John Cena Explains Why He Can't Do WWE and Hollywood Simultaneously

Some of John Cena's old promos are coming back to bite him. Leading up to his "once in a lifetime" clash with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson at WWE WrestleMania 28, Cena blasted Rock for neglecting his roots. Up until his return in 2011, Rock had not been seen inside a WWE ring for seven years. Big Match John criticized Rock for going Hollywood on the WWE fans and leaving the place and people that made him in the dust. Now one decade later, Cena finds himself in the same predicament. Cena has not been a full-time member of the WWE roster since 2016 and has wrestled just a handful of matches in the past couple of years.

John Cena "Violated" The Rock's Trust

Speaking during the WWE Fastlane press conference, John Cena once again admitted that he was in the wrong for his criticisms of The Rock's priorities in the entertainment industry during their feud. 

"Publicly and personally, to Dwayne Johnson, I've stated that, although I thought I was trying to do what's best for business, I went about it the wrong way," Cena said. "I violated his trust, and I made allegations about his perspective that I knew nothing about. Deep down, I was a fan. I wanted The Rock [back], and I wanted to do anything to get The Rock back, but I did it the wrong way. I didn't do it the respectful way, so I had to eat a little bit of crow."

Why Can't John Cena Wrestle and Act Simultaneously?

As evident by his sporadic appearances this year, John Cena is capable of fitting WWE into his busy schedule. That said, Cena has only wrestled three matches this year, and is moving at a speed that is significantly less risky compared to the work-rate bouts his was putting on in the 2010s.

As Cena emphasized, his current limited matches and in-ring style is a byproduct of his obligations in Hollywood.

"I made it perfectly clear you can't do both because of the liability insurance," Cena explained. "If I were trying to juggle both that's very selfish because I'd put a whole lot of people in the movie business out of work if something happened to me."

Cena's sudden availability came about due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. Hollywood productions have been on pause since the actors guild went on strike in mid-July.

"I stopped a project in the middle of [the strike], and I cant talk about it because of the strike we're in," Cena added. "We're in the middle of it. As soon as we get back to work, we go back to work. I don't control any of that. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping we can find a resolve that everyone is happy with. For right now, I think this is the best way I can help, by coming home to my [WWE] family."