WWE Executive Confirms New Jack Was Pitched For John Cena Storyline
A WWE Executive has confirmed the rumor that ECW legend New Jack was actually pitched for a John Cena storyline.
In late 2004, John Cena was a popular United States Champion on the Smackdown brand. On the Smackdown following No Mercy in October 2004, Cena lost the US Title to Carlito Caribbean Cool, who made his main roster debut.
This would lead to a storyline where WWE would tell its audience that John Cena was stabbed by Carlito’s bodyguard Jesus in a Boston nightclub. It was WWE’s way of writing Cena off the show for over one month so that he could shoot his first WWE movie called The Marine.
There is a rumor about the angle that WWE was interested in bringing in the late ECW legend New Jack as part of the storyline. New Jack was popular in ECW in the 1990s, but he was also unpredictable and a loose cannon so he was never hired full-time by WWE.
Bruce Prichard is an Executive Director of WWE that has been part of the company on and off for the better part of 35 years. On Bruce’s “Something to Wrestle” podcast, he talked about how New Jack was considered to be part of the story.
“There were definitely talks to New Jack. I don’t think anybody wanted to touch him because of his reputation and unpredictability. But, yes, it may have been during this time that he was actually discussed, but never to the point of, ‘Alright, who is gonna go pitch that one to Vince?’ The reputation preceded itself.”
Prichard added that even Paul Heyman, who ran ECW while New Jack was there, had a warning for WWE if they wanted to get New Jack for the John Cena story.
“Paul was like, ‘Ok, you may get your controversy, but it may not be the kind of controversy you really want to have.'”
John Cena would come back to WWE on Smackdown after Survivor Series to regain the US Title while Jesus was never arrested or charged for stabbing Cena. It was an outrageous story where WWE was trying to be edgy and it was a bit ridiculous.