Now standing tall as the Undisputed WWE Champion following his monumental win over Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41, John Cena has looked back on his earliest days in WWE, admitting he wishes he could have a “do-over” for his initial character run.
Speaking during a panel at Philadelphia Fan Expo, Cena opened up about his WWE debut on June 27, 2002, where he famously confronted Kurt Angle and shouted the iconic phrase “Ruthless Aggression!” While the moment remains one of the most memorable debuts in company history, Cena admitted the persona didn’t stick.
“The time period I wish I had a do-over for was the ruthless aggression character,” Cena said. “I did nothing with it.”
Despite the impactful debut, Cena quickly found himself floundering in the months that followed, struggling to connect with fans. He later revealed that he was dangerously close to being released from the company altogether—until he developed the “Doctor of Thuganomics” gimmick, a character shift that reignited his career and caught the attention of Stephanie McMahon and the WWE Universe.
Now, more than two decades later, Cena’s transformation from near-cut talent to record-tying 17-time world champion is one of the most remarkable journeys in professional wrestling history.
Stay tuned to PWMania.com for more updates on John Cena and the road to Money in the Bank 2025.
