According to one top AEW star, John Cena turning heel inWWEand aligning with The Rock was “f*cking awesome”. In the closing angle ofWWE Elimination Chamberthis past Saturday (March 1), professional wrestlingfans around the world were shockedbyJohn Cena turning heel.
After Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes declined Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s promises of unlimited fame and fortune in exchange for ‘his soul’, it seemed that Cena was more than willing to take the deal.John Cena attacking Cody Rhodesand a subsequent assault with The Rock, which even saw hip-hop starTravis Scott throw hands, made headlines worldwide as the perpetual good guy Cena was never expected to turn to the dark side.
One top All Elite Wrestling (AEW) star who is no stranger to Rhodes or the dark side is former AEW World Champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF). In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, MJF commented onJohn Cena’s shock moveto align with The Rock.
MJF said:
“I get really annoyed when people in either company pretend that they don’t. Let me put it this way — yes, I was watching it. I was watching it live. It was an awesome moment, and everybody should think it was an awesome moment because it was point-blank, end of discussion.”
MJF Is A ‘Student Of The Game’
The AEW Star Isn’t Afraid To Admit He Watches WWE
As a noted professional wrestling fan since childhood,MJF has never been shyabout openly admitting that he still watches WWE - but with very good reason. From his perspective, consuming as much pro wrestling content as possible is akin to reviewing game film in other sports.
Going on to share that certainly someWWE stars will be watchingthe upcoming AEW pay-per-view,AEW Revolution, on March 9 because staying up to date with all the hottest trends, regardless of company, is a part of the job.
MJF continued:
“If you are in the world of professional wrestling. If you are a top guy and you don’t watch or consume as much pro wrestling as you possibly can, can you call yourself a student of the game? Can you say you’re putting your best foot forward? Can you claim to be one of the best in the sport? In my opinion, no, you absolutely cannot…
If you’re a real athlete and you aren’t in the clue or in the know of what’s going on in your sport, I pity you. I think you do not take your job seriously. Yeah, [Cena turning heel] was awesome. It was f*cking awesome.
Our Take: MJF May Look To Replicate John Cena’s Success
Hollywood Has Already Come Knocking For Former AEW World Champion
Not only has John Cena had an impressive tenure in WWE, he has beenable to make a move into Hollywoodthat has launched him into another stratosphere of stardom - something that MJF also hopes to achieve. Having already been set to appear inThe Iron Clawstarring Zac Efron (albeit his scenes reportedlyhit the cutting room floor), fans will next be able to catch MJF in the upcomingHappy Gilmore 2. Starring Adam Sandler reprising his role as the titular character, MJF is thought to be playing the role of one of Gilmore’s sons. Recognizing therole of emotional storytellingwoven into professional wrestling and honing the acting chops to make a performance both memorable and compelling are two of the biggest reasons fans have resonated with John Cena over the years - hopefully MJF is able to follow suit.
