Two of the biggest stars in modern wrestling, AEW’s MJF and WWE’s John Cena, had a viral moment when they were seen chatting at the premiere of The Iron Claw last year. They recently reunited at the premiere of Happy Gilmore 2, and MJF shared his thoughts on the 16-time world champion, calling him a “trailblazer” and his “first love” in wrestling.
“A Trailblazer”
It’s no secret that John Cena was one of the key figures who broke down barriers for professional wrestlers in Hollywood. Speaking on ScreenRant’s Coffee Chats, MJF gave Cena his flowers, acknowledging that his own opportunities in acting are a direct result of the path Cena helped pave. He also revealed that he had a fathead of Cena on his bedroom wall as a kid.
“We had ourselves another really nice chat. I won’t give anything away, but there’s so much mutual respect there. He’s a trailblazer. If it wasn’t for him, a guy like me wouldn’t be able to be in a part of what’s probably going to be the most viewed comedy of all time. It’s because a guy like John was able to make people in Hollywood take us seriously. Before CM Punk was my favorite, my favorite was John Cena, and I had a fathead of him on my wall in my bedroom. I don’t have enough nice things to say about the guy.”
The mutual respect between the two stars is evident, despite them being in rival companies. Their public interactions have fueled dream-match speculation among fans, though for now, any crossover remains firmly in the realm of fantasy.
The AEW Advantage
MJF also pointed out a key difference between his own career path and that of his childhood hero. He noted that he is fortunate to work for a company like AEW, which allows him the flexibility to pursue both wrestling and acting simultaneously, a luxury that wasn’t afforded to stars like John Cena during the height of their WWE careers.
“I also feel so fortunate because working for WWE in the time period that he did, you kind of have to quasi-soft retire or fully retire to approach movies, cinema, TV, because I work at AEW, I don’t have to pick one or the other. And I’m so passionate about both.”
This flexibility has allowed MJF to maintain his status as a top star in professional wrestling while also taking on major Hollywood projects. MJF can be seen in Happy Gilmore 2 on Netflix this Friday, July 25th, and is also the winner of the Casino Gauntlet match at AEW All In, guaranteeing him a future shot at the AEW World Championship. You can watch the full interview below.
