"You make me look like s**t!" – How John Cena reacted to ex-WWE star's impressive physique
John Cena is one of the most muscular WWE Superstars of the last two decades. However, even he sometimes feels self-conscious when in the presence of someone with a more athletic body.
Tank Toland, formerly known as James D*ck in WWE, was a member of the SmackDown roster between October 2005 and February 2006. At the time, the 49-year-old boasted one of wrestling's most impressive physiques.
On the Cheap Heat Productions Podcast, Toland recalled how he once stood next to Cena backstage at a WWE show. The 16-time world champion noticed how good Toland looked, so he jokingly told him to warm up somewhere else.
"I remember I was just doing my resistance bands," Toland said. "I'm working and I'm just getting a nice pump. I remember he's standing right next to me, he's doing the same, and he just looks at me, he goes, 'Will you stand over there, man? Honestly, you're making me feel bad about myself. You look freaking ridiculous. Go over there. You look too good.' He's like, 'You make me look like s**t!'" [43:35 – 43:58]
In February 2006, Toland was handed his release from WWE after a backstage fight with his tag team partner Chad D*ck. The incident stemmed from other members of the locker room encouraging Chad to punch his on-screen ally as part of an initiation.
Tank Toland appreciated John Cena's kind words
It is well known that John Cena is happy to lend words of advice to other WWE Superstars backstage. Bianca Belair, for example, has spoken about the helpful conversations she has had with the wrestler-turned-actor.
Tank Toland viewed the locker room as "toxic" during his short main roster run, but he had no issues with Cena:
"That was cool he said that because I really didn't know him that well for him to be cool like that. That was nice. It was few and far between with some of those guys that were already up there were super cool. I don't know if it was just the way the locker room was. I know it was a toxic environment when I was there." [44:01 – 44:25]
Toland also discussed the time when WWE Executive Chairman Vince McMahon banned a wrestler from using the Shooting Star Press.
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Please credit the Cheap Heat Productions Podcast and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.