John Cena says he "didn't dive into the opportunity" he was given during crucial WWE match

John Cena served as the face of WWE for over a decade. He is still considered a big part of the Stamford-based company, and the 16-time World Champion recently spoke about a major turning point in his career.

Cena made his WWE on-screen debut way back in 2002. He was known as The Prototype at the time, and he came out to confront Kurt Angle for his SmackDown debut match. While speaking to Chris Van Vliet on Insight, Cena revealed how his debut was a big flop because of his attitude.

The Cenation Leader noted that he lacked the ruthlessness and aggression to get the spotlight. However, John Cena managed to recover from the disappointing debut to build a Hall of Fame-worthy WWE career. The Chain Gang Soldier revealed the advice that he would give to his younger self and others around him, as he wanted everyone to believe the gimmick they were playing.

“I think the things that they share in common are gratitude, grit, perseverance, and humility. So, John Cena in 2002 gets to go out and fight Kurt Angle under the impression of two words, Ruthless Aggression. It was a failure because I was neither ruthless nor aggressive, and I wasn't able to see the opportunity. My blinders were, you're getting a chance to go out there, do everything you can, and show them you can wrestle,” John Cena said.

He added that he got a golden ticket because The Undertaker was unwell. However, things did not fall in place for the WWE legend as everything was last minute.

“No, I was given a golden ticket and a gimmick. Ruthless Aggression, and sure, I wasn't ready. The match was at the last second because Undertaker was sick. So the gear doesn't match, but neither did the attitude at all. Like sportsmanship and grateful, especially after I slapped the guy, I should have been doing more in the match to gouge out an eyeball, or rip at his tights, or be the exact opposite of ruthless aggression. Be a pacifist, whatever it is, but I didn't dive into the opportunity I was given. I just went out there to do stunts," John Cena said.

John Cena continued to say that he loves to see how superstars are being shaped in NXT:

“Even the handshake thing with The Undertaker, somebody who's ruthlessly aggressive would have slapped him like he slapped Kurt Angle and now you're like, ‘Who the f**k is this guy?' but I didn't understand because I had blinders on about what the business is about. Now, I love to go to NXT because everybody has a different personality. I was like, ‘What would I do? Have you ever thought about this idea?' but people are thinking the same way I was, that I just want to go out and do these moves.”

The initial Ruthless Aggression gimmick did not go too far for The Doctor of Thuganomics. However, he was given a second chance by WWE, and he managed to carve a niche for himself in the industry as a top babyface.

---

John Cena recently teased another WWE title run

John Cena was asked about his favorite world championship win during the same interview with Chris Van Vliet. Staying in his usual humorous mood, The Cenation Leader noted that his next world title win will be his favorite.

Cena added that he has not yet retired from the WWE ring and will return for another run down the line. That opened up the possibility of seeing The Chain Gang Soldier compete again.

“My next one [is my favorite.] I have often said that the time is coming for me to hang them up and I’m not lying when I say, but it’s not tomorrow. It’s probably soon but not tomorrow, so you never know," John Cena said.

WWE fans will continue to guess when John Cena will return for another run. The 16-time World Champion had his last match against Solo Sikoa at the Crown Jewel 2023 Premium Live Event, and he could return to reignite that rivalry.

---

Do you want to see John Cena have another WWE world title run? Sound off!