John Cena Discusses SmackDown After The Brand Split And His Legacy In WWE
John Cena recently spoke with ESPN and discussed many subjects, including his 2015 US Title Run, the class of guys he came in with fifteen years ago, and what it's like to be on the traditional "B" show.
John Cena was drafted to Smackdown back in July, and he's been a part of why that brand has exceeded expectations. ”I’ve always said we need to put forth the best product we can, and it seems like we’re doing our best to do that,” said Cena. “It seems like the dynamic itself is changing. Many years ago, you could look at the brand essentially as a one-man show with one man leading the way and him being held up by a cast of supportive players. I think Attitude Era was a bit of a segue into this (modern era). Now you see more of a multi-tiered show, where it’s a lot of talented superstars being able to showcase their talents.”
Cena declared his intention to tie Ric Flair's 16 World Championships record, but he stresses that he's not focused on just one goal right now. “I reflect back to 2015 and what happened with the United States championship,” said Cena. “There’s a lot that can be done without that (world) championship match and that record hanging over the balance. It’s only present when it’s present, if that’s a good way to say it. It’s not something that I’m focusing on if it’s not right in front of me.”
Many other talents have come and gone during Cena's time in WWE, and he understands how rare it is to have that kind of longevity. “Over the past decade and a half that I’ve been around, the superstar turnover rate has been (high),” said Cena. “I’ve seen maybe three waves of talent come and go. I was just fortunate to be in a group in the turn of the century that was extremely talented, (with the) likes of Randy Orton and Brock Lesnar, just to name a few.”
Cena has taken a lot of time off in recent years to pursue other interests, but he always comes back to his roots. And when he picks outside projects to get involved with, he values quality over quantity. “I just try to do good stuff. I opened the script to the ‘The Wall,’ and 15 minutes later I was done with it, and I loved the movie and wanted to be part of it,” said Cena. “With any of the movies I’ve had a chance to do, or any of the TV shows I’ve had a chance to contribute to, people approach me and say, ‘Hey, would you like to do this?’ I laugh out loud and say, ‘Yes, that’d be funny,’ or I’m very moved by what I read and say, ‘Yes. How can I help you?’ “I’ve been very fortunate to be a part of some cool stuff, and everything that I lend myself to is something I feel I can contribute to.”
Cena makes his return to SmackDown Live tonight, after a two-and-a-half month absence.
