Watch: John Cena Explains How Vince McMahon Owns His Name

Thanks to a new order, WWE is facing massive backlash from Superstars and fans alike. As we reported earlier, WWE wants all its employees to cease contact with third-party apps. The wrestlers will get 30 days to do the same. If the requirements aren’t fulfilled, WWE can fire the employee. Some of the biggest names in wrestling are protesting against it. However, if you go by his past statements, John Cena is okay with it.

John Cena is okay with Vince McMahon owning his real name

In a resurfaced interview from 2006, John Cena says he is fine with Vince McMahon‘s “arrangements”. Cena appeared on the Howard Stern show before his movie Marine released.

When Stern asked him if Vince McMahon owning Cena’s name and getting a percentage from his earnings bothers him, the 16-time World Champion replied, “Absolutely not.”

“Before this, I was a kid in a small Massachusetts town mowing lawns for a golf course. I don’t mind kicking a percentage of my earnings to the person who gave me a chance and an opportunity.”

Calling this “a sign of respect” John Cena says WWE owns his name as “an intellectual property.”

John Cena assured the baffled hosts that Vince McMahon indeed owns the wrestlers’ government names.

‘Absolutely… That’s my government name. It’s a weird concept, but in a way, yeah [he owns it]’

See the video below –

Cena’s current stance on the controversial order is not known.

WWE issues official statement

WWE issued an official statement to put an end to the controversy and justify their stance.

“Much like Disney and Warner Bros., WWE creates, promotes and invests in its intellectual property, i.e. the stage names of performers like The Fiend Bray Wyatt, Roman Reigns, Big E and Braun Strowman. It is the control and exploitation of these characters that allows WWE to drive revenue, which in turn enables the company to compensate performers at the highest levels in the sports entertainment industry.”

WWE said it aims to “protect our greatest assets and establish partnerships with third parties on a companywide basis, rather than at the individual level, which as a result will provide more value for all involved.”

However, this statement does not clarify how WWE is going to compensate for the wrestlers’ monetary loss after the removal of the third-party apps.