John Cena

WWE star John Cena called attention to Dr. Evan Shannon for his continued work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cena noted that Shannon "gets very little time at home" and must sanitize himself completely once he does return home in order to minimize the risk of spreading the coronavirus.

"Dr. Evan Shannon is unbelievably brave and selfless," Cena said. "Doc, from me to you, you're a real hero."

Dr. Shannon, you are the real deal! Having men like you on the frontlines gives us all hope. On behalf of @WWE, thank you for your hard work and selflessness. Show your appreciation to the healthcare heroes in your community by making your own “jersey” for these #TheRealHeroes. pic.twitter.com/WpQauKb86I

— John Cena (@JohnCena) May 6, 2020

Cena's video was part of "The Real Heroes Project," which was launched as a collaborative effort by sports leagues across the country.

Aaron Judge, Christian Yelich, Drew Brees, DeAndre Hopkins, Breanna Stewart, Wayne Gretzky and Jordan Spieth are among those who have also honored medical personnel for their efforts amid the pandemic.

WWE star John Cena granted the wish of a seven-year-old fan who has Wilms tumor, according to WFLA's Alexis Pastore.

Pastore reported David Castle was first diagnosed with the form of kidney cancer last October. By the time he first visited the hospital, the cancer had already spread beyond his kidneys.

His mother, Tammy Miller, said to Pastore that Castle "has already undergone very painful tests, surgery, and long days and nights at the hospital" and has additional months of further treatments down the road.

We have nothing but respect and admiration for John Cena.

Over 650 Make-A-Wish requests made, and he's not letting the current pandemic slow him down. He made another last week and made sure he went as Superman, not Clark Kent.

This is why he is one of the all-time greats. pic.twitter.com/jeYeN4llHw

— WWE on TNT Sports (@wweontnt) May 4, 2020

As much as he has achieved inside of the ring, Cena's charitable work outside of the ring has become the stuff of legend. People noted last November he had performed more than 600 Make-A-Wish visits over the years.

"I said, 'If you ever need me for this ever, I don't care what I'm doing, I will drop what I'm doing and be involved because I think that's the coolest thing,'" Cena said to the magazine. "We've all experienced that joy of giving a gift for the holidays where you just nail it—that's the same gift I get in giving back to people's lives, in being able to give them wonderful emotional moments."

Miller told Pastore that Castle "had tears of joy" upon seeing Cena at his home in Odessa, Florida.

WWE Raw Women's champion Becky Lynch is getting into the acting game with some help from two Hollywood stars, as well as WWE.

In an interview with TMZ Sports on Saturday, The Man mentioned that both Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is among those who have given her advice:

"[The Rock has] actually he's been very helpful in guiding me," Lynch said. "He's just being very giving and I think they all are because they've all been there and they're all ready to look after the next generation."

Lynch noted John Cena has been a big help as well: "Cena's also been so great to me and so generous with his time and his advice, checks up on me on what I'm doing now. I think everybody wants to see the next generation move to where they've been, you know?"

Becky has had a few acting jobs, including a starring role in the WWE Studios film The Marine 6: Close Quarters, but her big break his forthcoming.

Lynch is set to appear on the hit Showtime series Billions, and she divulged she will be on the season premiere, which airs Sunday.

Both The Rock and Cena began as WWE Superstars before becoming huge names in Hollywood. The Rock has starred in countless action and comedy hits, while Cena is very much on the ascent with forthcoming roles in F9 and The Suicide Squad.

Lynch is one of the biggest stars in wrestling, as she began to take WWE by storm in 2018. She went on to be part of the first women's main event in WrestleMania history last year, beating Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair in a Triple Threat.

Becky's popularity and charisma are undeniable, and with both The Rock and Cena in her ear, she may have a chance to be the next WWE Superstar to make a successful transition to the big screen. 

            

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

Imagine being John Cena entering the April 23, 2007, episode of WWE Raw.

You are the WWE champion, fresh off a victory over Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 23. You are the face of Vince McMahon's sports-entertainment empire. You have conquered every mountain, cleared every hurdle put before you, yet no matter how much blood and sweat, not to mention tears, you have spilled, it simply has no been enough to win over the crowd.

They still boo you, raining down on you with chants of "you can't wrestle" as you come through the curtain every night. No matter how many classic matches you have had early in your career or how many legendary figures you have defeated, you are still seen as undeserving of the spot you are in.

Then you are told that, on the final night of a weeklong tour through Europe, you are going to go some 45 minutes with Michaels in a lengthy television match, the likes of which fans have not seen in decades.

That was the reality facing John Cena on his 30th birthday.

Little could he have known that the contest with Michaels would not only go down in the annals of WWE as one of the most unforgettable moments in Raw history, but it would also finally provide him the credibility he needed in order to change the fans' perception of him.

Now, on his 43rd birthday, relive the match that changed his Hall of Fame career forever.

                     

A WrestleMania Rematch

Cena and Michaels were no strangers when they entered Earls Court in London for their epic Raw encounter. They were fresh off a WrestleMania 23 classic, a match that saw Cena absorb everything Michaels threw at him before tapping out the Superstar most synonymous with the Grandest Stage of Them All. 

They were also the former tag team champions as part of the tired storyline trope of partners who hate each other banding together for the better good. Their reign came to an end when tensions boiled over the night after WrestleMania.

Moments before their bout in London, Cena approached Michaels, the dislike for each other evident in their body language. Cena, the top dog in McMahonland, said it was apparent to him that a lot of guys had fancy nicknames and taglines but that he was, simply, John Cena: Champ.

The stage was set for the colossal encounter, a match that would test Cena's worthiness of being the face of the company two years into his tumultuous run at the top.

                 

The Match

Cena played mind games early, trying to tap into Michaels' consciousness with reminders of his WrestleMania victory by going after his opponent's ankle, looking for the STF. Frustration painted Michaels' face and a slap earned HBK a massive right hand heading into the break.

The champion slowed the pace, looking to negate the speed advantage the smaller Michaels held. Sticking with the early story of the match, Cena again cut off an attempt by HBK to get anything started, countering a hip toss with a big clothesline for a count of two. He continued to stick to his power-based offense and sent Michaels scurrying to the sanctuary of the floor.

Every time Michaels found something that worked, Cena came back with another powerful answer that cut off the Showstopper's offensive. A neckbreaker by Michaels, though, reversed his fortunes and gave him his first upper hand of the contest. A flying forearm allowed him to build more momentum. The flying elbow followed and Michaels set up for Sweet Chin Music, only for Cena to evade and attempt a flying shoulder block that missed.

At ringside, Michaels sent Cena into the steel steps and turned the tide, injuring the champ's left arm and proceeding to target it like a shark that had zeroed in on blood in the water.

The crowd remained invested as Michaels worked a submission, looking for a tapout.

Cena mounted a comeback, dodged Sweet Chin Music and dropped Michaels with the Attitude Adjustment, but could only net a two-count as the crowd popped for the first of many near-falls. Now returning the favor, the champion targeted his challenger's surgically repaired back.

Commentator Jim Ross added to the urgency of the moment, suggesting this was the first time Cena had ever utilized a bear hug.

Michaels escaped an STF attempt and sent Cena to the floor. From there, he revisited their WrestleMania bout, looking for a piledriver on the steel stairs. Cena countered, delivering a back body drop that left HBK's body writhing in pain.

"He won't stay down!" Cena exclaimed to referee Mike Chioda, who attempted to pull him off his opponent. Back inside, Cena finally applied the STF, seeking to win this encounter in the same manner he did their last.

A valiant Michaels fought to the ropes, necessitating the break.

Cena tried for another Attitude Adjustment, only to be downed by Michaels as he scored Sweet Chin Music from out of nowhere. An alert Cena grabbed hold of the bottom rope to break the count.

Michaels escaped another Attitude Adjustment, landing on his feet and blasting Cena with yet another Sweet Chin Music for the win.

                    

The Aftermath

Cena's greatest detractors wasted no time chalking up the strength of the match to Michaels' greatness, perhaps rightly so. How many times has Michaels been in a match with a less talented wrestler, only to will the thing to "classic" status?

According to Michaels in a January 2018 interview with NBC Sports' Scott Dargis, the epic bout from London should be attributed to both men:

"When you hear that the match is going an hour, it seems like a long time, but when you're working with someone like John so much...I've had the opportunity to go back and watch that match and it just flows right by. That's obviously a testament to John and heck I'll even pat myself on the back a little for that one (laughs)."

He continued: "It's amazing how trying to do that hour-long match didn't seem like such a big mountain to climb. It really helps when you have a history with someone. John and I were coming off of the WrestleMania match and because of that, we had a decent amount of story points to work around, so it was easy."

In that same interview, Michaels called the match one of his favorites.

For Cena, the bout would rank head and shoulders above all others in terms of establishing his in-ring presence. A guy who had excelled in violent brawls against John Bradshaw Layfield and Umaga, he needed that one mat classic to go some way to silencing some of those critics who suggested he was not good enough between the ropes to be the long-term answer as champion.

He got it on that night.

Delivering the reversals, false finishes and near-falls that would make his matches among the most dramatic on any card over the course of his career, Cena laid the groundwork for every other classic match he would have thereafter.

He would utilize those tools in contests with Edge and Randy Orton later in the year while using what he learned from Michaels in terms of timing in a championship program with the oversized Great Khali. His matches with the massive heavyweight would not have been nearly as good as they were without it.

The fact of the matter is that the boos were getting louder, the critics more vocal. Had Cena failed to live up to lofty expectations against an in-ring genius like Michaels, there is a strong likelihood that the decade of dominance we saw out of him may not have been half of that.

Had social media existed to the extent that it does today, it would have lambasted and roasted him for his failure on the grand stage.

Instead, Cena's storytelling between the ropes and his ability to put over the emotion of the match helped to fuel his defining match with Michaels and became, like the other elements already discussed, a trademark of his in-ring style.

Rarely can one look back at a wrestler's body of work and point to the moment that they established themselves as a credible performer among the other legendary figures that surrounded them. This match in London, a rare hourlong showdown between the past and present of professional wrestling, was that moment for WWE's franchise star of the next 10 years.

Last week saw WWE management furlough or release dozens of employees and Superstars due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. While most of the names on the list weren't surprising, there were a few people fans were shocked to see included.

One of those names was Zack Ryder, whose real name is Matt Cardona. At the time of his release, he had been with WWE for almost 15 years going back to his time in the developmental system.

Ryder debuted on the revamped version of ECW in May 2007 as one half of The Major Brothers alongside Curt Hawkins. They were billed as brothers due to their similar appearance but once they aligned with Edge as members of La Familia, they began going by Ryder and Hawkins.

The Long Island native is a former tag team, United States and intercontinental champion in addition to being a three-time Slammy award winner. 

People might like to categorize Ryder as a bro who is more worried about partying, tanning and buying action figures than he is with his career, but he is actually a trailblazer who helped change professional wrestling forever.

                           

The YouTube Superstar

With all of the different platforms WWE has, it's easy to forget there was a time when the company was behind the rest of the entertainment world when it came to social media.

Twitter, Facebook Instagram and YouTube were barely being used to promote the product before Ryder forced management to see how important these services are to creating relationships with the WWE Universe.

When he first began making episodes of Z! True Long Island Story, he did it because he wasn't being booked well or challenged creatively by WWE, and he needed an outlet for his ideas that did not have to go through a company filter. 

The videos were designed to help get him over while he wasn't being used on television. He would often vent his frustrations with vlogs, comedic segments and jokes at both the company's and his own expense.

The videos were an instant hit, and fans began taking notice immediately. As the show grew in popularity, so did the Long Islander. 

Matt Hardy, who was one of the first wrestlers to harness the power of the internet with The Hardy Show, praised Ryder on Twitter:

OUTSTANDING! Love this dude, love this shirt, love that the wrestling community is supporting him. @TheMattCardona is a guy who NEVAH got the credit he deserved as a trailblazer for fusing a wrestling character together on both Social Media & Television. https://t.co/fnJTkxSUge

— MATT HARDY (@MATTHARDYBRAND) April 16, 2020

All Elite Wrestling's Cody Rhodes also shared some kind words about his friend on Instagram:

"I'd like to take a moment to say how proud I am to be a friend of @zryder85—In a world of weekend warriors and "play wrestlers", this dude exudes passion and drive for pro-wrestling like no other. Through 14 years to see him CONSISTENTLY try to better himself (whether that be his in-ring work, or watching him physically mold himself and his body into such a specimen DRUG FREE with hard work and will). I have a little rule, and that's that if you've ever "gotten over" in wrestling...you can always do so again. That rule being fully applicable to Matt now."

                             

WWE Can't Ignore His Popularity

Soon, fans were chanting "We want Ryder" during matches involving other Superstars at shows where he wasn't booked. It was a grassroots movement that took him from being someone who couldn't get booked to being one of the most popular stars on the roster.

The fans chanting “We Want Ryder” as The Rock tries to cut a promo in Madison Square Garden after the 2011 Survivor Series. pic.twitter.com/sf3jtH109E

— Ryan Satin (@ryansatin) April 15, 2020

His merchandise was selling out, and the crowd was regularly filled with kids and adults wearing The Broski's shirts and headbands. 

While he continued making episodes for his personal YouTube channel, other Superstars began to take notice and would often appear on the show to support their friend. Dolph Ziggler became a frequent contributor and John Cena even made an appearance in one episode.

As each video gained him more popularity, WWE had no choice but to begin using him on television. Ryder quickly found himself not only getting more time on Raw, but he was also named the assistant SmackDown general manager in 2011 so he could appear on both shows.

He even found himself sharing a ring with Wolverine himself. Hugh Jackman helped The Broski defeat Ziggler on a 2011 episode of Raw, helping him earn a U.S. title shot in the process.

The peak of Ryder's run happened at the post-TLC 2011 edition of Raw. CM Punk, Daniel Bryan and Ryder celebrated their respective title wins from the pay-per-view in front of thousands of screaming fans.

They were internet darlings who made it to the top of the mountain in the largest promotion in the world. It's not the kind of moment WWE gives us all the time. 

                        

WWE Learns From Ryder's Success

When Ryder first started making these videos in 2011, WWE's YouTube channel was nothing like it is today. It mostly consisted of commercials for its pay-per-views and the occasional recap of a big moment. There was no original content and each video was barely getting over 100,000 views if it was lucky. 

Nowadays, the official WWE YouTube channel posts several videos every day. Most are recaps and replays but there is also a lot of original content, top-10 lists and everything else you could imagine. The company will even upload full versions of classic matches sometimes.

In fact, Ryder hosted another show called Zack Ryder's Iced 3 where he would look at three classic matches. He made sure to include a Major Brothers bout just because he could.

The Broski's use of other social media platforms helped him gain more new fans as his stock continued to rise in WWE. His success is why the company took such a strong approach to social media in 2012. 

Remember when Michael Cole was forced to plug WWE's Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Vine and Tout accounts every 10 minutes in 2013? It was annoying but WWE can now boast more social media followers than almost any other organization in sports and entertainment.

Management eventually convinced Ryder to move his show to the main WWE channel while it began producing videos for other talents to show off their personalities. The JBL and Cole Show is just one example of a series that was inspired by his comedic efforts.

The Broski's show became more polished, but it also lost the charm of being an independent project produced outside of the company. When it reached 100 episodes, Ryder and WWE pulled the plug. 

Now, tons of WWE Superstars have their own YouTube channels. Asuka does a variety of things on hers, Sheamus has his Celtic Warrior Workouts, The Bella Twins have a branded channel with 2.8 million subscribers, and stars such as R-Truth post original music. Ryder helped pave the way for these people to be successful outside of the ring.

Xavier Woods and the UpUpDownDown! crew have amassed over two million followers and featured out-of-character interviews with everyone from Stephanie McMahon and Randy Orton to Zelina Vega and Aleister Black. When it comes to Twitch, it feels like almost every wrestler has their own channel these days.

Ryder didn't just force change in his own company, though. Many wrestlers outside of WWE took notice and began promoting themselves online in various ways.

                               

Other Superstars Follow in Ryder's Footsteps 

Here, Bleacher Report's Erik Beaston (@ErikBeaston) breaks down how Ryder helped inspire others to use YouTube to get themselves over:

            

In hindsight, Ryder revolutionized the wrestling landscape. Without his Z! True Long Island Story laying the groundwork for wrestlers to present themselves, their characters and their creativity to the masses, there is a strong likelihood The Young Bucks would not have concocted Being The Elite, which became a platform for them and their friends to tell stories and have fun without the constraints of Ring of Honor or New Japan Pro-Wrestling storylines.

That show became such a hit and allowed the Bucks, Cody, Kenny Omega and Hangman Page to become popular enough for a billionaire from Jacksonville named Tony Khan to take a risk and create an entire company centered around them.

All Elite Wrestling exists, directly or indirectly, because Ryder showed the entire sports-entertainment industry what the power of social media could mean to its long-term success and sustainability.

The major companies like AEW and WWE aren't the only ones benefiting from Ryder's advancements. Indie wrestlers such as Danhausen and Warhorse have huge followings on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook, something the former directly attributed to Ryder in a grateful post:

A lot of us couldn’t be what we are without him paving the way and showing it was viable. Thank you. pic.twitter.com/vh7ZtClCE8

— Danhausen (@DanhausenAD) April 16, 2020

The industry is alive and thriving, indie promotions have greater visibility and their wrestlers have followings they never would have had without Ryder providing the framework on how to get yourself over when management cannot be bothered to.

That, perhaps, is his legacy in the industry, for which an entire generation of wrestlers should be aware and thankful for.

---

https://twitter.com/robschamberger/status/1250539933397331970

For wrestling events and signings, please direct all inquires to BookMattCardona@gmail.com. This way everything is in one place for when life goes back to “normal.”

For interview/media requests, please contact MattCardonaMedia@gmail.com#AlwayzReady #NotThere pic.twitter.com/fALwQngEMX

— Matt Cardona (@TheMattCardona) April 17, 2020

A big thanks to Erik Beaston for his contributions to this article. You can follow Cardona on Twitter and see him and Hawkins on The Major Wrestling Figure Podcast. Follow me on Twitter @BR_Doctor.

The Undertaker, one of the biggest traditionalists in the wrestling business, was part of two highly untraditional WrestleMania matches—with his Boneyard match against AJ Styles and Bray Wyatt's Firefly Fun House match against John Cena being viewed as highlights.

Taker's response to the wild Fun House ride was a middle-of-the-road endorsement, saying in an Instagram Live interview (h/t Joshua Gagnon of Wrestling Inc):

"I'll get back to you on that. It was different; it was entertaining. To me it was entertaining, and it made you think. It put you in that state like, 'Where are they going? What are they going to do?' Again, I think for the circumstances, I thought it worked. Can I give you all the nuisances of it? No, I wasn't there, and I don't know what the whole psychology of it was.

"For this WrestleMania and the parameters that we had on us, I thought it worked. You didn't take your eyes off it because you were like, 'Well, what the hell is coming next?' It was definitely not traditional. I don't know if you'll see another one, or if you did, it would probably be different. Sometimes you gotta make chicken salad out of chicken s--t."

It's understandable that Taker's thoughts on the Fun House would be a little muddled. It was perhaps the single most experimental match in WWE history, more a deep dive into the Cena character than fight.

Taker was more complimentary of Edge and Randy Orton's match, which, to many, was a lowlight of the event because of its extreme length.

"It was a long match, but I thought it was really good," Undertaker said. "That's where your audience helps you. That match was really good. Now, you put people out there and get their reactions? That match seems 15 minutes shorter because—all they're working off of is the pure physicality of what's being done and their [past] issues. ... I thought they did a killer job with what they had to work with."

Edge defeated Orton in a Last Man Standing match, his first televised one-on-one match in nine years.

Braun Strowman and Bray Wyatt picked up two of the biggest wins in their WWE careers at WrestleMania 36. The Monster Among Men defeated Goldberg for the Universal Championship, and The Fiend beat John Cena in a Firefly Fun House match.

Friday's SmackDown ended with a segment that saw Wyatt set his sights on the blue brand's new top champion. WWE has waited a long time to make this feud happen, and now that both men are the most successful they have ever been, management finally pulled the trigger.

This is a feud that has been teased in the past but never materialized for one reason or another. With both men now on Friday nights, there is no better time.

Before these two behemoths do battle, let's take a look back at where their stories first intersected and how they were destined to meet in the ring for a showdown.

                      

The Wyatt Family's New Recruit

After the initial push for The Wyatt Family died down and WWE tinkered with the lineup, we saw Luke Harper and Erick Rowan find a new brother in Strowman.

He was even bigger than the three powerhouses who were already in the group, and his black mask made him an intimidating presence. 

His first appearance took place on the August 24, 2015, episode of Raw when he attacked Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose on behalf of The Eater of Worlds.

Strowman defeated Ambrose the following week by disqualification in his first televised matchup. His first pay-per-view victory came less than a month later at Night of Champions 2015 when The Wyatt Family beat Reigns, Ambrose and Chris Jericho thanks to Strowman making Y2J pass out to a submission.

His success with the group continued into 2016 at The Royal Rumble. He threw five men out of the ring before Brock Lesnar eliminated him. The Monster Among Men returned to help his fellow Wyatt Family members take out The Beast in retaliation.

His final appearance with the stable was at Battleground 2016, where he, Wyatt and Rowan defeated The New Day in a six-man tag match.

The 2016 WWE Draft saw Strowman moved to Raw while Wyatt and Rowan were placed on SmackDown, officially ending his time with the group.

There was no breakup segment and no storyline to go with their separation. WWE stated he was drafted to Raw and moved on before anyone cared enough to ask why it happened. 

                                

One Flourishes and One Flounders

After The Wyatt Family was split up, Strowman received one of the biggest pushes anyone has had in years. He was an unstoppable force for several months and took out some of the biggest stars on Raw.

He was tipping over ambulances, ripping apart sports cars and destroying parts of the set on a regular basis during his rampages against Superstars like Reigns.

At the same time, Wyatt was having trouble regaining momentum. His short alliance with Matt Hardy had its moments, and he did win the WWE title at Elimination Chamber 2017, but he lost it less than two months later to Randy Orton at WrestleMania 33.

For quite some time, the student had surpassed the teacher. Strowman looked poised to become the next big star in WWE while Wyatt needed something to pull him out of his slump.

The Monster Among Men had reigns with the Intercontinental Championship and Raw tag titles, but he still wasn't being pushed as hard as he was when he first went solo.

Unfortunately, both men's careers were stalled by injuries at different points, causing Strowman to lose a lot of momentum and Wyatt to take almost a year off. 

                            

The Rise of The Fiend and the Return of the Monster

Wyatt returned to television in April of 2019 with a series of odd vignettes. He had completely transformed his character from the backwoods cult leader we had come to know into a deranged children's TV show host with a split personality.

The Fiend immediately became one of the most intriguing characters in all of WWE. He was different from anyone we had ever seen in a way many probably would have doubted had they heard a 30-second pitch for the character.

He first came into contact with Strowman again on September 23. The Monster Among Men was in a match with Seth Rollins when the lights went out in the building.

The Fiend appeared but instead of attacking Rollins, who was his rival at the time, he turned his attention to his former protege and took him down with the Mandible Claw.

This attack was never addressed much after that night. It had more to do with building the storyline between Rollins and Wyatt than anything else, so Strowman was viewed as collateral damage. 

Both men ended up on SmackDown in 2020, but WWE kept them apart until this week when Wyatt appeared at the end of SmackDown to taunt Strowman.

As usual, The Monster Among Men showed no signs of intimidation and even teased Wyatt using his signature sign-off catchphrase. 

                             

Only One Can Win

Strowman is fresh off beating Goldberg for the universal title at WrestleMania. It's hard to imagine WWE would take the belt off of him so quickly, but it's just as hard to imagine Wyatt losing after beating his greatest rival at the biggest PPV of the year.

This is not an uncommon situation, but it is slightly unpredictable. With both men being pushed hard at the moment, WWE has to choose which one to sacrifice for the sake of the other.

It is possible for two opponents to come out of a feud better than they went into it. However, any storyline involving a title is going to have a winner and a loser.

Let's hope WWE finds a way to make it as painless as possible for whichever Superstar ends up coming out of this without a title around their waist.