On his new Mic Check podcast, Ken Anderson addressed a long-standing rumor about having backstage heat with John Cena, confirming that there was an issue between them that stemmed from Cena suffering a torn pectoral muscle during one of their matches in 2007. Anderson also revealed that “Stone Cold” Steve Austin once warned him about the heat he had with certain top stars.
The topic came up when a listener asked if there was any truth to the story that he had gotten heat from the office for the match where Cena was injured. Anderson was clear that the heat was not from the office, but the issue with Cena was very real.
“Yes, I did, but not from the office necessarily. I never felt any heat from the office directly,” Anderson said. He then described the incident that caused the problem. “He claimed he gave me a hip toss, and then he tore his pec. And he claimed that I tore his pec somehow… I watched the video over and over and over and over again and like, it’s a hip toss. Like, sometimes accidents happen.”
Anderson then revealed that the situation was so serious that it was mentioned to him by “Stone Cold” Steve Austin in a phone call where Austin was advising him to leave WWE. “I remember when I told you that Austin called me and said, ‘Get the hell out of there, kid,'” he began. “When he said, ‘You know, this guy hates your guts, this guy hates your guts,’ and he goes, ‘and you know that you got the heat for John, John claims that you tore his pec.’ So ain’t no coming back from that one at this point.”
The injury in question occurred during a match on a 2007 episode of Monday Night Raw. John Cena famously finished the match after suffering the torn pectoral muscle and was then sidelined for several months. The incident has been a topic of speculation among wrestling fans for years, and Anderson’s comments provide a new layer of insight into the backstage dynamics of that era.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Mic Check with Ken Anderson with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
