A lot of people would say John Cena has a claim to being one of the greatest superstars in WWE history.
As a 16-time champion, Cena has seen and done it all in the wrestling business and he is now spreading his wings in Hollywood.
His trailer for Fast and Furious 9 dropped this week, but in an interview with Sports Illustrated, he still found time to talk wrestling.
Cena admitted that he has made himself available to Vince McMahon for WrestleMania 36 in Tampa, coincidentally where Cena lives.
The 42-year-old also spoke about the Royal Rumble match and went on to make a bold, but perhaps fair claim about former foe Brock Lesnar.
“I thought the event was extra special. It was great to be able to watch it as a fan and not endure any fear of missing out and just enjoy the event. And I can say with the utmost sincerity that I believe Brock Lesnar is best in-ring performer that I’ve seen and I know it’s an opinion, and if you want a cool quote, here it is: I think he’s the best in-ring performer of all time.
“I thought his performance at the Rumble was a clinic on how to establish yourself, how to establish those around you, establish the championship, establish the importance of one event. He did so in less than 30 minutes, and I certainly don’t have the skill set to do that, and it was awesome to be able to see a masterclass man put on a clinic on what to do and how to do it and I was really impressed with the Rumble.”
So does Cena think Lesnar is the greatest performer of all-time? Is that what he is saying?
“I really do think so. I genuinely think he has a good understanding of who he is. I think he’s the best at when he needs to be dominant, he’s the best in situations of jeopardy. He makes people better. He still has a mystique about him that will draw eyeballs to watch him and when he does he never disappoints.
“I watching from home did not know the result of the Rumble and I thought Brock was gonna run the table and win. I knew the first 27 entrants would be boring, but I knew by 28 and 29 I’d be on the edge of my seat and asking the question, ‘What happens to the WrestleMania main event now that the No. 1 entrant ran the table and is the champion for the first time ever?’
“And I love it when a plan comes together, to quote a member of the A Team. You could see how uneasy the crowd was with Brock’s dominance and then over the course of time, how it became exciting and how it became riveting and then how it became like must-see and that’s who Brock Lesnar is.
“He believes so much in his presence, and he has such a definable presence you can’t ignore him and he never wastes anyone’s time and everything he does is special and everything he does meaningful and it’s not all selfish. He’s one of the most giving performers in the WWE and that is the mark of a true craftsman and a true professional. It was awesome to watch. My jaw dropped when I watched the Rumble.”
Cena is certainly qualified to make such a statement and when you look at Lesnar’s accolades, they speak for themselves.
Of course, Lesnar and Cena came through the developmental system together back in the early 2000s and Cena would be the first man Lesnar worked with when he returned to the company in 2012.
The Beast Incarnate often gets a rough time from fans for being a part-timer and a champion on top of that, but there is no denying that he always delivers and is worth what Vince McMahon pays him.
Which is a lot.