These days, John Cena is well-known for his roles in television, such as HBO Maxâs Peacemaker (helmed by James Gunn, the new head of the DC Universe) and the big screen, like 2021âs The Suicide Squad (where he first appeared as the eponymous Peacemaker from the TV series) and the recently released Fast X, where he plays the brother of Vin Dieselâs Dom Torreto character. During the height of his WWE career in the âRuthless Aggressionâ era however, the notion of John Cena foregoing pro wrestling to act for a movie or TV series wouldâve been the furthest thing from anyoneâs mind. In fact, taking time off from pro wrestling to pursue an acting career was the primary cause for Cena during his feud with WWE Hall of Famer Dwayne âThe Rockâ Johnson, a situation in which Cena admits he âreally messed upâ and acted âshort-sighted and selfishâ during.
âI got selfish and me â living WWE at the point and not having any concept of growth or someone elseâs perspective â I took Dwayneâs comments [about the business] as not genuine,â Cena said on the latest episode of the âHappy Sad Confusedâ podcast. âMy view was if you love something, be there everyday. Like, what a hypocrite I am, because I still love WWE and I canât go all the time. And I just didnât see that. I was so selfish.â

Though Cena regrets his feud with Dwayne âThe Rockâ Johnson, the strife between the two did culminate in two high-profile wrestling matches, one at WrestleMania 28 in 2012, where The Rock emerged victorious by pinfall in a 30-plus minute match and another at next yearâs WrestleMania 29, where Cena evened the score by defeating The Rock for the WWE Championship. The tension between Cena and The Rock made for two noteworthy events that generated plenty of buzz for the industry, but Cena still wishes he had handled the situation differently in retrospect.
âI wanted a main event marquee match because it would better what I thought was the business,â Cena continued. âAnd thatâs so short-sighted and selfish,â he said. âIt worked, but it worked at the cost of two people who communicated and almost put it in jeopardy. And there was a moment where there was a lot of bad vibes between us, and rightfully so.â
Notwithstanding, Cena and The Rock were able to set their differences aside, which Cena is thankful for.
âIt was almost at the cost of our friendship, which I would like to say now is in a really good place,â Cena said.
What do you think of the fact that John Cena regrets his feud with Dwayne âThe Rockâ Johnson? Do you think Cena could have handled the situation better? Is it ironic that Cena is practically in the same situation now that The Rock was when Cena called him out for it? Let us know in the comments.