WWE deletes John Cena tweet after fan backlash
Earlier tonight, WWE posted and later deleted a John Cena tweet during the Super Bowl halftime show.
WWE's official Twitter handle was quite active during Sunday's Super Bowl halftime show. A series of tweets were shared referencing NFL's annual playoff championship game. One of those tweets was strangely deleted shortly after being posted.
The tweet in question featured WWE legend John Cena in his Doctor of Thuganomics garb. The short clip was of Cena performing his iconic "Word Life" song. Check out the screengrab of the deleted tweet below:
Speculation was running rampant on Twitter and Reddit following the deletion of the tweet. The tweet received more than 100 quote tweets before it was removed. As can be seen below, a user wasn't happy with WWE comparing Cena to other legendary performers shown on the half-time show.
Did WWE tweet and delete trying to compare John Cena to the absolute legends from the #SuperBowl halftime show?!? https://t.co/GW8imBaXUA
Another user seemed unhappy over WWE tweeting about Cena's rapping gimmick instead of showcasing someone like R-Truth.
#WWE tweeting about John Cena's rapping gimmick, when they HAVE R-TRUTH to showcase. Lol. #SuperBowlLVI #SuperBowl
Users on Reddit speculated about the reason behind WWE deleting the tweet, with one of the most upvoted responses stating the following: "Because it was so hip hop/black focused that people see the Cena shtick as offensive or appropriation."
(Credits: WrestlingInc)
John Cena's rapper gimmick helped him get over with fans during the Ruthless Aggression Era
John Cena donned the Dr. of Thugonomics gimmick in late 2002, following a short-lived babyface run that didn't impress Vince McMahon. Cena nailed the rapper gimmick and turned into one of the most popular stars on WWE SmackDown.
Cena was a mainstay on WWE's upper mid-card for about two years before turning into a legit main event star on the blue brand. He went on to win the world title on 16 occasions, a record matched only by WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair.
Cena made a special appearance at WrestleMania 35 and came out as Dr. of Thugonomics that night. He interrupted Elias in the ring and put him down to a loud pop from fans in attendance.
Did you catch WWE's tweet before it was deleted? What do you think could have been the reason behind WWE deleting it?