John Cena's former tag team partner explains why their WWE alliance ended
Bull Buchanan recently discussed his short stint as John Cena's ally on WWE SmackDown between November 2002 and January 2003.
Buchanan was repackaged as B-2 (B²) after forming an alliance with Cena's freestyle rapper character. The two separated after unsuccessfully challenging Chavo and Eddie Guerrero for the WWE Tag Team Championship on the January 16, 2003, episode of SmackDown.
In an interview on The Insiders Edge Podcast, Buchanan said the alliance was short-lived because Cena did not need a tag team partner:
"I had a feeling that it wasn't gonna be a long partnership because he really didn't need anybody at that time. He was ready to go on his own. That kinda left me, 'Okay, how do I spin this into something I can do?' or something I could spin it out of. Never really got the chance to do that." [1:06:03 – 1:06:26]
Cena was almost let go by WWE shortly before aligning himself with Buchanan.
Former WWE Chairwoman Stephanie McMahon heard the 16-time world champion rapping on a bus and asked him to portray a rapper on television. Before transforming his character, Cena was due to be released in late 2002.
What happened to Bull Buchanan after separating from John Cena?
The former Right to Censor member was handed his release from WWE two weeks after his tag team partnership with John Cena ended.
People need to remember the time Bull Buchanan became John Cena's sidekick, B2. https://t.co/vSRvJAcvCc
Buchanan enjoyed his time in WWE and had no hard feelings when the company's higher-ups decided he was no longer needed:
"I'd been there for eight years at the time and had several different gimmicks. I think they thought and I really kinda thought too, as JR [Jim Ross] used to say, it might be time to go away for a while and learn a new hold." [1:06:27 – 1:06:43]
Former WWE talent relations executive John Laurinaitis informed Buchanan about his release. The one-time Tag Team Champion appreciated that WWE's decision-makers allowed him to compete in the 2003 Royal Rumble days before his departure.
Do you have any memories of Bull Buchanan's partnership with John Cena? Let us know in the comments section below.
Please credit The Insiders Edge Podcast and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.