‘I want to be clear’ – John Cena twice shuts down interviewer discussing ’emotional connection’ to Vince McMahon

To say you’d have to get up early in the morning to catch out John Cena would be an understatement. The wrestling legend is an icon of the business having recently racked up his 17th world championship victory at WrestleMania. John Cena is playing the bad guy on WWE TV right nowWWE His stunning victory over Cody Rhodes broke Ric Flair’s long-standing record for world titles and, in the eyes of many, cemented Cena’s status as the greatest professional wrestler of all time. It comes as Cena’s career followed in parallel to much of that of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, the grappling sensation who traded the squared circle for the bright lights of Hollywood, going on to become a blockbuster movie sensation. But while The Rock continues to dabble in the wrestling world despite his silver screen status, Cena’s time in the ring is very much coming to an end as he continues his self-titled retirement tour in 2025. He’ll hang up his boots for good come December and, naturally, attention is turning to what the performer may decide to do next. The Rock has been urged to run for US President in years gone by, so might Cena be interested in taking up the political trail? He plays the role of President in his new Amazon move, Heads of State, after all. Speaking to US Weekly at a red carpet event, the veteran was put on the spot about a run for the Oval Office in real life, dishing out a polite enough response to close down the question rather than answer. “I know that’s gonna be a question on a lot of people’s minds, [but] this is a movie,” he explained. “I’m playing a role in a buddy action comedy; I just happen to wear a suit and say my character’s in the Oval Office. “I think that’s about as far as we can take that.” The interviewer was keen to take it further, though, and persisted in asking Cena if he was prepared to rule out the Presidency in future. GettyIt doesn’t appear politics features in the immediate future of John Cena[/caption] She was given a far shorter shrift second time around, though – the star dodged the question altogether, replying instead: “Again, I hope you see the movie on Amazon Prime Video, Heads of State is fantastic.” Given Cena’s longstanding status in WWE, the subject of Vince McMahon emerges regularly in interviews. McMahon departed WWE in early 2024 after sexual trafficking allegations were levied at him by a former employee, which he denies. Cena has never relented in his discussing his personal relationship with and ‘love’ for McMahon, despite drawing criticism from fans who expect the in-ring champion to distance himself from the billionaire. The Boston, asked if he was ‘surprised’ by that reaction, explained: “No, because everybody’s entitled to their opinion, just like I am entitled to have an emotional connection to somebody. “I don’t hold anybody, or how they feel, or what they view as permissible or things that make them angry, happy, excited, sad – that’s their right as a human being. NetflixFormer WWE chief Vince McMahon stepped away from the spotlight in 2024[/caption] “I’m not surprised by any of that.” Cena may not be ‘surprised’ by the reaction to his stance on McMahon in real life but, in character, the performer has made very clear his distain for WWE fans as part of his villainous persona on screen. The interviewer somewhat blurred those lines in following up to the McMahon question by asking Cena to expand on his in-character statement on WWE TV that fans ‘bullied’ him. That drew a visible reaction to the Mortal Combat star who very quickly shut down any comparisons between his character’s opinion of WWE fans and his own. “I want to be clear, you just had a real question, which I appreciate, [but] what you’re seeing on WWE is sports entertainment. “I’m not going to give you any spoilers because I think we’ve got a really good season of TV going on, but I’ll have a much better answer for that in December when I’m all done and we can reflect on what’s happened.” John Cena was in no mood to blur the lines and actually criticise WWE fansYouTube/US Weekly Ever the professional, Cena was smiling again by the interview’s end, but was clearly in no mood to mix is on-screen views with those he holds in the real world. The 48-year-old’s last appearance came at Backlash earlier this month as a press conference ended in chaos and, ironically enough, Cena breaking character.

May 14, 2025 - 15:08

‘I want to be clear’ – John Cena twice shuts down interviewer discussing ’emotional connection’ to Vince McMahon

To say you’d have to get up early in the morning to catch out John Cena would be an understatement.

The wrestling legend is an icon of the business having recently racked up his 17th world championship victory at WrestleMania.

John Cena is playing the bad guy on WWE TV right now

His stunning victory over Cody Rhodes broke Ric Flair’s long-standing record for world titles and, in the eyes of many, cemented Cena’s status as the greatest professional wrestler of all time.

It comes as Cena’s career followed in parallel to much of that of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, the grappling sensation who traded the squared circle for the bright lights of Hollywood, going on to become a blockbuster movie sensation.

But while The Rock continues to dabble in the wrestling world despite his silver screen status, Cena’s time in the ring is very much coming to an end as he continues his self-titled retirement tour in 2025.

He’ll hang up his boots for good come December and, naturally, attention is turning to what the performer may decide to do next.

The Rock has been urged to run for US President in years gone by, so might Cena be interested in taking up the political trail? He plays the role of President in his new Amazon move, Heads of State, after all.

Speaking to US Weekly at a red carpet event, the veteran was put on the spot about a run for the Oval Office in real life, dishing out a polite enough response to close down the question rather than answer.

“I know that’s gonna be a question on a lot of people’s minds, [but] this is a movie,” he explained.

“I’m playing a role in a buddy action comedy; I just happen to wear a suit and say my character’s in the Oval Office.

“I think that’s about as far as we can take that.”

The interviewer was keen to take it further, though, and persisted in asking Cena if he was prepared to rule out the Presidency in future.

It doesn’t appear politics features in the immediate future of John Cena[/caption]

She was given a far shorter shrift second time around, though – the star dodged the question altogether, replying instead: “Again, I hope you see the movie on Amazon Prime Video, Heads of State is fantastic.”

Given Cena’s longstanding status in WWE, the subject of Vince McMahon emerges regularly in interviews.

McMahon departed WWE in early 2024 after sexual trafficking allegations were levied at him by a former employee, which he denies.

Cena has never relented in his discussing his personal relationship with and ‘love’ for McMahon, despite drawing criticism from fans who expect the in-ring champion to distance himself from the billionaire.

The Boston, asked if he was ‘surprised’ by that reaction, explained: “No, because everybody’s entitled to their opinion, just like I am entitled to have an emotional connection to somebody.

“I don’t hold anybody, or how they feel, or what they view as permissible or things that make them angry, happy, excited, sad – that’s their right as a human being.

Former WWE chief Vince McMahon stepped away from the spotlight in 2024[/caption]

“I’m not surprised by any of that.”

Cena may not be ‘surprised’ by the reaction to his stance on McMahon in real life but, in character, the performer has made very clear his distain for WWE fans as part of his villainous persona on screen.

The interviewer somewhat blurred those lines in following up to the McMahon question by asking Cena to expand on his in-character statement on WWE TV that fans ‘bullied’ him.

That drew a visible reaction to the Mortal Combat star who very quickly shut down any comparisons between his character’s opinion of WWE fans and his own.

“I want to be clear, you just had a real question, which I appreciate, [but] what you’re seeing on WWE is sports entertainment.

“I’m not going to give you any spoilers because I think we’ve got a really good season of TV going on, but I’ll have a much better answer for that in December when I’m all done and we can reflect on what’s happened.”

John Cena was in no mood to blur the lines and actually criticise WWE fans

Ever the professional, Cena was smiling again by the interview’s end, but was clearly in no mood to mix is on-screen views with those he holds in the real world.

The 48-year-old’s last appearance came at Backlash earlier this month as a press conference ended in chaos and, ironically enough, Cena breaking character.