The 16-time world champion had an interesting thought about the mindset of the WWE locker room. John Cena has made it public knowledge, time and time again, that he’s one of the hardest working talents in the WWE.
Between making Raw and/or Smackdown, WWE PPVs, and any publicity he has to do to promote the company, Cena is a big proponent in the idea that a positive mindset and a good work ethic can get you to the top.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Cena made it clear that he wasn’t pleased with the number of wrestlers that are unhappy with their current roles in the WWE.
My ‘WrestleMania Moment’ was to spend the time in the crowd and not do well in a very short performance, but I loved it because I got the job done. The focus was not me, the focus was someone else.
Often times, we look at things so selfishly, asking, ‘What’s in it for me?’ Well, what was in it for me was the chance to reintroduce a WWE icon. I had to stretch the suspension of disbelief to its breaking point to do it, but it was awesome. Every single week, the crowd would chant at the top of its lungs and no one thought I would be sitting in the crowd at WrestleMania, but I was able to do that. I was able to go out and be handily defeated in three minutes and bring back an icon.
That is a message to any performer who is complaining about their spot or that, creatively, they have nothing going for them. I’ve been first, I’ve been in the middle, I’ve been last. I just want to go out there and do something.
There are a few performers who share my ideology, with The Miz being one of them. That’s why he is skyrocketing into a new bracket as we speak, and I can’t wait to see what he does next week. But there is also a lot of disdain and complacency. You should be happy with any sort of role, even if it is getting your tail kicked in.
Cena’s message comes off as a bit…discourteous. The leader of the Cenation seems to have taken offense to guys like Dolph Ziggler and Rusev, among others, who feel they’re being underutilized or misused by the WWE. While not everyone can be at the top of the card, for talents who have the fans full support, yet fail to get the backing of the company, it’s easy to see why someone would feel upset.
Being happy to get your ‘tail kicked in,’ isn’t exactly a great mindset, which is why the man Cena named as a go-getter is where he is today. The Miz didn’t want to be seen as a reality show reject who didn’t belong with the rest of the roster, so he worked on perfecting his mic skills and improving his craft inside the ring. The Miz, now, is seen as one of the best heels in the company, and one of the best Intercontinental champions in the past decade.
It’s okay to be frustrated with your job if you feel your performance warrants a bigger spot on the card. That being said, John Cena’s message to the locker room came from a good place and was probably meant as an “If you keep busting your ass, you’ll get the recognition,” kind of deal.
What do you think of John Cena’s locker room message? Let us know in the comments below.
