John Cena has publicly apologised for criticising Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson for pivoting from WWE's squared circle to Hollywood's red carpet, admitting that he "violated his trust" during their years-long feud.
As reported by Variety, Cena told those in attendance at a recent press conference for WWE's 2023 Fastlane event that he can "100% see and understand" why people might label him a hypocrite for calling Johnson out for transitioning from wrestling to acting and then following a similar trajectory with his own career.
"If you've been following what I've tried to do, especially as of late, publicly and personally to Dwayne Johnson, I've stated that although I thought I was trying to do what's best for business," Cena said about starting the feud. "I went about it the wrong way. I violated his trust, and I made allegations about his perspective that I knew nothing about. And deep down, I was a fan. I wanted The Rock back [in WWE]. I wanted to do anything to get The Rock back, but I did it the wrong way."
Cena took ownership of his role in the feud with Johnson (which started over a decade ago) and apologised to his fellow former WWE star for how it transpired. He also reflected on their rivalry in and out of the ring, admitting he could have handled the situation better and conducted himself in a "respectful" manner.
"I didn't do it the respectful way, so I had to eat a little bit of crow," Cena recalled. "I had to say, 'I'm sorry, and I was wrong,' because I am sorry and I was wrong, and that's a very humbling experience. Dwayne is a hell of a guy... I became who I despised. I see that perspective, and I understand it. It was a great learning experience from my mistake with feuding with The Rock."
Johnson, who is famously known by his ring name The Rock, has a wealth of achievements under his championship-sized belt, spanning from an illustrious career that encompasses being a former American football player-turned-professional wrestler in addition to being an A-list actor, producer, and businessman.
His films have grossed over $10.5 billion at the global box office, making him one of the highest-grossing and highest-paid actors in Hollywood today. Some of his recent credits include Netflix's Red Notice and Disney's Jungle Cruise, both of which have sequels in the works. He also played the titular antihero in DC's Black Adam.
Cena has also dominated screens in recent years, having portrayed Peacemaker in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad and its spinoff series on HBO Max. He also returned as Jakob in the latest Fast Saga entry, played one of the many Ken's in Barbie, and voiced Rocksteady in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.
Image credit: WWE / YouTube
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on X @AdeleAnkers.
