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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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.”
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