John Cena spoke with Denise Salcedo for an interview while on the red carpet at the 2026 WWE Hall of Fame.
The following are some of the highlights.
On Oba Femi being Brock Lesnar’s Equal: “I think Brock Lesnar is a once in a genre talent, and I don’t mean once in a generation, I mean once in wrestling, and it’s very difficult to solve the puzzle that’s Brock Lesnar. Oba Femi is Brock Lesnar’s even match, and I think that’s what’s exciting about that matchup. Everyone, everyone goes into a match with Brock Lesnar, an underdog, except Oba Femi. I think that’s the allure everyone wants to see, two tanks square off in this ring, and not just two big men, two gifted men, two big, agile, mobile, versatile athletes, and shout out to Oba, he has the courage to stand in there. I’ve had many moments where I’ve shared with Brock Lesnar, and the moments where I’ve had the courage to charge the hill, I’m still ready to crap my pants. Oba has the courage and confidence to charge the hill, and I think Brock has never seen that out of a challenger before. End stop.”
On Stephanie McMahon being a mentor to him: “Without Steph, legit, I’m fired. I tell the story of someone from creative was sitting in the front of the bus. It was her, and she asked me to rap for her, and I did, and she gave me another chance. Not only that, that wasn’t the end of our relationship. Stephanie’s been a fantastic mentor to me and kept me in check. She’s like the bumpers that keep the ball from going in the gutter, and she can stop by with a word of wisdom, and it’s right when I need to hear it and right when it needs to be said, and, man, I’m forever grateful for that.”
Watch the complete John Cena interview via the YouTube player embedded below.
