WWE Hall Of Famer Says John Cena Had Hardest Role In WWE History
A wrestling legend is crediting John Cena for carrying WWE in the years after several big names left the company.
By the time John Cena won the first of 16 WWE World Titles at WrestleMania 21 in 2005, some of the biggest Attitude Era stars like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and The Rock were no longer regularly involved in the company.
While there were other big names in WWE from the Attitude Era that were around in the mid-2000s like Triple H, The Undertaker, Kurt Angle, and Shawn Michaels, it was Cena who was in the role of the top babyface wrestler in the company.
The man that Cena beat for that first WWE Championship was John Bradshaw Layfield, who had a long reign as the heel WWE Champion on Smackdown until he faced off against Cena. A few months later, Cena was moved to Raw and the second half of the 2000s as the biggest star in WWE on the Raw brand.
During a recent live Q&A session with Sportskeeda Wrestling, WWE Hall of Famer JBL credited Cena for carrying WWE in an era that has been called the “Ruthless Aggression Era” with Cena as the man leading the way.
“John Cena had the hardest role in wrestling history. He followed the Attitude Era where you could flip off your boss, drink beer on television, girls were out there next to nothing, sometimes nothing and he had to have a PG, to G-rated era and be the champion in that era.”
“I don’t know if anybody in the history of the business could have done that except for John Cena, it’s incredible what he did. I’d love to see him win his 17th.”
John Cena currently sits at 16 WWE World Titles in his career as we head toward 2025, which is the year Cena plans to retire from wrestling.
Will John Cena Remain Part Of WWE After In-Ring Retirement?
Even though John Cena will stop wrestling in December 2025 whenever his last match is, John Cena also confirmed that he’s signed a deal with WWE that will keep him with the company for many years past his in-ring retirement.
“I have such a trustworthy relationship with them. Over two decades. I am a champion of the brand. I love the company. It is my home. They are my family. Even after 2025, I’ve already signed an extension to remain a member of the WWE family for the near, mid, and long-term future. I don’t think there will be a beat of my heart where WWE blood doesn’t come out of it.”
It’s unknown when Cena will appear on WWE TV although he has said he will be at Raw’s Netflix premiere on January 6, 2025, which should be a huge night for the company.