Over his nearly 25-year career, John Cena has battled a who’s who of wrestling legends, including The Rock, Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton, and Triple H. However, when asked to name his single biggest rival, the 17-time world champion’s answer was not another superstar, but rather the WWE audience itself.
Cena’s relationship with the WWE fans has been one of the most unique one. For years, he was a polarizing figure, with half the arena cheering him on and the other half booing him out of the building. This “Let’s Go Cena / Cena Sucks” duality became a signature part of his character and career.
During a WIRED Autocomplete Interview, where he answered the internet’s most searched questions about him, Cena was asked to name his biggest rival. He didn’t hesitate with his answer. “Who is John Cena’s biggest rival? That one’s simple. The audience.”
He then elaborated on their long and storied history together. He described the fans as “tireless” and stated that even in his final year, he is still trying to “crack your resolve” and will go down swinging until his final match in December.
“My goodness, we’ve been going back and forth for almost 25 years now. You’re tireless. You have the energy of an everlasting battery. I’ve tried to break you. I can’t. You got me on the ropes. This is my last nerve. I’ve said I’m gonna retire, and I will go down swinging, trying to crack your resolve, but damn it, you guys are tough. You are my biggest rival.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit WIRED Autocomplete Interview with an h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
