"Damn" - John Cena's reported backstage response to crowd reaction received by WWE legend at WrestleMania (Exclusive)
WWE legend Teddy Long recently revealed how John Cena responded to the crowd reaction he generated inside the Georgia Dome in Atlanta at WrestleMania 27.
Long is one of the most beloved on-screen authority figures in WWE, having served as SmackDown's General Manager from 2004 to 2012. He always received great reactions from fans, but none came close to the reception he received at WrestleMania 27.
Teddy Long had come out during the pre-show to announce a Battle Royal, which The Great Khali won.
On the latest edition of Sportskeeda Wrestling's One on One, Long recalled how the reaction from the 70,000 fans in the Georgia Dome left him teary-eyed. The WWE Hall of Famer added that he got the loudest reaction of the night.
Furthermore, Teddy Long disclosed that when he walked back to the locker room, he came across John Cena, who was in disbelief over the kind of fan response he received.
"The thing that really got me was this. They did WrestleMania here in Georgia, and there were 70,000 people here in the Georgia Dome, and when I walked out there, and I got the biggest pop, you know, it was unreal. It almost brought a tear to see all those 70,000 people chanting for me there. When I came backstage, and I was walking back, John Cena was sitting there, and he looks at me and said, 'Damn, Teddy.' And that was it. I kept right on walking," said Teddy Long. (5:32 - 6:06)
Check out the full video below:
John Cena will return to WWE at this week's SmackDown
On the previous edition of SmackDown, John Cena surprised fans when he appeared virtually to announce he would team up with Kevin Owens to take on Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn.
The tag team match will go down on this week's episode, which also happens to be the final SmackDown of the year.
You do not wanna miss the final @WWE event of 2022!
Get ready Tampa, FL - #Smackdown
@WWERomanReigns and @SamiZayn vs. @FightOwensFight and YOURS TRULY!!
I'll C U THERE!
ticketmaster.com/wwe-friday-nig… https://t.co/pqfb8SL0aS
As much as fans are hyped about Cena's comeback, Vince Russo feels it's a wasted opportunity. On Legion of RAW, the former WWE writer explained why the promotion should have saved John Cena's return for something bigger than just a random tag team match on SmackDown.
Although Russo's argument makes sense, it's safe to say WWE could score its biggest rating number of the year.
Do you remember Teddy Long's appearance at WrestleMania 27? Are you excited about Cena's return on SmackDown? Sound off in the comments section below.
If you take any quotes from this article, please credit Sportskeeda Wrestling and embed the YouTube video.