveted WWE title after succumbing to a legitimate torn pectoral muscle injury. This also meant that would spend significant time on the sidelines. However, in a shock twist, The Prototype shockingly entered the Rumble match in 2008 at number 30 to a massive pop from the crowd inside Madison Square Garden.

The Cenation Leader made his return to the ring within just two months. This was a stark contrast to the usual diagnosis for the injury, which spanned six to nine months of recovery.

Cena hit his stride immediately and took out Triple H to win a Royal Rumble match for the first time.

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What’s your take on John Cena revisiting the startling crowd response during his 2008 Royal Rumble return? Sound off in the comments.

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