John Cena brings a brave WWE Universe member into the ring after Raw: July 4, 2016
Since his return to WWE back in May, John Cena has been in a rivalry fifteen years in the making with AJ Styles. WWEs Money in the Bank PPV was history in the making as Cena & Styles wrestled for the first time in a WWE ring. Although Styles came away with the victory due to interference by The Club, the feud is going to continue on WWE television through Summerslam.
Its a testament to the career John Cena has had in WWE that he can continue to work with anyone at his age to have one of the most talked about and anticipated matches on any WWE card. However, there are some obvious questions about his body holding up after almost fifteen years of wrestling. The biggest question is how much longer Cenas WWE career will last?
John Cena has made it crystal clear that despite all of his success outside of WWE, the company will remain his top priority until he can no longer wrestle at the level hes accustomed to, and the WWE Universe expects from him. Since hes still a human being, Cena is still wrestling for WWE at that level, but hes just not going to be able to wrestle as often as he once did for the company.
[Image via WWE.com]According to some new information from CageSideSeats.com, John Cena is cutting back on working WWE live events and house shows to lighten his schedule. Its being said that he wont be touring with WWE full-time like he used to, but his television time should remain at the same level as in recent years. h**l miss a Raw here and there, but h**l be present almost every week.
There are a few different angles to look at this news. The first is Cena and WWE officials are limiting his schedule to prolong his wrestling career as long as possible. Another thing is that if Cena is no longer making appearances during the majority of WWE live events, then the appearances he does make are more special.
Its easy to forget that John Cena returned to WWE four months earlier than the expected timetable for his recovery from shoulder surgery. Its a testament to the work ethic of Cena, but its understandable that WWE wouldnt want to overwork him for his first few months back in the ring.
At Battleground, WWE booked Cena to tag with Enzo and Big Cass against The Club. The match will have even odds, will give Enzo and Cass a boost to work with top WWE superstars, and allows WWE to push the end of Cena vs. Styles at Summerslam. But, another pro for the six man tag match is it is less of a strain on Cena as he continues to get used to being back in the ring.
[Image via WWE.com]The fact is that John Cena has earned his part-time status, but hes also going to be needed after the WWE Draft and brand split. The rumors are claiming that itll be John Cena and AJ Styles as the top superstars on SmackDown, so their feud could even continue after Summerslam and reestablish the second WWE World Championship for the SmackDown brand.
One of the last great challenges left for John Cena in WWE is to break Ric Flairs World Championship record of sixteen title reigns. As of this writing, Cena is at fifteen title reigns. Its unclear if WWE is going to book Cena to unseat The Nature Boy as the greatest champion this industry has ever seen, but all signs are pointing to John Cena breaking Flairs record. If thats the future of John Cenas WWE career, hes going to need to stay healthy and seize the chance to join wrestling immortality.
If you follow wrestling at all, or if you just happen to be aware of remotely popular things happening around you, then youve probably heard about the hashtag #beatjohncena that has been making the rounds.
The idea sprung from one wrestler on Monday Night Raw stating that it was fun to beat up John Cena and, apparently, multitudes of people agreed.
Some of them in very interesting ways:
Long before the hashtag #beatupjohncena started making its rounds on social media, I had already done the lightweight work of taking out one of wrestlings most iconic stars.
Im going to tell you a story about pudding, a folding chair and the one and only John Cena.
Just ask my nephew, John, about my magnificent accomplishment. About six years ago, my nephew was about as into wrestling as a kid can get. He knew all the stars and all their signature moves. He knew their backstories. He knew their affiliations. He knew how they took their tea in the morning.
And, to be honest, it was annoying. I dont follow wrestling. I havent since I was a young kid and my mom would bring home VHS tapes of Wrestlemania for me and my dad to watch. I was in love with the spectacle back then. When Hulk Hogan hefted Andre the Giant and slammed him to the mat? It made the Hulk a demigod to me. And the sounds of the pipes playing as Rowdy Roddy Piper made his way into the arena? It gave me chills. And my fear of snakes? Wasnt helped out much when Jake The Snake Roberts would pull out some monster snake and finish off his opponents by wrapping it around their necks.
As the years went on, my love for wrestling like my love for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Transformers and Air Wolf faded and was replaced by other things (cars, sports and girls, mostly).
And, thus, wrestling faded away for me.
Until my nephew discovered it.
Guess what, Uncle Sam? he would start out as soon as I walked through the door at any location where he was. I would look at him and force myself to respond. John Cena is going to wrestle Shawn Michaels and blah, blah, blah, blah.
(The latter part of that quote is completely made up, just to be completely transparent and truthful.)
This would happen every time I encountered my nephew. Every. Single. Time.
So, one day, tired of hearing how great John Cena was, I decided to tell the tale of the time I had to put the world-class wrestling phenom in his place.
You see, the story goes that I once attended a high school where most of the students were professional athlete hopefuls (not true at all, I went to a very tiny school in Michigans Upper Peninsula where most students were cousins) and one of my classmates just happened to be John Cena.
One day, I was in line in the cafeteria and Cena was ahead of me. I had my eye on a big bowl of chocolate pudding when, lo and behold, Cena took all of it. Every. Last. Drop. And me being a big fella who likes his pudding decided that wouldnt do. So I confronted Cena and demanded he give me some. He refused and laughed at me, choosing to keep all of the beautiful pudding to himself. Obviously this upset me, and I said a few things that I probably shouldnt have said and all h**l broke loose. That is until I hit him with a folding chair and knocked him out upon whence I took his pudding and claimed it as my own and ate it triumphantly as he lay sprawled out on the floor.
My nephew was suspicious of the authenticity of the tale, of course. However, luck would have it that the very next day he had a substitute teacher who I had gone to high school with. So my nephew asked him about the story, and the sub told him that every word of it was true (it helps to have friends who automatically say youre telling the truth, no matter what).
At that moment, my legacy as his favorite uncle was cemented.
Of course it was all lies. But thats what uncles do, right? We tell harmless little lies about things to keep our nieces and nephews off balance and never sure what is real and what isnt. My nephew is a teenager now. I highly doubt he believes that incident ever happened, but it was fun while it lasted.
But heres the truth of the matter I couldnt beat up John Cena if I was paid (in pudding or otherwise). The guy is built like a tank. I am built like a gummy bear. His biceps make my thighs look small. He lifts weights as part of his job. I lift pencils and papers. He throws around fellow wrestlers for a living. I wrestle with which burger joint wants to be my friend for lunch.
Thankfully John Cena seems to be a guy who can roll with the punches and even laugh at himself a bit (Ive even seen photos of fans wearing Cena Sucks shirts and he poses with them).
His response to the hashtag was what you would expect from someone who has spent his career either being loved or hated.
The hashtag is lighthearted, Im sure, but you wont see me throwing it up on my Twitter anytime soon. Just in case John Cena decided to take on a challenger and chooses one at random from those whove put the hashtag on social media, I dont want there to be a chance that he can show everyone in the world who is truly the pudding king.
SummerSlam 2016 is nearly three months away, but the card for WWEs second-biggest show is already falling into place. With Money in the Bank fast approaching and the returns of both Seth Rollins and John Cena already things of the past, the card for Aug. 21 in Brooklyn is shaping up to be even better than that of WrestleMania 32.
John Cena is back, and he is all but guaranteed to be in one of the biggest matches on the card. However, this could be the first time in a few years that he doesnt fight for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam. Hes been in the title match every year since 2011, but it will likely be WWEs new group of stars that close out the show this time around.
A lot can change in the coming months, and much is still to be determined with the impending brand split. But its looking like WWE hasa few SummerSlam matches already mapped out.
John Cena vs. AJ Styles
John Cena could face AJ Styles at SummerSlam 2016. Photo: Getty
Continue Reading Below
Cena and Styles will certainly have a match in the near future after Styles and The Club attacked Cena upon his return to Monday Night Raw. In his few months in WWE, Styles quickly became one of the companys most popular babyfaces. But WWE signed him in large part because of the work he did in New Japan as a heel, and he has a chance to become one of WWEs top villains. Their match should be the biggest on the card, other than the WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match.
Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose could face each other at SummerSlam after teaming up at the PPV last year. Photo: Getty
Its the match that should have been the main event of WrestleMania 31 or WrestleMania 32, had it not been for an injury to Seth Rollins. Rollins will challenge Roman Reigns for the title at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view on June 19, where Dean Ambrose will competein the ladder match for the right to earn a title shot. Look for Ambrose to win the ladder match, setting up a triple threat match among all three members of The Shield at Barclays Center.
Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn
Kevin Owens hasn"t missed a PPV since he debuted in May 2015. Photo: Getty
The Owens vs. Zayn feud is the oldest one in WWE, dating back to NXT a year and a half ago. Theyve already faced each other in a singles match at Payback, but they are likely headed towards a bigger match at SummerSlam, one with more on the line. Zayn has a claim to an IntercontinentalTitle match since it was his Helluva Kick to Cesaro that led to The Mizs pinfall at Extreme Rules, though it wouldn"t be surprising to see Owens regain the belt in the coming weeks. Whether its a title match ora match with some sort of stipulation, it only makes sense that Owens and Zayn will face off one more time.
Brock Lesnar vs. Bray Wyatt
Brock Lesnar hasn"t wrestled since he faced Dean Ambrose at WrestleMania 32. Photo: Getty
It looked like Lesnar and Wyatt would face off earlier in 2016, but that match never came to fruition. They didnt fight at WrestleMania 32, as was rumored, and when they were supposed to have a match at WWE Roadblock, it ended up being Lesnar vs. Luke Harper, with Bray never getting involved. Both wrestlers have been off TV since April, and with no other likely opponents on the roster, their feud should finally reach a conclusion at SummerSlam.
The New Day vs. The Club (Tag Team Championship)
The New Day have held the tag team championships since SummerSlam 2015. Photo: Getty
Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson have teamed with Styles to become the biggest heel faction in WWE, and they could quickly find themselves in the title picture. The Club attacked The New Day on Monday, and a match between the two teams will happen sooner rather than later. The only question involves how many teams will be involved in the match, and it wouldnt be surprising to see a multi-team tag match at SummerSlam.
Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks (Womens Championship)
Sasha Banks lost a triple threat match for the women"s championship at WrestleMania 32. Photo: Getty
WWE has kept Sasha off TV in many of the weeks following her loss at WrestleMania 32, but that doesnt mean she wont be re-inserted into the title picture. Shes the most popular wrestler in the womens division, and WWE is likely planning to have her face Charlotte at SummerSlam. In the meantime, Charlotte will continue to look strong with pay-per-view wins against the likes of Becky Lynch, Natalya and others.
John Cena returns to WWE and officially enters WWE"s New Era: Raw, May 30, 2016
WWE star John Cena, who will be returning to WWE TV on Raw tonight, hosted the Today show this morning and below are some video highlights:
John Cena: A taco is a delicacyGuest host John Cena joins Tamron Hall and Dylan Dreyer for TODAYs Take, where the topics include the controversy ignited by Merriam-Webster over whether a hot dog is a sandwich. Whats a taco? Tamron inquires. A taco is a delicacy, Cena rejoins.
John Cena: I was in trouble from ages 2 to 15WWE icon and guest host John Cena fields questions from the Celebrity Fishbowl with TODAYs Tamron Hall and Dylan Dreyer, revealing that he was in trouble pretty much continuously from ages 2 through 15. And Dylan has a revelation too: I used to have dreams about Michael J. Fox.
Watch Fifth Harmony teach John Cena how to booty-popAlly Brooke, Normani Kordei, Dinah Jane, Camila Cabello, and Lauren Jauregui, the members of chart-topping group Fifth Harmony, tell TODAY about their new album, 7/27, and their summer tour, which begins on that date. Theyre also impressed to meet guest host John Cena, and they give the WWE icon an impromptu dance lesson.
John Cena vs. Alberto Del Rio - United States Championship Match: Raw, December 28, 2015
**If you missed The LAW, the show is up on the site with Jason Agnew & Dan Lovranski having a big discussion on the return of the WWE brand split and all the issues it brings up to change Smackdown and make the brand split viable this time around. On the show, Dave Meltzer stops by to discuss the brand split and the news from the past week and his thoughts on Will Ospreay vs. Ricochet, plus a review of the UFC Fight Night card, your phone calls and more. The show is up at http://fightnetwork.com/news/6559154:may-29-edition-of-the-law-wwe-brand-split-returns/ and also on iTunes and the free Stitcher app.
**Tonight the Raw tapings are in Green Bay, Wisconsin with the return of John Cena for the first time since WrestleMania. Its almost a certainty they will shoot an angle for Cena tonight and line up his program for Money in the Bank. Tonights show will be going up against Game 7 of the Golden State Warriors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder game, which starts at 9pm Eastern as well as Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals and therefore heavy competition for Raw tonight, along with it being a holiday Monday in the U.S.
**They are also doing a tease with a series of Twitter posts promoting a Hatching that will take place tonight.
**We will be back tonight with a new edition of Review-A-Raw as Wai Ting and I review Raw from Green Bay. We will also be giving out a pair of VIP passes to the Niagara Falls Comic Con for this weekend with a number of wrestling personalities appearing over the weekend. The show will be posted tonight on the site and airs Tuesday at 11am and 7pm Eastern on Fight Network.
**The Best of the Super Juniors tournament continues on Tuesday morning with a card from Hiroshima and the tournament matches being posted to New Japan World later in the day. Below are the tournament matches in the A Block that are scheduled for Tuesday with the point totals in brackets:*Bushi (2) vs. David Finlay (2)*Matt Sydal (6) vs. Rocky Romero (4)*Kushida (4) vs. Gedo (2)*Kyle OReilly (6) vs. Ryusuke Taguchi (6)
**William Regal weighed in on the recent Will Ospreay vs. Ricochet match with the following:
I watched the match and was shocked. You need to start doing real stuff like people from my era like kip ups,flying head scissors,cart wheels and criss crosses. Get a grip! When I started the job in 83 a lot of the older fellas used to say that Marc Rocco and Marty Jones (who were the real pioneers of the CW style) had killed the business because they did to much. Although they may not admit it anymore, most of the heavyweights in Europe thought the brilliant lightweight and middleweight wrestlers were bad for the job because their style was not believable enough.. Every country I worked in before I came to the US had different styles and ways of doing things.As long as theres effort then its right.If the people paying you are happy and you get reactions then make your stuff as good as it can be with what skills you have.May not be for everyone but thats ok.In the match I saw two fellas who looked like fighters having an excellent,hard competed match in a different style.Win win!
**Matt Hardy posted a video message discussing his new Broken Matt Hardy character and both the praise and negativity the character has received on Impact. Hardy stated that its an attempt to gain more casual viewers, which he notes is something that TNA has lost since they were on Spike TV and that its an audience TNA needs to be going after. He also praised the writing team for the quality of the show since moving to POP. He also stated that TNA was not going anywhere and Smackdown moving to Tuesday nights would not kill TNA.
**Enzo Amore and Sasha Banks were both back working in the ring this past weekend and therefore been cleared. Lana also worked this past weekend teaming with Dana Brooke.
**Smash Wrestling announced at their show on Sunday in Toronto that they will be doing two events with Progress Wrestling on September 17th and 18th at the Franklin Horner Community Centre. Tickets went on sale Monday morning for the two shows.
**Fight Network has announced a deal to carry a show called British Wrestling Weekly featuring matches from the New Generation Wrestling promotion and will have a slot late Thursday nights at 2am Eastern following Insane Championship Wrestling at 1am and both shows premiere this week.
**Jake Roberts turns 61 years old today.
**The WWE stock closed at $17.51 on Monday.
LAW MMA UPDATE
**The UFC Fight Night card from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on Sunday night drew an announced crowd of 5,193 and a gate of $359,000, which is indicative of the market and while a good action card, this didnt have the star power. Below are the results from the show:*Adam Milstead def. Chris De La Rocha by TKO at 4:01 of Round 2 Milstead was punishing him with shot-after-shot and the referee finally stepped in and stopped in with De La Rocha on his feet and it was the right call.*Bryan Caraway def. Aljamain Sterling by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) This was a notable upset as most saw Sterling as being a big contender with a win here. Sterling dominated the first round after taking Caraways back but Caraway responded with a good second round and then out grappled Sterling in the third.*Erik Koch def. Shane Campbell by rear-n***d choke at 3:02 of Round 2 Koch hasnt fought since May 2014 and looked great in this fight both with his striking and later taking Campbell down and getting his back and submitting him. Koch was once scheduled to fight Jose Aldo for the featherweight title but injuries and losses have curbed his momentum.*Jake Collier def. Alberto Uda by TKO at 1:06 of Round 2 Uda won the first round and may have broken Colliers nose with a knee. Collier responded in the second with a pair of spinning back kicks to the body, the second one stopped Uda.*Abel Trujillo def. Jordan Rinaldi by unanimous decision (29-28 all) Trujillo won the first and third rounds, Rinaldi was tough throughout the fight but Trujillo fought a smart fight and was the difference.*Sara McMann def. Jessica Eye by unanimous decision (30-27 all) Both were coming off a pair of losses and Eye just didnt show anything in this fight. The crowd was booing after the first round where both were inactive and then McMann got more aggressive by throwing strikes and getting takedowns as Eye just survived for the rest of the fight. McMann said she wanted to fight for the title again but after losing 3 of her last 4 before the Eye win and having losses to Miesha Tate, Amanda Nunes and Ronda Rousey, its going to be a bit of a path to get back to fighting for the title.*Paul Felder def. Josh Burkman by unanimous decision (29-28 all) This was an entertaining fight and when Felder let his hands go, the momentum shifted along with Burkman not being able to maintain his pace set in the first round. Burkman won the first and Felder the last two rounds.*Lorenz Larkin def. Jorge Masvidal by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) I felt Larkin won the first two rounds and the third was a very close round and gave the slight edge to Masvidal.*Chris Camozzi def. Vitor Miranda by unanimous decision (30-27 all) Not a very exciting fight as Miranda couldnt deal with the strikes from Camozzi, who was just a better fighter on this night and no round was in doubt for Camozzi.*Rick Story def. Tarec Saffiedine by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) Story hadnt fought since October 2014 and returned to form. Story can take a lot of shots, he has very good wrestling and his striking is relentless. The second round was the closest of the three but it was a volume game from Story, who put Saffiedine against the cage and was busy with his hands to the head and body. I scored all three rounds for Story.*Jeremy Stephens def. Renan Barao by unanimous decision (29-28 all) This was a great fight and easily the best of the night and a huge win for Stephens. Barao won the first as he was much quicker and was landing consistently. The tide changed in the second as Barao was much more tired and ate so many big shots in the second. The third was the closest round as both landed but Stephens had a strong finish to the fight and I had it 29-28 for Stephens. Barao will probably stick around at featherweight but hes not the same fighter that dominated the bantamweight division for all those years.*Cody Garbrandt def. Thomas Almeida by KO at 2:53 of Round 1 Garbrandt was composed on his feet and started landing and it was two big rights that connected and the second sent Almeida down and he was done. Garbrandt improves to 9-0 and is now in the contender mix at bantamweight, which will no doubt be a big topic this week as his teammate Urijah Faber challenges for the title.
**The Fight of the Night bonus went to Jeremy Stephens and Renan Barao and the Performance bonuses went to Cody Garbrandt and Jake Collier for $50,000 each.
**It was announced on the UFC broadcast on Sunday night that former heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum will return on September 10th at UFC 203 and fight Ben Rothwell in the co-feature of UFC 203. That same card is headlined by Stipe Miocic and Alistair Overeem for the heavyweight title and gives a backup in case either of the main eventers are injured before the event. Werdum will look to rebound after dropping the title to Miocic earlier this month in Curitiba and Rothwell is coming off a loss to Junior dos Santos in April.
**The Sun in the U.K. was the first to report that the main event of the UFC Fight Night event on September 3rd in Hamburg, Germany will be between former champions Andrei Arlovski and Josh Barnett. These two almost surely would have fought over a decade ago as Barnett was the UFC heavyweight champion in 2002 but was stripped of the title after failing a drug test following his win over Randy Couture in March of that year (in fact, Arlovski fought on that same card, losing to Pedro Rizzo that night). Arlovski would become interim heavyweight champion after Frank Mirs motorcycle accident and later the official champion and held it until 2006. Barnett returned to the UFC in 2013 and Arlovski returned in 2014 with Barnett last fighting Ben Rothwell and being submitted this past January and Arlovski is coming off a pair of TKO losses to Stipe Miocic and Alistair Overeem this year.
*****THE LAW: LIVE AUDIO WRESTLING May 30th(Jason Agnew & Dan Lovranski discuss all the issues regarding the return of the WWE brand split and Smackdown going live, they welcome Dave Meltzer to chat the weeks news, John Pollock reviews the UFC card and your calls)http://cdn.fightnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/LAW-MAY-29-2016.mp3*****JAPANESE AUDIO WRESTLING May 27th(Chris Charlton & WH Park discuss the mid-way point of the Best of the Super Juniors tournament, Tanahashis injuries, Super J Cup this summer, Jushin Liger doc, your feedback and questions)http://cdn.fightnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/LAW-Japanese-Audio-Wrestling-May-27-2016.mp3*****THE MMA REPORT May 27th(John Pollock discusses all the key news from the past week, bantamweight Cody Garbrandt chats main event with Thomas Almeida and UFC featherweight Jeremy Stephens discusses fight with Renan Barao on Sunday)http://cdn.fightnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/THE-MMA-REPORT-MAY-27-2016.mp3*****whtsNXT May 26th(Jason Agnew & Braden Herrington review this weeks show, discuss the brand split, Takeover The End, take your feedback and more)http://cdn.fightnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/138-whtsNXT-2016-05-26.mp3*****BAUER & POLLOCK May 25th(The show drops early with John Pollock & Court Bauer discussing Smackdowns move to Tuesday, the draft returning and all the issues coming out of this story, plus all the other news from the past week)http://cdn.fightnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/LAW-BAUER-POLLOCK-MAY-25-2016.mp3******REVIEW-A-WAI WCW Monday Nitro (Hall & Nash debut)(John Pollock & Wai Ting review the May 27th and June 10th, 1996 episodes of Nitro with Hall and Nash appearing, plus Paul Heymans comments from a 2006 LAW interview on their use in WCW)http://cdn.fightnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/REVIEW-A-WAI-WCW-Nitro-May-27-June-10-1996.mp3*****
Subscribe to The LAWs YouTube Channel
Subscribe to The LAW on iTunes
Join the conversation on The LAW Message Board
Follow The LAW onTwitter& onInstagram
To pick up any of The LAWs branded t-shirts check outhttp://www.prowrestlingtees.com/law
Fifth Harmony teach John Cena how to booty - pop (Today Show)
Actor and wrestler John Cena sees failure as a wonderful way to improve oneself.
Actor John Cena hasn"t missed a single workout in 27 years.
The 39-year-old star began his career as a WWE wrestler before trying his hand at acting, scoring roles in movies Trainwreck and Sisters along with TV show Parks and Recreation.
He still maintains a buff physique though and with the help of trainer Rob McIntyre, John has kept things up for over two decades.
"If you miss one, it"s easier to slide, and then you skip a bunch," he told Men"s Health magazine of his strict regime. "The same goes for eating correctly."
John includes protein and vegetables in every meal and every snack, relying on shakes and bars while on the road. Rob is impressed with the actor"s dedication and sets him four workouts every week - two upper-body and two Olympic lift sessions.
"Some Olympians I work with fight for four years to make a five-pound improvement in their max," Rob said. "John is at that level, operating near his peak strength."
The hulking star admits he was bullied at 12 years old, leading him to commit to building his body and gaining strength. He first turned to the Weider multipurpose weight machine as a youngster, before former strength coach Rob got him into functional training rather than relying on weights.
"I have to be able to move in the confines of my industry," John noted. "I was completely out of my comfort zone. These lifts need to be done with elegance, like a golf swing. It"s just not b***s to the wall and go for it. You have to do them right.
"Those moments (of failure) aren"t frustrating; they"re wonderful. Failure is important because it forces you to look in the mirror and analyse your weaknesses."
