With the seventh John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar singles clash at Wrestlepalooza just hours away, a large chunk of the fanbase is currently speculating if Cena can pull one back on Lesnar in what looks like the final singles clash of their decorated WWE careers. Cena has only five appearances left in his retirement tour, which probably won’t feature another Cena vs. Lesnar clash.
Lesnar and Cena have faced each other multiple times inside the ring since the early days of their WWE careers. The animosity of their in-ring clashes has made several fans think that these two don’t have an amicable relationship, even in their real lives.
Cena and Lesnar have addressed each other in quite a few off-screen junctures to date. But have they said anything about the other one, which proves that these two don’t like each other?
We will take a look at every noticeable off-screen instance when Cena or Lesnar had something to say about their rival party to determine whether these two icons of the WWE universe hate each other or not.
Brock Lesnar Comments About Not Liking People in 2015
Most WWE stars and even fans know that Lesnar isn’t the best when it comes to interacting with people to get his way. ‘The Beast Incarnate’ prefers working in silence and speaking with his performances instead of wasting too many words to make his point.
Lesnar addressed his dislike for certain people during his conversation with Stone Cold amid his appearance on ‘The Rattlesnake’s’ podcast in October 2015. ‘The Beast Incarnate’ also disclosed that being around people makes him uncomfortable, despite being a performer who delivers before crowds of thousands. He said:
I really don’t like people (certain or a crowd). I’m sorry, I don’t, but that’s just who I am. I just don’t like being around people, and that’s kind of ironic, coz I can go out in an arena of 20,000 people and be all right with it. Only because I feel like I’m in this dome, protected.
Check out Lesnar’s comments below:
While these words certainly prove that Lesnar is an introvert and likes staying in his own space, they don’t testify that he has anything in particular against Cena. Let’s take a look at the other instances to confirm whether these two have any real-life feud among themselves.
John Cena’s 2015 Interview Addressing Brock Lesnar
Comparing Lesnar’s introverted nature to Cena’s easy-going personality indicates that the ‘Cenation’ star might have addressed Lesnar in more off-screen appearances than ‘The Beast Incarnate’ has talked about him.
The oldest instance of Cena talking about Lesnar we have is from 2015, the same year when the former UFC champion announced that he doesn’t “like people” around him.
However, Cena didn’t have anything negative to say about Lesnar during his 2015 interview with Gorilla Position. The 17-time world champion appeared for the interview days ago before Lesnar’s WrestleMania 31 clash with Roman Reigns.
Cena wished the best for Reigns, but admitted that it would take something special to defeat Lesnar, given ‘The Beast Incarnate’s’ in-ring potential. He said:
I really like Roman [Reigns]. I think he uh has an unbelievably bright future um it’s a it’s a must win for him on Sunday but um I don’t think so I really don’t and it’s uh it’s uh it’s tough for me to say that but I’ve been in the ring with Brock Lesnar and it’s going to take um a special individual to defeat Brock Lesnar he is he’s one of a kind.
Check out Cena’s comments about Lesnar below:
The 48-year-old might have tried to protect the kayfabe around the WrestleMania 31 match between Reigns and Lesnar, but the latter’s achievements outside the WWE ring, especially inside the UFC octagon, prove that Cena’s “one of a kind” comments about Lesnar were based on reality.
Quite apparently, Cena complemented Lesnar’s athletic capabilities here. He didn’t say anything that implies that he has real-life issues with Lesnar.
John Cena’s Comments About Brock Lesnar in 2024
Cena praised Lesnar’s next-to-none capabilities during his 2015 interview ahead of WrestleMania 31. However, his prediction about ‘The Conqueror’s’ match against Reigns at WrestleMania 31 didn’t come to life as Reigns defeated Lesnar to win his first WWE Universal Championship.
The 48-year-old talked about his storyline archrival, Lesnar, nine years later, in an interview with the former NFL player, Shannon Sharpe, amid his appearance on an episode of Club Shay Shay.
Cena discussed the reason behind Lesnar having a comparatively better pro-football career than him with Sharpe. Despite their storyline rivalry, Cena couldn’t help giving Lesnar his flowers. He credited ‘The Beast Incarnate’ once more, saying:
“I think, in Brock’s case, Brock is one of the most gifted, hardest working, perseverant, stubborn sons of bit**es I’ve ever met. But I honestly think physically, he could do whatever he puts his mind to, right? It’s also because he’s 6’4″ [in height], 300 [lbs] plus in weight, right? So it was a natural transition. He’s also an NCAA National Champion, multiple times. He knew body awareness.”
Check out Cena’s comments below:
Even in this interview, Cena appreciated Lesnar’s dedication and athleticism, which helped him have a better NFL career compared to Cena. But there’s nothing he said that proves that he has personal issues with Lesnar.
Brock Lesnar’s 2014 Interview About John Cena
Lesnar went on a tear through the WWE after returning to the promotion in 2012. He faced a defeat against Cena in their Extreme Rules match in the same year, but the rest of his run was a commendable one.
Lesnar’s form in WWE got even better in 2014 as he broke The Undertaker’s coveted WrestleMania streak at WrestleMania XXX. Subsequently, he bagged both the World Heavyweight Championship and the WWE title by avenging his 2012 defeat against Cena at SummerSlam 2014.
Following his dominating victory over Cena at SummerSlam 2014, Lesnar shared a few words with a street journalist who caught him with Paul Heyman outside the ring. This is the only instance where Lesnar gave something out, which might make fans think that he doesn’t like Cena even in his real life.
After Heyman instigated Lesnar, saying he “ate” Cena “for lunch and for dinner” (referencing Lesnar’s in-ring domination over Cena), ‘The Beast Incarnate’ said:
I came, I saw, I conquered. I kicked your ass. Go home, lick your wounds, and I dare you, I double dog dare your a** to come back looking for another ass whooping.
Check out Lesnar’s comments below:
This is the only instance where Lesnar put out a public display of his thoughts for Cena. It might look like he really wants to hurt Cena, but Heyman’s prompting amid Lesnar’s interview indicates that ‘The Beast Incarnate’s’ comments about Cena were a method to protect their kayfabe rivalry.
While it’s apparent from Cena’s interviews that he has nothing against Lesnar in real life, ‘The Conqueror’s’ post-SummerSlam 2014 interview might leave several fans confused.
But the enthralling in-ring encounters that these two have delivered wouldn’t have been possible if they didn’t have good in-ring chemistry. Hence, it wouldn’t be wrong to predict that Lesnar doesn’t have any issues with Cena in real life despite their intense on-screen rivalry.
Still, do you think that things could be the other way around? Let us know in the comments below.
