John Cena shares details on what WWE legend was like backstage
John Cena has revealed what WWE legend The Undertaker was like backstage.
During his time in WWE, Cena has seen several wrestlers come and go from the company. The Undertaker, however, was a constant presence.
Despite The Deadman giving more and more interviews out of character these days, Cena recently revealed in an interview with GQ that he respected Taker's choice to stay in character outside the ring for as long as he did.
"Mark backstage is very much like The Undertaker — like, that’s how dedicated he is. He’s very stoic, and very calculated, and does speak softly and carry a big stick, until like now. Two years ago, he started relaxing, letting loose, and having fun. But that role consumed him. And that’s what led to his long-term success, his ability to be like: “This is who I am, this is who I’m gonna be because it entertains people." And I totally have great respect for that,” Cena said. [H/T GQ]
RIP @JohnCena! What a statement made by #TheUndertaker. #WrestleMania https://t.co/t4aymerd1q
John Cena and The Undertaker only crossed paths on a handful of occasions during The Phenom's WWE career. But on the rare occasion that they did share the ring, fans got to see two of the business' biggest stars perform together.
John Cena on surreal WWE debut involving The Undertaker
John Cena's debut in June 2002, still to this day, is considered one of the best debuts in WWE history.
The 16-time World Champion's first appearance on WWE television involved him confronting Kurt Angle, leading to a fantastic back and forth match between the two. Despite losing to Angle, Cena gained a lot of respect from the rest of the WWE locker room, including that of The Undertaker as the two superstars shook hands backstage.
Speaking at special Q&A at FloridaCon in 2021, Cena stated how surreal his WWE debut was.
"It’s surreal and it all happened so fast [match with Kurt Angle and shaking hands with The Undertaker]. It wasn’t even supposed to happen. I was thrown in there last minute because they had no other options," Cena added."They filmed backstage moments of other superstars shaking hands there because it was genuine. Everybody was like, ‘Yo, good job’ because when you see a new guy in the locker room, the jury is still out and it worked." [H/T Post Wrestling]
"Nice job, kid."
The debuting @JohnCena earned @undertaker’s respect on this day in 2️⃣0️⃣0️⃣2️⃣. https://t.co/gRn0z9LtYr
Following his debut, John Cena was part of many such historic nights that enthralled fans, and he would go on to become one of the biggest superstars in the history of WWE.