John Cena Reflects on How WWE Has Improved Since He First Debuted
John Cena first arrived on WWE television in the Summer of 2002 and over the next two decades would become one of the biggest stars in company history — complete with 16 world championship reigns and five WrestleMania main events. The trials and tribulations of Cena's early years in the WWE are well-documented, including how he was nearly fired before the genesis of his "Doctor of Thuganomics" persona ever saw the light of day. Quite a bit changed about the company while Cena was its face and he reflected on that notion in a new interview with Kevin Hart as part of the Hart to Heart Peacock series.
"Pro football now, it's an operation. The NBA now, it's an operation, Major League Baseball now is an operation," Cena said (h/t Yahoo). "WWE's kind of followed the same trajectory where it's this massive, globally reaching entertainment juggernaut that can show up anywhere."
John Cena on WWE Switching From TV-14 to TV-PG
Perhaps the biggest change WWE underwent while Cena was in his prime was the decision to switch the weekly television product from TV-14 back to TV-PG to support a more family-friendly presentation. While WWE's current product has evolved, it still has the PG rating to this day (though rumors of a switch back to TV-14 were numerous last year).
"As the company grows, it's trying to gain more of a following, it's trying to gain more of a fanbase," Cena continued. "So you have to act accordingly. The great news is, I feel the talent, the performers are better taken care of, they're more professional, they're more understanding, they're not as wasteful, they're a lot smarter, they're a lot healthier."
WWE's Rumored SummerSlam 2023 Card
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer posted last week what is believed to be a good chunk of the card for SummerSlam 2023. While Cena did make a surprise appearance on WWE TV at Money in the Bank last week, it doesn't look like he'll play a role in the show. What do you think of these seven rumored matches? Let us know in the comments!
- Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso
- Intercontinental Championship: Gunther vs. Drew McIntyre
- SmackDown Women's Championship: Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Bianca Belair
- Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar (with some sort of stipulation)
- Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus
- Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler
- Ricochet vs. Logan Paul