WWE legend and 17-time World Champion John Cena spoke with Denise Salcedo at the 2026 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony about various topics, including Cody Rhodes’ accomplishments.
Cena said, “It’s been great. It’s been great. When, man, I knew Cody when he — the first time I saw him was when he inducted his dad in the Hall of Fame, and his speech was incredible, and immediately it’s like that’s somebody you got to watch. So to see him from that point and to watch his path of development. I’ve seen a lot of talent in my days. I’ve seen a lot of performers, and everybody always comes into the business saying this is what I’ve wanted to do my entire life. I think what’s special about Cody is even when he left WWE, people remember his stretch with other companies, but he wrestled everywhere, and he bet on himself. So when someone says, ‘I’ve been wanting to do this my whole life,’ his resume shows it, you know. I really respect — I probably would have made different character choices, but the fact is there’s no right way to do the business, and I think that’s important. It’s a chicken soup business, and everybody is right. I love that he’s had wonderful mentorship from his father on, and he’s taken pieces from everybody, but he’s written his own book, and that’s really cool to see. I love that.”
On what Stephanie McMahon means to his career:
“Fired. Yes. Without Steph legit, I’m fired. She was — I tell the story of like 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, and I’m not only that wasn’t the end of our relationship. Stephanie’s been a fantastic mentor to me and kept me in check. She’s like — she’s like the bumpers that keep the ball from going in the gutter, and she can stop by with like a word of wisdom, and it’s right when I need to hear it and right what needs to be said, and man, I’m forever grateful for that.”
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(H/T to 411Mania.com for transcribing the above quotes)
