WWE Hall of Famer on why he was surprised by the crowd reaction to John Cena's return

John Cena made his long-anticipated return to WWE on last week's edition of SmackDown Live. The WWE veteran received an incredibly positive reaction from the live crowd, contrary to his run as a regular competitor.

When Cena announced that he won't be at WrestleMania this year, the fans booed in unison, indicating that they genuinely wanted to see him at The Show of Shows. Moments later, when he accepted The Fiend's challenge for a match at WrestleMania 36, the crowd erupted and the match was later made official by WWE.

WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry recently opened up on Cena's return and said that he was surprised to see him get such a positive reaction from the WWE Universe.

Man, I’m so used to hearing ‘Cena S**ks. Going on into the adulation that John Cena received on Friday. That was like unfathomable for me. I could not believe the reaction from the crowd last night. I just, like, I guess absence does make the heart grow fonder. Because he got more love that first minute and a half… he couldn’t even talk. The crowd was like constant. It was a constant roar. And every time he got ready to say something, they amped up.

Cena has been on the receiving end of some of the biggest hostile crowd reactions in WWE history:

Cena is one of the most polarizing figures in the history of WWE. For the better part of his in-ring career, his presence divided the WWE Universe into two groups, with one supporting him through thick and thin, and the other booing him at all times.

Cena's absence from WWE has certainly helped his standing with the fans, and it would be interesting to see what kind of reaction he gets at WrestleMania 36 on April 5.

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