WWE legend and 17-time World Champion John Cena spoke with Tom Rinaldi about various topics, including the notorious “You Can’t Wrestle” chants and how he used them as motivation to improve his skills.
Cena said, “Yeah, man. The audience, their feedback. And the cool thing is, you don’t have go fishing around to get someone to pull this out of you. The ‘You can’t wrestle’ chants, because I would do the same five moves every time and win all the time. And what I hear from the audience is, ‘I’m seeing other performers do these fantastic things. And at the end of the night, I see you do five moves and win.’ Because in the through-line of the story, I’m setting up a dynasty. And if it ain’t your guy, dynasties are tough. So I’ve learned that. And that was the biggest criticism from the audience of, ‘If you’re my guy.’ Like ‘No dude, this guy gets his ass kicked. He never stops, like he gets thrashed out there. And somehow manages to find another way.’ ‘Yeah, but I see this performer and this performer, and this performer. And their moves are better, and they look better.’”
He continued, “So in hearing that, I just began to do more stuff. And it looked janky and unorthodox as we’d say. But I listened, and I went back to wrestling school halfway through my career. You know, went to new performers. Was like, ‘What do you think I’ll be good at? Can you teach me some stuff?’ And newer performers like Sami Zayn, like Kevin Owens, like AJ Styles. CM Punk, like… ‘Teach me stuff. What can I do better? How can I make you look great,’ that’s always my lead — ‘and what can you teach me?’ That’s from the audience chanting at the top of their lungs, ‘You can’t wrestle.’ And I know it was just a — like, our audience will continue to lean in until they get you. And it didn’t get me. I didn’t come back and be like, ‘What do they know? I can wrestle.’ No, I’ll try to be better. And I’ll try to be better, and not make it a hard reset. I’ll try to be better and be my authentic self. So a vehicle to do that was like the United States Open Challenge.”
On using the United States Title open challenge as a way to try to get high-profile matches on TV:
“When I won the US Title, right after — I think two years after main eventing with The Rock at MetLife. And two years later, I have the United States Champion. This is another through-line of my career: nothing is a demotion. It’s simply an opportunity. And I don’t know how many performers, after being at such a standard, would look at, ‘I’m not doing the US Title. It’s beneath me.’ I was like, ‘Lemme have that. I can do something with this.’ And when I get it, I’m like, ‘Well, what are your plans?’ ‘Nothing.’ ‘That’s great. Because now I can make something with it.’ And I used it as a way to try to get high-profile matches on TV. Longer matches on TV, because at that time we were looking for matches and less talk. And profile new Superstars. So every time I came out, ‘Who’s it gonna be?’ So I have all this new talent, talent that could teach me. So I’m learning, we’re giving these guys a chance. And they get a chance to hear the noise, to hit that one good golf shot, see what it feels like.”
You can check out Cena’s comments in the video below.
(H/T to 411Mania.com for transcribing the above quotes)
