Ryback reveals what John Cena said to him before he left WWE
Ryback recently recalled how he had a heartfelt conversation with John Cena shortly before his WWE exit.
In 2016, Ryback allowed his WWE contract to expire after rejecting a new deal with the company. One of the 41-year-old's most notable storylines came in 2013 when he turned heel and feuded with Cena after WrestleMania 29.
On Disco Inferno and Konnan's K100 show, Ryback revealed that Cena once praised his attitude during an overseas trip:
"We were in Saudi Arabia and Cena came up. We weren't allowed to leave the hotel. We were in the hotel gym. It was just me and him in there. He just goes, 'I have nothing but respect for you. You've never let anything bother you. You stay positive. You've overcame everything.' All this s**t. It meant a lot to me. He was being sincere." [1:57 – 2:14]
The former WWE rivals faced each other at Extreme Rules 2013 and Payback 2013, with Cena winning both matches to retain the WWE Championship.
Ryback addresses his past issues with John Cena
While Ryback never had a problem sharing the ring with John Cena, the two men did not always get along due to the legitimately competitive nature of WWE.
Payback 2013 saw CM Punk make his return to #WWE after walking out following his loss to The Undertaker at WM 29.
John Cena retained the WWE title against Ryback in a 3 Stages Of Hell match and Alberto Del Rio defeated Dolph Ziggler for the World Heavyweight Title.
#OTD #JohnCena https://t.co/I7Pvv3rWQ8
Seven years after leaving WWE, Ryback understands why Cena and CM Punk were protective of their spots at the top of the card:
"We had issues early on, not [to do with] working or anything out there [in the ring], I loved working with him, but I think that environment, if I was in that spot, would I wanna willingly give up all this money to let another guy [take over]? I think I have a little better attitude, coming from an athletic background. Like Daniel Bryan, I think, has it too, but I do think you have to have a level of ego and protection to keep your spot for that amount of time, and it's the way that it is." [2:16 – 2:42]
Ryback has not wrestled since 2018 due to a serious shoulder injury. The former Intercontinental Champion is hoping to return to the ring this summer.
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Please credit K100 and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.