John Cena and Bray Wyatt were tasked with putting on a show at WrestleMania 36 and they didn't disappoint as they offered up perhaps one of the most entertaining matches we have ever seen. Of course, due to the Coronavirus, there were no fans at Wrestlemania 36. This meant the WWE needed to get creative as a way to supplement fan excitement. Well, Wyatt did exactly that as he helped orchestrate the Firefly Fun House match, starring his signature character, The Fiend.
This match had numerous callbacks to Cena's past, including his infamous character, the Doctor of Thuganomics. The fight was more of a production than anything else as there were multiple sets and a whole lot of antics from both wrestlers. It was easily the closest thing the WWE has done to a full-on acid trip.
In the end, Wyatt came away with the victory although thanks to all of the effects and production value, the results were a tad ambiguous, and certainly secondary to what we had all witnessed. Following this match, the WWE received widespread praise from fans who felt like they took a huge risk that paid off immensely.
All things considered, this was a great event and the WWE put on a wild show despite the unfortunate circumstances.
CM Punk Names 4 Matches He’d Come Out Of Retirement For
Former WWE superstar CM Punk names a handful of wrestlers that could force him out of retirement.
Former WWE superstar CM Punk has gotten into twitter feuds with several current wrestlers since rejoining the world of professional wrestling as part of the "WWE Backstage" studio show on FS1. Naturally, wrestling fans hoped that one of the internet beefs would actually lead to Punk's in-ring return but, as of now, nothing has materialized.
During a recent interview on the Swings & Mrs. show, Punk revealed the four matches he'd actually consider coming out of retirement for “if the slate was clean, if the money was right.”
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According to Punk, Daniel Bryan, John Cena and Rey Mysterio are on his short life of potential dream matches, as is New Japan Pro-Wrestling's Will Ospreay.
"As far as people that I’ve worked with before, if there was a clean slate, if the money was right, I think a guy like Daniel Bryan, I would go, ‘I would listen to your idea.’ If you said John Cena, I’d probably listen to your idea. Rey Mysterio, I would listen to your idea. For people I haven’t ever wrestled before, I think Will Ospreay, I would listen to your idea. There’s a lot of moving parts. I’m busy doing other stuff and nobody has found the right combination of ways to approach me. It’s not all up to me, ladies and gentlemen, it’s up to the people who actually run the company."
During his time with the WWE, Punk was a two-time WWE champion which included an impressive reign of 434 days. His last in-ring appearance came as a participant in the 30-man Royal Rumble in 2014.
Coronavirus Delays "Fast 9" A Full Year
"Fast 9" has officially announced that they will be postponing the movie release until 2021 due to the complications that coronavirus causes to movie-lovers.
Vin Diesel and the official Fast and the Furious pages took to socials to announce that they too would be postponing the worldwide release of their movie due to the complications of the coronavirus outbreak. The movie was originally set to release May 22nd of this year but has retracted that date in order to give fans the most comfortable watching experience. In an interesting play that we have yet to see or hear about, the team also took the opportunity to announce the new release date of April 2, 2021.
The Fast and the Furious series has gained a cult-like following since the first movie was released in 2001, with fans heavily anticipating each and every release after that. The upcoming, Fast 9, has had fans especially excited for the return of the fan-favorite character, Han, who was "buried" just two films ago. Han's character was originally killed off in the 3rd film of the series, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, however, the timeline of the movies had been adjusted and written well-enough to bring him back for plenty of installments since then. That said, as of the most recent movie, Han's character was dead. Han returns in the trailer in, as only Han would.
We understand the importance of making tough decisions like this for the safety of the public. Stay safe everyone!
WWE Announces SmackDown, Wrestlemania Plans Amid Pandemic
Tonight's edition of WWE SmackDown, featuring John Cena, will be held without fans at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando.
WWE will not be cancelling tonight's episode of SmackDown due to the coronavirus outbreak, but they will be changing the location and holding the event without any fans in attendance.
The company has announced that tonight's show, which was scheduled to take place at Little Caesers Arena in Detroit, will instead air live from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. As always, fans watching from home can catch the action on Fox starting at 8pm ET.
Tonight's show will feature multiple returning superstars including Jeff Hardy, who hasn't been seen on WWE television in almost a year, and Paige, who is expected to issue a response, and possibly a new challenger, to SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley. Additionally, John Cena will be back to address "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt ahead of their Wrestlemania match.
Speaking of Wrestlemania 36, the WWE is currently moving forward as if the event will be held at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on April 5th. The company issued the following statement on Thursday:
"While we remain committed to hosting WrestleMania at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, April 5, we are putting contingency plans in place in the event that it is cancelled by government officials, civil authorities and/or local venues," the statement read. "The health and safety of our fans, performers and employees are our top priorities and we are monitoring the situation closely with our partners and government officials in Tampa Bay."
All other major sports, with the exception of the UFC, have already postponed or cancelled future events until further notice. Needless to say, it's highly unlikely that there will be any fans in attendance if the WWE does hold Wrestlemania 36 on April 5th.
"The Suicide Squad" Finishes Shooting & Director James Gunn Gets Emotional
Second time’s a charm.
Jared Leto and Margot Robbie starred alongside Will Smith in Suicide Squad. It was a box office hit although it was heavily criticized by fans and critics alike. It was like people just went to see it for Robbie, who is perfect as Harley Quinn. She took her role as the sexy criminal even further with last month’s Birds of Prey film, which had a rough opening week but recovered down the line. DC is still chugging along with its cinematic universe, which is splintered and uninviting at this point. Their films that exist outside of their connected universe (such as Joker and the new Batman film) look to be pushing DC back in the right direction though. The company hopes that The Suicide Squad, a spiritual sequel to the previous film, will help that push.
James Gunn, who was famously fired then re-hired by Disney, joined the DC ranks before he returned to Marvel for Guardians of the Galaxy 3. Gunn took to Instagram to announce the end of filming for The Suicide Squad, and got pretty candid about his experience making the film. “And that’s a wrap on #TheSuicideSquad,” he wrote as a caption. “My father died two weeks before we started filming and my dog died two weeks before the end. It was a hard, hard time in my life and yet the most fulfilling time I’ve ever had making a movie. The professionalism, talent, compassion and kindness of this cast and crew inspired me every day.” The Suicide Squad stars Margot Robbie, Viola Davis, Idris Elba, Joel Kinnaman, Jai Courtney, John Cena, Pete Davidson, and more. It is slated for release next Summer.
John Cena, Goldberg Rumored Wrestlemania Opponents Revealed
John Cena and Goldberg will have matches at Wrestlemania 36, but they won't be facing the opponents many expected.
WWE's biggest pay-per-view event of the year, Wrestlemania, is rapidly approaching and rumors continue to swirl regarding which matches will be on the card. The Undertaker essentially confirmed his Wrestlemania 36 opponent during WWE's Super ShowDown event in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, but there are two other legends who still need dance partners for The Show of Shows.
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First, we'll start with 16-time WWE Champion John Cena, who is scheduled to make his return to SmackDown this Friday. Initial reports suggested that Cena would be appearing to set up a match with Elias at Wrestlemania 36, although it no longer appears that will be the case.
According to Wrestling Observer Radio's Dave Meltzer, WWE is currently planning for Cena to go one-on-one with "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt on April 5th. Wyatt, who had been rumored to defend his title against Roman Reigns, unexpectedly dropped the Universal Championship to Goldberg at Super ShowDown.
Speaking of Goldberg and Reigns, Meltzer notes that the two former college football players will go head to head at Wrestlemania 36. Reigns wrapped up his beef with Baron Corbin today in Saudi Arabia and is in need of a fresh feud as the road to Wrestlemania nears its end. It remains to be seen how they'll set up a clash between the new Universal Champion and The Big Dog, but we'll likely find out sooner than later as we're roughly five weeks away from the show.
John Cena Recalls Moment He Was Nearly Fired By WWE
John Cena reveals how he was on almost fired by WWE in 2020 just months after making his debut against Kurt Angle.
It's tough to imagine the WWE without 16-time Champion John Cena, but that was almost the reality as WWE nearly fired Cena just months after his debut on SmackDown. As part of WWE Network's new series "Ruthless Aggression," Cena explained how he was informed of his impending release in 2002 after he failed to capitalize on the momentum from his match against Kurt Angle.
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Says Cena:
“The WWE, they used to make a series of cuts around late November and around mid-May. I was told I was getting my release in the Christmas cuts, because it just wasn’t working, and there’s no argument there. It wasn’t, They gave it to me on a silver platter. ‘John Cena. Ruthless Aggression.’ And I failed. I messed it up. It was on my last European tour, and I think I was in mixed tag matches – this is how well it was not going. I was just there to maybe have one last time in the ring, but I was on the way out.”
As we know, Cena was not cut and he went on to become one of the most decorated superstars in the company's history. So what changed? As seen in the video clip embedded below, Cena's ability to freestyle along with Rey Mysterio and Rikishi on the WWE tour bus ultimately led to his Dr. Of Thuganomics gimmick, which saved his career.
Cena is currently scheduled to make his return to SmackDown later this month, and it is believed that he will put the wheels in motion for an in-ring return at Wrestlemania 36.
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John Cena Engaged? Shay Shariatzadeh Photo Sparks Rumors
John Cena's girlfriend Shay Shariatzadeh spotted with a massive, diamond ring on her finger sparking engagement rumors.
Former WWE champion turned Hollywood actor John Cena may have popped the question to his girlfriend Shay Shariatzadeh. As pointed out by some very observant internet sleuths, Shay was seen with a massive rock on her left ring finger in the background of a photo Cena took with a fan at an amusement park in San Diego.
Amidst the engagement rumors, Cena tweeted on Tuesday, “A happy marriage is a long conversation that always seems too short."
Adding to the speculation that Cena and Shay will soon be tying the knot are a pair of photos he posted on instagram earlier this week. Those who following Cena on IG know that his feed is typically filled with meaningless, random photos posted without context - but his recent activity certainly seems to suggest that he's hearing wedding bells.
The couple were first spotted in public together last March while Cena was in Canada filming "Playing With Fire." The 16-time WWE champion was previously in a six-year relationship with fellow WWE star Nikki Bella, but they called off their engagement in April 2018. Bella is currently engaged to, and expecting a child with, her former "Dancing With The Stars" partner Artem Chigvintsev.
Check out Cena's recent IG posts below, and click here to see who WWE reportedly has planned for his Wrestlemania 36 opponent.
John Cena’s Rumored Wrestlemania 36 Opponent Revealed
John Cena will reportedly have a match at Wrestlemania 36 against a WWE superstar he has had multiple Wrestlemania run-ins with.
WWE legend John Cena is scheduled to make his return to SmackDown later this month, and it is believed that he will put the wheels in motion for an in-ring return at Wrestlemania. According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Cena will indeed be featured on the Wrestlemania 36 card, with current plans calling for him to go one-on-one with Elias.
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Cena and Elias have some built-in history at Wrestlemania so this isn’t totally out of left field. The 16-time WWE champion reprised his role as The Doctor Of Thuganomics at Wrestlemania 35, where he interrupted Elias’ concert and delivered a swift Attitude Adjustment before exiting the ring. The two also had a confrontation at Wrestlemania 34, although it was The Undertaker that Cena ended up facing off against.
2019 marked the first time in more than 15 years that Cena went a full calendar year without having a match at a pay-per-view event. His last bout came in January 2019 in a triple threat match against Finn Balor and Drew McIntyre.
As mentioned, Cena will be making his return to SmackDown on February 28th at the TD Garden in Boston. The WWE has not yet revealed what role he’ll play on the show, but it wouldn’t come as a surprise if his in-ring monologue is interrupted by Elias, paving the way for their showdown at Raymond James Stadium on April 5.
Let us know what you think about Cena’s rumored Wrestlemania 36 opponent, and click here to see who the WWE has lined up for The Undertaker.
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WWE Announces John Cena’s Return To SmackDown Live
John Cena is returning to SmackDown Live later this month, which should lead to an appearance at Wrestlemania 36.
Future WWE Hall of Famer John Cena is making his return to SmackDown Live later this month, just in time for Wrestlemania season. As announced on WWE Backstage, Cena will be appearing on the February 28th edition of SmackDown, emanating live from the TD Garden in Boston.
2019 marked the first time in more than 15 years that Cena went a full calendar year without having a match at a pay-per-view event, but the belief is that he'll be in the mix for Wrestlemania 36 in April. If that's to be the case, there's a good chance Cena will lay the groundwork for his Wrestlemania appearance, and possibly his next opponent, when he returns to SmackDown Live.
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The official WWE preview reads:
John Cena will return to SmackDown on Friday, Feb. 28, as Team Blue continues down The Road to WrestleMania.
It was on SmackDown where The Cenation Leader made his dynamic debut nearly 18 years ago, when he channeled “Ruthless Aggression” to challenge WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle in his debut match. Since that fateful night, Cena went on to become WWE’s standard-bearer, earning 16 World Championships and inspiring countless WWE fans to “Never Give Up.”
An icon in the ring and the star of such blockbuster films as “Bumblebee,” “Blockers” and the upcoming “F9: The Fast Saga,” Cena will soon bring his signature “Hustle, Loyalty and Respect” back to SmackDown, as first reported by WWE Backstage on FS1.
Furthering the belief that Cena will be in Tampa for Wrestlemania 36, he recently told Sports Illustrated’s Justin Barrasso, "And on the subject of WrestleMania, I can tell you this—I haven’t missed a WrestleMania since my first appearance at WrestleMania 19, and I do not plan to miss a WrestleMania for decades to come.”