John Cena Once Called the NFL and NBA “Rigged” at the ESPYS

Rishabh Singh | 10/02/2023
John Cena NBA NFL

John Cena is arguably one of WWE’s most influential superstars to grace the squared circle. Even as a part-timer, Cena continues to draw attention from wrestling fans after the release of WWE 2K23, which is centered around his career. The sixteen-time World Champion has now completely immersed himself in his Hollywood career. But Cena’s fame came from Vince McMahon’s wrestling promotion. He is globally recognized for his work in WWE.

Aside from having fans from different demographics, Cena is also heavily recognized in other sports as well. That said, John Cena once trolled NBA and NFL at the ESPYS in 2016. Although Cena’s subtle dig at NBA and NFL was in good humor, it was never more relevant than it is today.

Especially with NFL being shrouded with controversies due to its officiating decisions, leading the fans to believe that the game between Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals was rigged. 

John Cena once called NBA and NFL “scripted”

As noted above, in 2016, at the ESPY awards ceremony, John Cena, who was also the host, drew parallels between NFL & NBA, and WWE. In the resurfaced video, Cena is seen having a whale of a time taking a dig at famous personalities from NBA and NFL, namely, NBA fixture LeBron James, NFL star Odell Beckham Jr, and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

Cena started off with the question-why did ESPN get a host from the WWE? His question was followed by a quip claiming that it was all “rigged”. 

The Cenation leader first took aim at the NBA and alluded that Cleveland’s victory was rigged because it was “impossible” for them to win something. Cena then joked about LeBron James’ transition from being a good to a bad guy and ultimately to a good guy again.

Much like what happens in pro wrestling when superstars transition between being a heel and a babyface. Cena then called attention to NFL’s Odell Beckham Jr and jested about his uncanny resemblance with Coco Beware. Ultimately, John Cena gloated that WWE has a man that none of the other sports bodies have, Vince McMahon. 

Cena described McMahon as a “maniacal billionaire pulling the strings behind the scenes” using “every trick in the book to manipulate things to his advantage”. Suddenly, a picture of Roger Goodell popped onto the big screen, and Cena took back what he said and stated that maybe they have “more things in common” than they think. 

Seth Rollins calls John Cena the “GOAT” of wrestling

John Cena and Seth Rollins have locked up in the squared circle on many occasions. When Seth Rollins started his budding career, John Cena had already accomplished quite a lot in his career. Speaking with Pro Wrestling illustrated, Seth Rollins showered praise on the sixteen-time World Champion.

According to Rollins, John Cena is the “GOAT” of wrestling. The Visionary also stated that he has taken a lot of inspiration from John Cena in his career. 

“John’s the GOAT, man. John’s the best, John is incredible. I’m a footnote, really, in his career, you know, John influenced so many talents over the years. He was a generational guy. For me, though, on the other side of that, John influenced what I do so heavily. I took a ton of inspiration from John.”

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Post Edited By: Archie Blade
john cena

About the author

Rishabh Singh

Rishabh has been a pro wrestling aficionado for two decades. As a gullible seven-year-old kid he believed that his dad could only be defeated by The Undertaker. His love for pro wrestling is visible in his writing. Over the years, he took inspiration from his favorite wrestling icons and adopted fitness lifestyle. He is a big proponent of exercise. Besides that, he is a movement coach, a Steelmaceflow artist, and a Krav Maga instructor.

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