On Something To Wrestle With, Bruce Prichard shared a detailed and chaotic story about the premiere of John Cena’s first movie, The Marine, which took place at Camp Pendleton. Prichard was brought in at the last minute to salvage the event, which was reportedly in disarray.
“I get a phone call a few days before the premiere… and voice on the other end says, Bruce, I need an asshole,” Prichard recounted. He was tasked with running the event like a “military operation” to ensure the talent could make their flights home that same night.
Prichard described arriving at 3:00 AM for a 6:00 AM production meeting, engaging in a tense standoff with the existing planning committee. “I introduced myself. Hi everybody. I’m the asshole who’s got the run of the day,” Prichard said. He immediately scrapped their schedule, prioritizing the military audience above all else.
The Red Carpet Incident
The event itself faced a near-disaster during the red carpet arrivals. Prichard had carefully orchestrated a “beauty shot” of John Cena arriving, originally planning for a tank but settling for a limo due to his co-star’s hair concerns.
However, the moment was ruined by a WWE executive who broke protocol. “This one person from the office who was fairly new… came running on to our red carpet, hugged John, kissed John, and then held his face,” Prichard said.
Prichard described his furious reaction to the executive. “I never want to see you ever again. If you see me and I don’t see you, run hide,” he told them. Cena, ever the professional, simply asked for a “take two” and re-did the arrival perfectly.
The Afterparty and The “Tuck In”
After the successful premiere, the group returned to the hotel bar, where Cena arranged for it to stay open. Prichard, who admitted he is “not a shot guy,” found himself drinking vodka shots “eye to eye” with Cena.
The night ended with Prichard blacking out—a rarity in his 52-year career. “One thing you don’t do is you never miss your flights… However, 52 years, one time, that was the premiere of The Marine,” Prichard admitted.
He woke up the next afternoon at 3:30 PM, fully dressed in his suit and shoes, tucked tightly into his hotel bed. “I was put in the bed in my suit, and the bed was tucked in… around me and at the feet,” Prichard described.
After realizing he missed his flight and finding his phone (which Cena had seemingly gathered for him), he called Cena. “So somewhere during the the evening, the only one capable would have been Mr. Cena. Got me back to my room safely, put me in my bed, tucked me in,” Prichard said.
Prichard used the story to highlight Cena’s character. “He will brutalize you, but he’ll also take good care of you,” he concluded.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit AdFreeShows.com with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
