John Cena, a successful wrestler-turned-actor in his own right, has weighed in on who he believes is the greatest to ever make the transition from the squared circle to the silver screen. While many WWE fans point to the box office success of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Cena believes another fellow WWE Champion has earned the top spot due to his impressive acting range.
The debate over the best actor to come from the world of wrestling often includes names like Hulk Hogan for his 80s movie roles, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper for his cult classic They Live, and more recently, John Cena and Dave Bautista, who have both become major Hollywood stars. Cena himself has made a name in comedies like Blockers and action films like F9 and the Peacemaker series.
During an appearance on Complex’s GOAT Talk to promote his new film Heads of State, Cena was asked to name the greatest wrestler-turned-actor. After giving a nod to pioneers, he made his choice clear, praising the dramatic depth of his former rival, Dave Bautista.
“I’m gonna give respect where respect is earned,” Cena began. “Dave Bautista, the dude has range and is like, now has like, transformed his whole body. So he’s the stuff he’s about to do. Look out for Dave Bautista. The stuff he’s already done is incredible.”
Cena contrasted Bautista’s diverse roles, which include parts in Blade Runner 2049, Dune, and Knock at the Cabin, with his own work, making a self-deprecating joke in the process. “As far as, like, wrestler turned actor with, like, the range, you know me, I’m just d–k James, that’s it. Dave’s got range,” he said.
Cena is currently starring alongside Idris Elba in the action-comedy Heads of State, which was released on Prime Video. Cena has also recently expressed his desire to return to WWE for another run before he feels he is too old to perform at a high level, telling People magazine he is “not done in the ring” but that the “clock is ticking.”
