3 wrestlers whose WWE careers were allegedly sabotaged by John Cena
John Cena is remembered by many fans and professionals positively, whether in WWE or not. However, some of his former fellow superstars don't have nice memories with The Cenation Leader.
John Cena began his WWE career in 2000 and debuted on the main roster two years later, having a slow and steady rise to the top before eventually becoming the face of the company. He was one of the biggest babyfaces in the late 2000s and early 2010s, but The Franchise Player had his fair share of critics. While he is now known to be someone who has helped many in their careers, some names beg to differ.
For this list, we will look at three wrestlers whose WWE careers were allegedly sabotaged by John Cena:
#3. Alex Riley reportedly didn't get along well with John Cena in the locker room
Alex Riley competed in Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) from 2007 to 2010 before joining NXT in its second season, debuting on the brand as the student of The Miz. Due to his pairing with the then-WWE Champion, he gained a lot of exposure and emerged as a promising star. However, after being paired with The A-Lister, his career didn't take off as a solo star.
It was believed that Riley and Cena didn't like each other and allegedly clashed backstage. The former WWE Superstar believed that due to Cena's influence, he didn't have a successful solo push. Riley was eventually released in 2016.
#2. Mr. Kennedy reportedly had heat with John Cena and another top star
Mr. Kennedy was having a good run in WWE in the mid-to late 2000s, having won the United States Championship and later the Money in the Bank briefcase. However, Kennedy's success in the company was derailed because of his alleged issues with Randy Orton and John Cena.
In 2009, Mr. Kennedy was part of a 10-man tag team match against Randy and Cena. When the former US Champion shared the ring with Orton, he botched a Suplex that could have seriously injured The Viper. The SmackDown star complained to management backstage afterward. Although both men are now on good terms, Kennedy's relationship with Cena hasn't improved. He once claimed that The Franchise Player encouraged fans to boo him when they battled in 2007.
#1. Current WWE producer Kenny Dykstra
Kenny Dykstra was best known in WWE as a member of The Spirit Squad, a cheerleading group that was formed in 2006. After initially being released in 2008, he returned in 2021 as a trainer at the Performance Center and producer for RAW and SmackDown. While he is in a much better position now, that wasn't the case before.
In 2012, Kenny shared that while he was with Mickie James, he found out that she had been having an affair with John. After finding out about this, he was moved to SmackDown, where he "jobbed, got fired." However, James later claimed that his statements weren't true.