WWE News: John Cena talks AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, burying talent and more

What’s the story?

In something of a rare podcast appearance, John Cena recently shared some insights into a whole host of pro wrestling topics. Cena spoke at length about AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura, as well the common struggles in transitioning to WWE, perceived complacency in the company’s locker room and suggestions that he has a record of burying talent.

In case you didn’t know…

Last Friday, John Cena was a guest on E&C’s Pod of Awesomeness, the podcast hosted by former world champions Edge and Christian. Edge was, of course, one of Cena’s most famed opponents, with the wrestler-turned-podcaster ending three of Cena’s world title reigns as the two squared off on dozens of occasions in the mid-to-late 2000s.

Going in depth

In discussing AJ Styles, Cena noted that the former TNA stalwart was “kind of the culmination” of the company’s effort to welcome top indie talent to its ranks – an effort that can be mapped back to 2005 when CM Punk signed with the company. He also revealed how desperate he'd been to help Styles showcase what he was capable of because, to state the obvious, he’s just “super, super good.”

As for Nakamura, Cena says that while there’s “no doubt he's very skilled and extremely interesting,” he’s eventually going to have to add some depth to his character and “explain what the interesting is.”

On top of all that, he let loose a little more in describing the level of complacency in the locker room as “staggering” before labelling his reputation for burying guys as “crazy” and suggesting it’s their inability to “recapture that energy” that sees them get lost in the shuffle after working with him.

Long story short, there’s a ton to take in, so it’s well worth checking out the full interview yourself.

What's next?

Having lost to Roman Reigns at No Mercy this past Sunday, Cena looks set for something of a hiatus from WWE programming as he returns to Hollywood for his movie commitments. He has major upcoming roles in The Pact, set for theatres in April of next year, and the Transformers spin-off Bumblebee, which is due for release in December 2018.

Author’s take

Anytime a star like Cena speaks his mind, people are bound to take notice, and that’s especially true when he’s delving into such topics that would usually be off limits on WWE programming.

Cena may well have a point about Nakamura needing to explain his gimmick and a perceived complacency in the WWE locker room, but in terms of guys being able to “recapture that energy” after facing Cena, that's arguably as much down to the booking direction as it is the actions of the performer.

---

Send us news tips at [email protected]