John Cena Deeply Regrets Feuding With Dwayne Johnson About Hollywood Ambitions

As John Cena alluded to at the press conference, this isn’t the first time he’s expressed regret over his feud with Dwayne «The Rock» Johnson. In August 2021, Cena had some genuinely warm remarks about Johnson, and in May 2023, he addressed his relationship with the actor again.

«I would like to think in my perspective that we always have been good, except for one little patch [from 2011 to 2013] where I really messed up,» he told the Happy Sad Confused podcast. «I got selfish, and me living WWE at the point and not having any concept of growth or someone else’s perspective, I took Dwayne’s comments as not genuine. My view was, if you love something, be there every day. What a hypocrite I am because I still love WWE and I can’t go all the time. And I just didn’t see that, I was so selfish.»

Even with his past atonements, the specter of the «Peacemaker» and «The Suicide Squad» star’s contentious past with Johnson has not completely vanished. Discussing his past beef with Johnson, Cena told reporters at the press conference, «I didn’t do it the respectful way, so I had to eat a little bit of crow. 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.»

Cena then praised his former WWE nemesis and admitted his own faults. «Dwayne is a hell of a guy … I became who I despised,» he said. «I see that perspective and I understand it. It was a great learning experience from my mistake with feuding with The Rock.»