One of Roman Reigns' most iconic WWE rivals accepts "he's the greatest of all time"
John Cena is all set for a massive match at WWE Crown Jewel, where he will face The Enforcer of The Bloodline, Solo Sikoa, in singles action. Cena has also already teamed up with LA Knight at WWE Fastlane, picking up a win over Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso.
Since his return to WWE a few months ago, Cena has been a regular fixture on SmackDown and is currently embroiled in a feud with Roman Reigns and The Bloodline. Reigns will also be in action at Crown Jewel as he defends his title against LA Knight.
Ahead of Saturday's match at Crown Jewel, John Cena appeared on Corey Graves' After The Bell podcast, where he opened up about what makes Roman Reigns such a special performer:
"He's a sponge, he's athletic and super intelligent. He's a fan of this, and I mean all of this, and most importantly, a fan of psychology. I say that the WWE Universe is the biggest superstar we have. Roman navigated those waters without them. And here's the thing with Roman, I don't think Roman is Roman if he doesn't have time to work in front of no crowd." [30:20 – 30:51]
John Cena went on to acknowledge Roman Reigns as the 'greatest of all time':
"Roman could be himself. There wasn't anyone to be like, 'That sucked or didn't work,' because you don't have the instant feedback. So, night after night, he becomes this extremely nuanced, soft-spoken character, which was not the 'Welcome to SmackDown' that everybody was used to. As soon as they brought people in, he had done such riveting programming that it's like, 'Man, now I want to see this guy.' He's just done it better than I've ever seen. He's the greatest of all time." [31:28 – 32:00]
John Cena also addressed his relationship with WWE star Austin Theory
During his appearance on After The Bell, John Cena also opened up about his behind-the-scenes relationship with his former rival, Austin Theory. Cena wrestled Theory at WrestleMania 39 earlier this year, challenging for the United States Championship.
John Cena said he still speaks to Theory from time to time and gives him advice on his character. Cena also advised Theory on how he needs to try and connect with the audience, something Cena himself struggled with early on in his career.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit After The Bell and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.