JohnCenaFan28
10-04-2008, 05:16 AM
What’s it like for you now that you’ve been in the WWE for so long and came in at such a young age and came up through the ranks to where you’re now one of the veterans of the locker room?
Yeah, it’s pretty strange. For a while there, I was still one of the kids. I was 30 years old and still being called ‘kid’ and I was like ‘alright’. I guess that makes sense. Now, it’s been such a transition through the locker room and there’s maybe four of us since I’ve been there - Kane, Triple H, Undertaker. I can’t think of any off the top of my head besides that. It’s interesting and when you have (Zack) Ryder and (Curt) Hawkins - I call them my kids - and to see how excited they are and they come up and ask me for advice and everything. It’s really fun to kind of give back in that respect because I did have guys throughout my career, at the beginning of my career before I got to WWE, who really gave me priceless advice. Whoever it was – Bret Hart or Dory Funk or Tom Pritchard or all these guys who have great experience and helped me along so it’s nice to do that for younger guys now.
It reminds me of that first Foley DVD where he’s sitting there and I think it’s you and Christian and he would be giving you advice between cuts.
Yeah. Mick was another guy too. I really got lucky in that respect to be able to respect Mick when I did. He knew at that point I really wanted to prove a point and he helped me prove it. But it’s been cool – the people I’ve gotten to rub elbows with. Teaming with (Hulk) Hogan, TLC matches with (Ric) Flair, hardcore matches with Foley. That’s on the job training that you if you don’t learn there, you’re not going to.
I was going to mention that TLC match with Flair. When we heard that Flair was going to do that match, we were like are you serious? Let’s see what they pull out. Then you go out there and it was awesome.
Yeah. He came with his game. Ric’s always amazed me. He gets that shine in his eye and there’s no stopping him. But I initially went oh wow – TLC match with Ric Flair. This is the first singles TLC match. Not only is it the first singles TLC match but it’s not against Jeff Hardy or something. So, I knew it was going to be a challenge but it was fun. That crowd that night was awesome.
I think at that point Ric felt he had something to prove too.
Yeah. Without a doubt he did. I think we both did. A lot of times, that’s when you’ll get the best results when you have two guys who have something to prove. Mick at WrestleMania 22 did. He wanted – he seriously wanted – that WrestleMania moment for himself. So we went through a flaming table.
I’m sure when you came into the WWE that you were sitting there going I really want to wrestle this guy and that guy. Now, there’s probably people going I want to wrestle Edge.
I kind of lose track of that I guess. I never really think of things in those terms. I’m still kind of blown away when little kids are extremely excited to meet me and I try to think back to when I first met Mr. Perfect or guys like that and how stoked I was for months after. But I guess there are some young guys coming up now that would want to wrestle me. I don’t know. I’m kind of far removed from that end of the spectrum now.
Really?
It’s just that I have no idea what it’s like to be breaking in now – what the climate is like or who guys look to as inspirations. I looked to – when I got in the business – Shawn and Bret. Those were the guys I wanted to try and pattern – and Mr. Perfect, Barry Windham and guys like that. I don’t know who they would be patterning themselves after now, whether it be Jeff Hardy or Rey Mysterio or Evan Bourne. I don’t know.
It’s also different now in the way they come up through developmental. For someone like you, you worked on the independents for a long time, working up in Canada on the frozen tours. It’s a different climate now.
Without a doubt. I guess that’s why I say I feel kind of out of touch with what it’s like now because it’s so far removed from when I came in. And it’s so far removed from when I came in from guys who came in before me so they couldn’t relate to how I came in. It’s that kind of cycle. Now it’s changed to the point where basically you have your farm systems and the odd independent shows here and there. I would think it would be tougher now.
I would think so too. I think one of the things that is amazing about where your career is now is that you have found a way where people truly hate you. In this day and age, it seems almost impossible. We’ve talked about this before and how it’s almost impossible to have a true heel in wrestling these days but you’ve proven that there can be a true heel now.
It can actually be very easy. All the person has to want to do is actually be hated. You can be hated if you want to be hated. If you have no part of you that wants to do a cool move, that wants to get any kind of a positive reaction, that wants to out wrestle the babyface. You have to throw all of that out the window. You always have to look worse. You always have to be outwrestled. You always have to do something in order to get the advantage. As long as you don’t mind doing those things whether it’s to be made to look like the fool, whether it’s to be made to cheat to win – whatever it is, it’s still possible and can be very easy. And I realized how easy it can be because that was my mentality. I wanted no redeeming qualities whatsoever. And it’s easy to do that, easy for people to buy into that. You just have to really commit to it. And whether that means – when I was doing those psychotic promos, I wanted to look like I hadn’t slept for weeks. So I didn’t wash my hair. I wanted to look like I was – I didn’t shave. Kind of like how I look now I guess. (laughing)
I’m sure people loved traveling with you.
I still showered! I just didn’t wash my hair. I really just wanted to look like this guy that was on an emotional roller coaster and about to have a breakdown. I didn’t care if I was good looking or if I was tanned or any of those things. I just wanted to look the part. I don’t know right now if there’s a lot of guys that would want to do that. I don’t blame them. But that’s what I’ve decided. If I want to be that hated guy – nobody else is doing it. I might as well. I had to commit to it.
That’s the thing. For every person that goes out there and gets cheered, there has to be the villain.
In order for it to be successful. In order from those heroes to look like heroes. Part of my job is to get thrown all over the place by a guy like Batista and make him look even more superhuman than he is and try and find a chink in the armor to get any kind of offense on him that I can. That’s part of – it goes back to where that can be very easy. It’s worked for decades. You just have to really want to do it.
Now with the move to My65, does it increase even more the rivalry between Raw and Smackdown? You’ve got Hunter over there now, of course yourself, Undertaker, Jeff Hardy. There are some really big names over there for what some looked at as the secondary show. It almost seems like the big show now.
Yeah I guess so. I always kind of wanted to take the mentality of if its thought of as the secondary show, I want to make it the show that people don’t think of that way. I want to make this the show they think I gotta see what’s going to happen here. And I think little by little we started to do that and it’s pretty cool to be a part of something like that. You know, both shows offer something for different talents. So you’re always going to have a competition. To me, it’s like salt and pepper. It’s two different things. Now Rey Mysterio is on Raw. You’re not going to find another Rey Mysterio. He offers something that no one else does so you can’t really make a comparison when it comes to things like that.
What were your initial thoughts when you were told you were being moved to Smackdown because I know some people might be leery of that and they like being on Raw which is the “A” show and it’s a live show?
I asked to move to Smackdown because I saw so many opportunities there. I never wrestled Undertaker. I never wrestled Rey Mysterio. I never had a prolonged program with Batista. Man, I saw that and I wanted to sink my teeth into that. There’s two years worth of stuff – let’s go. I didn’t look at it like that at all. I looked at Raw and I thought (John) Cena – done it. Michaels – done it. Triple H – done it. (Randy) Orton – done it. Hmmm….I could go over there. So I looked at it and said if people think it’s the “B” show, let’s make it the “A” show. If I’m part of that and part of the reason is they want to see my (butt) handed to me, that’s cool. It’s working.
Now with the initial deal with Cena because that came out of nowhere really when you first won the belt. It was almost like lightning in a bottle because everybody watching was like “wow!”. It shot out of nowhere. Did you see that – any realm of that – becoming what it ending up becoming when you initially did it and when it was coming together?
I thought it could be but I didn’t know if we would be given the opportunity to let it go as far as it did. I think initially it wasn’t supposed to be the lightning in the bottle like it was but people tapped into it. Whether it’s because we’re polar opposites – our characters – whether it’s because he’s the hip-hop guy and I’m the rock and roll guy. I don’t know what it was but it became kind of the Red Sox – Yankees. I’ve heard someone use that analogy before and that’s really what it felt like and people got with it. A lot of times, things you don’t necessarily expect to happen, they do. That’s one thing where our audience can really tell us what they want because if they’re reacting, they’re going to get more of it. If you want to see more Cena – Edge, you’re paying to see it. You’re going to get it. I don’t think we ever expected it to go where it was going. It did and it was a lot of fun.
Just a few last things before you have to go. When was the last time you played a kazoo?
Oh, it’s been ages!
I saw that clip the other day.
(laughing) Well, you see, Christian was more adept at that kazoo. I was more of the lyrical content but I’ll pick up a kazoo in a heartbeat if I can find one.
When is Christian coming back?
I don’t know. I’d like him to.
There’s rumors out there you know.
There’s always going to be rumors. I’d like for him to because I think it would be cool for him to end his career there and also because we’d get to ride together again which would be fun. We’re always going to be friends no matter what the other is doing but it would be nice to do it together. I think that would be pretty cool. Whether it happen or not, I don’t know. That’s stuff I’ve never really delved into and I don’t ask anybody their deal. I just worry about my own in that respect and it’s worked good for me that way.
-Orlando Sentinel
Yeah, it’s pretty strange. For a while there, I was still one of the kids. I was 30 years old and still being called ‘kid’ and I was like ‘alright’. I guess that makes sense. Now, it’s been such a transition through the locker room and there’s maybe four of us since I’ve been there - Kane, Triple H, Undertaker. I can’t think of any off the top of my head besides that. It’s interesting and when you have (Zack) Ryder and (Curt) Hawkins - I call them my kids - and to see how excited they are and they come up and ask me for advice and everything. It’s really fun to kind of give back in that respect because I did have guys throughout my career, at the beginning of my career before I got to WWE, who really gave me priceless advice. Whoever it was – Bret Hart or Dory Funk or Tom Pritchard or all these guys who have great experience and helped me along so it’s nice to do that for younger guys now.
It reminds me of that first Foley DVD where he’s sitting there and I think it’s you and Christian and he would be giving you advice between cuts.
Yeah. Mick was another guy too. I really got lucky in that respect to be able to respect Mick when I did. He knew at that point I really wanted to prove a point and he helped me prove it. But it’s been cool – the people I’ve gotten to rub elbows with. Teaming with (Hulk) Hogan, TLC matches with (Ric) Flair, hardcore matches with Foley. That’s on the job training that you if you don’t learn there, you’re not going to.
I was going to mention that TLC match with Flair. When we heard that Flair was going to do that match, we were like are you serious? Let’s see what they pull out. Then you go out there and it was awesome.
Yeah. He came with his game. Ric’s always amazed me. He gets that shine in his eye and there’s no stopping him. But I initially went oh wow – TLC match with Ric Flair. This is the first singles TLC match. Not only is it the first singles TLC match but it’s not against Jeff Hardy or something. So, I knew it was going to be a challenge but it was fun. That crowd that night was awesome.
I think at that point Ric felt he had something to prove too.
Yeah. Without a doubt he did. I think we both did. A lot of times, that’s when you’ll get the best results when you have two guys who have something to prove. Mick at WrestleMania 22 did. He wanted – he seriously wanted – that WrestleMania moment for himself. So we went through a flaming table.
I’m sure when you came into the WWE that you were sitting there going I really want to wrestle this guy and that guy. Now, there’s probably people going I want to wrestle Edge.
I kind of lose track of that I guess. I never really think of things in those terms. I’m still kind of blown away when little kids are extremely excited to meet me and I try to think back to when I first met Mr. Perfect or guys like that and how stoked I was for months after. But I guess there are some young guys coming up now that would want to wrestle me. I don’t know. I’m kind of far removed from that end of the spectrum now.
Really?
It’s just that I have no idea what it’s like to be breaking in now – what the climate is like or who guys look to as inspirations. I looked to – when I got in the business – Shawn and Bret. Those were the guys I wanted to try and pattern – and Mr. Perfect, Barry Windham and guys like that. I don’t know who they would be patterning themselves after now, whether it be Jeff Hardy or Rey Mysterio or Evan Bourne. I don’t know.
It’s also different now in the way they come up through developmental. For someone like you, you worked on the independents for a long time, working up in Canada on the frozen tours. It’s a different climate now.
Without a doubt. I guess that’s why I say I feel kind of out of touch with what it’s like now because it’s so far removed from when I came in. And it’s so far removed from when I came in from guys who came in before me so they couldn’t relate to how I came in. It’s that kind of cycle. Now it’s changed to the point where basically you have your farm systems and the odd independent shows here and there. I would think it would be tougher now.
I would think so too. I think one of the things that is amazing about where your career is now is that you have found a way where people truly hate you. In this day and age, it seems almost impossible. We’ve talked about this before and how it’s almost impossible to have a true heel in wrestling these days but you’ve proven that there can be a true heel now.
It can actually be very easy. All the person has to want to do is actually be hated. You can be hated if you want to be hated. If you have no part of you that wants to do a cool move, that wants to get any kind of a positive reaction, that wants to out wrestle the babyface. You have to throw all of that out the window. You always have to look worse. You always have to be outwrestled. You always have to do something in order to get the advantage. As long as you don’t mind doing those things whether it’s to be made to look like the fool, whether it’s to be made to cheat to win – whatever it is, it’s still possible and can be very easy. And I realized how easy it can be because that was my mentality. I wanted no redeeming qualities whatsoever. And it’s easy to do that, easy for people to buy into that. You just have to really commit to it. And whether that means – when I was doing those psychotic promos, I wanted to look like I hadn’t slept for weeks. So I didn’t wash my hair. I wanted to look like I was – I didn’t shave. Kind of like how I look now I guess. (laughing)
I’m sure people loved traveling with you.
I still showered! I just didn’t wash my hair. I really just wanted to look like this guy that was on an emotional roller coaster and about to have a breakdown. I didn’t care if I was good looking or if I was tanned or any of those things. I just wanted to look the part. I don’t know right now if there’s a lot of guys that would want to do that. I don’t blame them. But that’s what I’ve decided. If I want to be that hated guy – nobody else is doing it. I might as well. I had to commit to it.
That’s the thing. For every person that goes out there and gets cheered, there has to be the villain.
In order for it to be successful. In order from those heroes to look like heroes. Part of my job is to get thrown all over the place by a guy like Batista and make him look even more superhuman than he is and try and find a chink in the armor to get any kind of offense on him that I can. That’s part of – it goes back to where that can be very easy. It’s worked for decades. You just have to really want to do it.
Now with the move to My65, does it increase even more the rivalry between Raw and Smackdown? You’ve got Hunter over there now, of course yourself, Undertaker, Jeff Hardy. There are some really big names over there for what some looked at as the secondary show. It almost seems like the big show now.
Yeah I guess so. I always kind of wanted to take the mentality of if its thought of as the secondary show, I want to make it the show that people don’t think of that way. I want to make this the show they think I gotta see what’s going to happen here. And I think little by little we started to do that and it’s pretty cool to be a part of something like that. You know, both shows offer something for different talents. So you’re always going to have a competition. To me, it’s like salt and pepper. It’s two different things. Now Rey Mysterio is on Raw. You’re not going to find another Rey Mysterio. He offers something that no one else does so you can’t really make a comparison when it comes to things like that.
What were your initial thoughts when you were told you were being moved to Smackdown because I know some people might be leery of that and they like being on Raw which is the “A” show and it’s a live show?
I asked to move to Smackdown because I saw so many opportunities there. I never wrestled Undertaker. I never wrestled Rey Mysterio. I never had a prolonged program with Batista. Man, I saw that and I wanted to sink my teeth into that. There’s two years worth of stuff – let’s go. I didn’t look at it like that at all. I looked at Raw and I thought (John) Cena – done it. Michaels – done it. Triple H – done it. (Randy) Orton – done it. Hmmm….I could go over there. So I looked at it and said if people think it’s the “B” show, let’s make it the “A” show. If I’m part of that and part of the reason is they want to see my (butt) handed to me, that’s cool. It’s working.
Now with the initial deal with Cena because that came out of nowhere really when you first won the belt. It was almost like lightning in a bottle because everybody watching was like “wow!”. It shot out of nowhere. Did you see that – any realm of that – becoming what it ending up becoming when you initially did it and when it was coming together?
I thought it could be but I didn’t know if we would be given the opportunity to let it go as far as it did. I think initially it wasn’t supposed to be the lightning in the bottle like it was but people tapped into it. Whether it’s because we’re polar opposites – our characters – whether it’s because he’s the hip-hop guy and I’m the rock and roll guy. I don’t know what it was but it became kind of the Red Sox – Yankees. I’ve heard someone use that analogy before and that’s really what it felt like and people got with it. A lot of times, things you don’t necessarily expect to happen, they do. That’s one thing where our audience can really tell us what they want because if they’re reacting, they’re going to get more of it. If you want to see more Cena – Edge, you’re paying to see it. You’re going to get it. I don’t think we ever expected it to go where it was going. It did and it was a lot of fun.
Just a few last things before you have to go. When was the last time you played a kazoo?
Oh, it’s been ages!
I saw that clip the other day.
(laughing) Well, you see, Christian was more adept at that kazoo. I was more of the lyrical content but I’ll pick up a kazoo in a heartbeat if I can find one.
When is Christian coming back?
I don’t know. I’d like him to.
There’s rumors out there you know.
There’s always going to be rumors. I’d like for him to because I think it would be cool for him to end his career there and also because we’d get to ride together again which would be fun. We’re always going to be friends no matter what the other is doing but it would be nice to do it together. I think that would be pretty cool. Whether it happen or not, I don’t know. That’s stuff I’ve never really delved into and I don’t ask anybody their deal. I just worry about my own in that respect and it’s worked good for me that way.
-Orlando Sentinel