During a recent interview on Busted Open Radio, 16-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion John Cena was asked about the topic of ‘passing the torch’, which he did to Roman Reigns, who is the current Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
While talking about it, Cena said The Tribal Chief is the greatest of all time time.
Below is what the WWE Legend said:
“You don’t pass it to anybody. You just hope to put energy out there and anyone with potential can get it. It was said that I passed the torch to Roman (Reigns) years ago, and he absolutely is the face of the franchise. In my mind, he’s the greatest of all time.
I tried to do what I could, and when I did it, it wasn’t the miracle. Like, it didn’t happen. He got it on his own terms. I just like seeing people who are passionate about the business, who want to be there, who want to show up, who aren’t using it as a vehicle to do something else because the thing itself is awesome. It’s okay if you get other opportunities outside. That’s a testament to your work, but man, I wish I was still there every day.
My body can’t do it anymore and I don’t want to give the consumer a bad product. That’s another thing that I learned from those veterans at the time, guys like Eddie (Guerrero) just would risk so much. and he’s like, ‘I’m never gonna give the consumer a bad product. I don’t care how I feel. I don’t care how I feel physically. I don’t care what baggage I have mentally. When I’m on, they paid good money and I’m gonna go out there and give everything I have and sometimes find it when it’s not there’.
I’m at a point where everything I have in comparison to the bar that’s been set, like what I have is what you saw at WrestleMania 39. That’s what I feel confident that I can deliver and that’s really nice for here and there. That’s not every day in the WWE. That’s not every day in sports entertainment.
Sports entertainment has raised the bar and I’m humble enough to say that’s awesome because you’re supposed to leave it better than you found it and the people are supposed to advance it.
That’s why you go from smokey bingo halls to the Pontiac Silverdome to now towns offering us financial incentives to bring in WrestleMania.”
