John Cena

John Cena said he couldn't pass up the opportunity to perform in front of a live audience again when WWE offered him a chance to take on Universal Champion Roman Reigns at SummerSlam last month.

Cena was asked about his WWE return during an appearance Thursday night on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

"Dude, it was great," the 13-time WWE champion told Fallon before joking about his loss to Reigns in the show's main event. "I had a wonderful match, I finished second place."

The 44-year-old Massachusetts native has transitioned into a mostly acting and hosting role in Hollywood over the past handful of years, but he still makes an occasional comeback to the squared circle.

He explained to Fallon the stars aligned perfectly this time around as he had a month off in his schedule, which coincided with SummerSlam and the return of fans to the WWE Universe. The company had only featured fans virtually via the ThunderDome experience for most of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I love live audiences,” Cena said. " ... There is no better feeling than being in front of a live audience, there really isn't."

Cena also discussed his first wrestling gimmick, when he was known as "The Prototype" during stints in Ultimate Pro Wrestling and Ohio Valley Wrestling.

"I was 50 percent man, 50 percent machine and 100 percent awful," he joked before Fallon showed an old promo Cena delivered while working as The Prototype.

After SummerSlam, Cena posted a goodbye message to the WWE Universe but hinted at another return in the future:

As he walked out the door, Brock Lesnar walked back in to begin a storyline with Reigns as the WWE attempts to keep plenty of star power atop the SmackDown brand.

John Cena believes UFC lightweight mixed martial artist Conor McGregor would be a great fit in WWE.

Cena spoke with Dan Patrick on the That Scene with Dan Patrick podcast (h/t Eric Mutter of Wrestling Inc) and provided his opinion on the matter when asked:

He'd be fantastic. He is what we do. What he does is a little less predictable. Our surprises are getting people to show up at random, and trying to weave the choose-your-own-adventure to a different alley. His surprises are getting a few teeth knocked out or getting an operation. Not to say that doesn't happen with us, mistakes happen with us. But in his profession, it's not a mistake. It's a certainty.

Cena is hoping that comes to fruition.

"I hope, because I want to see it," Cena said. "At my core, I'm a fan and he's interesting. He has a gravity about him. I want to see him perform."

The door appears wide open for McGregor if he ever chooses to make WWE appearances.

McGregor engaged in some banter with WWE Superstar and fellow Irishman Finn Balor last February, and Triple H interjected to let him know that McGregor was welcome.

Cena isn't the only person who thinks McGregor would work out in WWE. Balor said so himself in a 2017 interview with Sports Illustrated.

Matt Riddle, who made the transition from MMA to WWE, feels the same way. He spoke with Riju Dasgupta of Sportskeeda last month:

He's Conor McGregor. The guy puts butts in seats. The guy has a mouth on him. I don't know if he would pass the PG WWE code. But I guess he could do his best. At the end of the day, it's like Jake Paul or any of them...I don't know how they're doing it but they get people talking, they're controversial, they make money with fights and drama.

Do I think he'd be a good fit for WWE? If he's willing to do the work and work hard and put his time in, yeah. Just like Ronda was good. Just like I'm good. But if you think you're just going to come in, collect a payday which will probably happen and be more like a Cain (Velasquez) situation, where a guy comes in, even if he had the skills, only comes in for a show or two. I think it'd be great for business. Conor's good, marketable, and everything else.

McGregor is currently rehabbing a broken leg suffered in his first-round TKO loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July. He's a former two-division UFC champion who previously held lightweight and featherweight titles. The 33-year-old is 22-6 as a professional.

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Following their run-in at SummerSlam, John Cena paid a huge compliment to Brock Lesnar on Wednesday.

Appearing on That Scene with Dan Patrick (h/t WrestlingInc's Eric Mutter), Cena discussed his Universal Championship match against Roman Reigns at SummerSlam and the return of Lesnar afterward: "I noticed that he was the size of two Brock Lesnars, that's pretty much it. He looks mean and nasty, no matter what, and I just think he's trying to stretch the boundaries of that to see what he can pull off. But he's an anomaly. He's one of, if not, the best ever."

After Reigns beat Cena to retain the universal title, Lesnar made his first WWE appearance in more than a year. It shocked the WWE Universe as well as Paul Heyman, who is currently Reigns' special counsel after serving as Lesnar's advocate for many years.

Lesnar and Reigns had a staredown, presumably to set up a future match, but there was no physicality between them.

After SummerSlam went off the air, however, Lesnar punished Cena with some suplexes and an F-5.

The attack on Cena harkened back to SummerSlam 2014, when Lesnar decimated Cena in the main event, marking one of the most one-sided losses of Cena's career.

Lesnar has been a polarizing figure among wrestling fans since returning to WWE in 2012 after an eight-year hiatus.

While Lesnar's detractors don't like that he isn't a full-time wrestler who is present every week, there is no question that The Beast Incarnate moves the needle for WWE and has mainstream appeal.

Given his status as a WWE legend and a former UFC heavyweight champion, everything Lesnar is involved with feels important.

On top of that, Lesnar boasts a resume that few can compete with, as he is an eight-time world champion in WWE, as well as a winner of the Royal Rumble, the Money in the Bank ladder match and King of the Ring.

Cena holds a share of the all-time record with 16 world title reigns, and as one of the biggest stars in WWE history, his opinion holds a lot of weight.

Lesnar is one of the best to ever do it by many measures, and having him back in the fold is a huge win for WWE.

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John Cena has no hard feelings after Dave Bautista's recent declaration that he'd prefer not to star in movies alongside Cena or Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

Bautista, who enjoyed great success in WWE under the ring name Batista, responded with the following tweet in June after someone suggested he should do a movie with Cena and The Rock:

He later doubled down, noting that he didn't want to be "lumped in" with Cena and The Rock as former wrestlers turned actors:

Cena was asked about Bautista's comments in a recent interview with Esquire (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Sai Mohan), and he made it clear that he doesn't hold any ill will toward his former WWE colleague:

"Dave is one of the nicest and generous guys you'll ever meet. I don't have any beef with Dave and I genuinely think he doesn't have beef with me.

"He really just wants to be identified and recognized for his work. And I cannot fault him for that. I applaud him for it. To be brave enough to say something like that kind of allows him to go forth on his own and I appreciate that."

Cena did admit to being disappointed about not having the opportunity to work with Bautista in Hollywood, though, saying:

"I'm super sad about that, because Dave Bautista is an unbelievably gifted actor. He's done some amazing work. But I think when someone makes a statement like that, I think the important thing is to try and look at things from their perspective.

"Dave has worked so hard on his craft, and he is so dedicated to his characters, and really wants to put forth a body of work that gives him his own identity. I 100 percent understand that."

Bautista and Cena worked together plenty during their time in WWE, including a match for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 26 in 2010.

Both Bautista and Cena worked with The Rock at WrestleMania before as well. Bautista teamed with Ric Flair and Randy Orton to beat The Rock and Mick Foley at WrestleMania 20, while Cena and The Rock traded wins at WrestleMania 28 and 29.

Arguably no three former wrestlers have enjoyed more success as actors than The Rock, Cena and Bautista.

The Rock has starred in myriad action movies, including the Fast & Furious franchise; Cena has done plenty of action and comedy and most recently starred as Peacemaker in Suicide Squad; and Bautista is perhaps best known for his role as Drax The Destroyer in Guardians of the Galaxy and the Marvel Universe.

None of them have needed each other in order to reach their current standing in Hollywood, and it appears as though Bautista is content with the three of them continuing to enjoy their own individual success.

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John Cena wants to see Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson back in the WWE ring, but believes the superstar shouldn't be pressured to return to the sport.

Cena discussed the fellow wrestler/actor on Tuesday with Mona Khalifeh of Entertainment Tonight:

He's earned the right not to be pressured into that choice. I can say he is a fan of the WWE. He is the most electrifying man in sports entertainment. So as a fan do, I want to see one of the greatest performers of all time step back in the WWE ring? Yeah. But in no way am I gonna call him and if I'm gonna talk to him about something, it's not gonna try to be to get him back in the WWE ring. He needs to come to that conclusion by himself.

Cena recently made his own comeback to WWE, competing against Roman Reigns at Saturday's SummerSlam.

The Rock could be right behind him with Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men Podcast reporting the wrestler could make an appearance at Survivor Series in November (h/t Marc Middleton of Wrestling Inc.). It could feature his own battle against Reigns, with appearances leading up to the pay-per-view to set up the match.

Despite his successful acting career, the 49-year-old has made sporadic appearances on WWE in recent years and could be back before the end of 2021.

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Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

John Cena Heading Back to Hollywood

Cena's quest to win a 17th world championship, which would break a tie with Ric Flair for the most in WWE history, will have to wait.

After his loss to Roman Reigns in the main event of SummerSlam on Saturday night, Cena will return to his acting commitments in Hollywood. WWE officials are under the impression he "will not be available for them for the foreseeable future," according to PWInsider (via Marc Middleton of Wrestling Inc.).

The report noted Cena is still expected to work the Sept. 10 SmackDown event at Madison Square Garden, but that'll be a one-off appearance, potentially in a dark match, and not part of an active storyline.

He later confirmed his departure, but hinted toward another return in the future:

Cena made a surprise comeback to the company at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view in July to set the stage for his SummerSlam feud with Reigns. He provided a significant short-term boost by appearing on Raw, SmackDown and at live events.

While the 44-year-old Massachusetts native once used The Rock's departure for Hollywood as ammo for promos throughout their long-standing feud that covered WrestleManias 28 and 29, he's now mastered the art himself of having a career outside WWE but still coming back to the squared circle on occasion.

Cena forced Reigns to elevate his performances over the past five weeks, especially during their verbal exchanges, and The Head of the Table should benefit from that as his championship run rolls on. Brock Lesnar returned in the final moments of SummerSlam to set the stage for his next marquee feud.

Becky Lynch Will Be Pushed As SmackDown's No. 1 Heel

Lynch made her long-awaited return at SummerSlam by replacing Sasha Banks in a SmackDown Women's Championship match against Bianca Belair, which she won in under a minute.

The squash nature of the match caught a lot of people off guard because Belair had firmly established herself as one of WWE's top talents since her WrestleMania triumph, but now the reason for the quick match may be coming into focus.

PWInsider reported (via Sai Mohan of Wrestling Inc.) Lynch will operate as the "top heel" on SmackDown following her return.

So, while her comeback was always going to generate a positive reaction from the fans, taking care of Belair in the blink of an eye will provide the foundation for a quick heel turn as she makes her return to weekly television. She's done a terrific job in heel roles in the past, so it's a smart creative move.

The feud between Lynch and Belair should be one of WWE's top attractions in the months ahead, and the women's division as a whole has incredible depth, which creates no shortage of storyline options heading toward the end of the year and into next year's key Royal Rumble and WrestleMania events.

Lynch was away from the company after giving birth to her daughter, Roux, in December with husband and fellow WWE Superstar Seth Rollins.

Sasha Banks' Availability Remains Uncertain

Lynch's addition to the SummerSlam card came at the expense of Banks, who's been absent from WWE's travel party since the weekend of Aug. 14 for reasons that have not been made public.

Banks was tentatively scheduled to return for Friday's go-home episode of SmackDown but wasn't available, which forced the creative team to rewrite portions of the show, per PWInsider (via Middleton).

Although the reason for her continued absence is unknown, it's "not an injury issue," according to the PWInsider report.

WWE officials are "hopeful that Banks will be back soon," but so far there's been no confirmed date for her next appearance after being removed from the SummerSlam title match with Belair.

In early 2019, Banks took four months off following WrestleMania to focus on her mental health.

"I've been doing this for seven years straight—no breaks," she said upon her return in September 2019. "So you know, people need to step back and re-evaluate their lives, take care of their souls and their minds."

Banks is one of WWE's most well-rounded performers, so her absence is definitely a hit to the SmackDown roster despite the division's aforementioned depth. She should swiftly return to the main event picture once back in action.

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Roman Reigns defeated John Cena at SummerSlam on Saturday night to retain the Universal Championship and move closer to one year as champion.

Reigns kicked out of three Attitude Adjustments, the second of which sent him through the announce table outside the ring.

For the third, Cena hauled Reigns up to the second rope, and it still wasn't enough to keep Reigns' shoulders down for a three count.

The champion regained his senses enough to counter an attempted spear by Cena and hit a pair of Superman punches before landing a spear of his own for the victory.

Reigns had little time to savor his triumph before Brock Lesnar made his return and appeared to signal his desire to challenge for the title.

The build toward Reigns vs. Cena began last month at Money in the Bank following Reigns' successful title defense against Edge. After Seth Rollins helped Reigns beat Edge by interfering, Cena made a surprise appearance much to the chagrin of Reigns and Paul Heyman.

That marked Cena's first appearance on WWE programming since WrestleMania 36 in April 2020, when he lost a Firefly Fun House match to Bray Wyatt.

Cena had been away focusing on his burgeoning acting career in Hollywood, but the allure of a SummerSlam match against the red-hot Reigns proved too tempting to keep him away.

Upon returning, Cena took great offense to Reigns as the top star and face of WWE, insisting that The Head of the Table "sucked." He then laid down a challenge for a SummerSlam match against Reigns with the universal title on the line.

Reigns initially declined after criticizing Cena for being the same person and performer he always was. Instead, Reigns accepted a SummerSlam challenge made by former universal and NXT champion Finn Balor.

Just as Balor was about to sign the contract to face Reigns at SummerSlam, he got attacked by Baron Corbin. Cena then ran down to the ring, took the contract and signed it himself.

Heyman argued that it wasn't binding since the contract had Balor's name on it as the challenger, but WWE officials Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville didn't want to hear it and said the match was official.

Saturday's bout was huge not only because Reigns and Cena are two of the top stars in WWE history, but also because Cena was going for a record.

Cena entered the match tied with Flair for the most world title reigns of all time with 16, and a pinfall or submission victory over Reigns would have given him the record all to himself.

The Tribal Chief managed to preserve his universal title reign once again, however, further establishing himself as the standard-bearer in WWE. But a new challenger lies on the horizon in the form of the Beast Incarnate.

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