November 20, 2025 • 14 mins
I, Producer Alex filled the slot for the team as they have been traveling and working, but fear not we have a great episode for you guys! I wanted to talk about all things John Cena and send our love to one of the greatest to ever do it!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready shut us up? About
to hit the fan? Welcome to on sanction Thursdays are
wrestling with Friday. What's up? Everyone? Welcome back here to
Wrestling with Freddy. It is on sanctioned Thursday, and it
(00:26):
is me. It is producer Alex. You guys are not
used to me talking. I'm sorry. Most of the time
I'm either reading questions that you guys send in to
the guys, or I'm in the background, just in the
guys's ears, telling them the notes of the show and
keeping them in line. And you know how it is
(00:47):
the producer world. You guys are producers out there and
and some of you are say what's up? You know
it's a tough job, but someone has to do it.
And by the way, Freddy and Jeff are the most
professional two podcasters I know. They are really good at
what they do. We watch every single wrestling show. We
(01:07):
are in a group chat, just always chatting it up.
And I do think that their opinions, specifically Freddy's. Hey,
no hate Jeff, but Freddie, who has worked in the
industry or WWE, is essential in this business and it's
always good to hear his take on all the storylines,
(01:27):
and that's what we pride ourselves on our show. As
many of you know, there's a lot of wrestling shows
out there. Most of them love to talk wrestling like
we all do, and we all love to listen to
but ours, ours is on its own little genre. We
love to talk storytelling. We love to talk about everything
(01:48):
that goes on in the world of professional wrestling within
the storyboards. And you know, that's why we watch wrestling
and that's why we were praising AW so much nowadays
because they have really stepped up on their storytelling. Matches
are great too, by the way, you can tell an
entire story within a match as well, but we like
(02:09):
the lead in and the lead out of each story.
But talking about stories, I'm talking about the leading in
and leading outs. Today, I producer Alex. I'm putting together
this show this specific on sanctioned Thursday as a love
letter to a legend. I'm talking about John Cena. Now
(02:31):
he has just about less than a month left as
a in ring entertainer. So I wanted to put this
together and put it out there, and I'd love to
get you guys' take on this piece that I wrote
(02:51):
and I put together for the one and only John Cena. Now,
today's episode is dedicated to one of the greatest ever
to lace up a pair of boots. Twenty plus years
of storytelling, championships, heartbreak, surprises, and moments that shaped an
(03:13):
entire generation of fans. Now, this isn't just a recap
of his career. It's a thank you, a quiet nod
to a man who gave everything to this industry. So
why don't we start in the beginning. Now, John Cena
debuted on June twenty seventh, two thousand and two, on SmackDown.
(03:37):
He walked right up to Kurt Angle, an Olympic gold medalist,
and said the words nobody expected, ruthless aggression, and then
he slapped him, because that's what you do in pro wrestling.
Sina didn't win that night, but it didn't matter. The
message was sent. He was young, hungry and trying to
(04:02):
survive in a locker room full of giants rock Taker,
Big Show, Edge, Angle, Eddie Little. The people know that
he was almost fired, that's something people forget. Wwe didn't
know what to do with him, But then during a
European tour, he started rapping on the bus and That's
(04:26):
when everything changed. Vince heard it, Creative heard it, bands
heard it. The prototype became the doctor of Thugodomics, and
suddenly the kid who almost got cut became the loudest
voice in the room. Let's talk about the Doctor Hugonomics era.
(04:51):
His baggy jerseys, padlocks, freestyles that walked the line every week.
This era made Seen a star because he finally felt
like himself. He wasn't playing a character, he was living one.
He battled booker T Big Show RVD JBL. He won
(05:13):
the United States Championship and made it feel cool again.
He carried a spinner belt. He cut promos that were funny, disrespectful,
and sharp. Crowds started chanting with him, and then he
hit the ceiling. He wasn't just a mid car rapper anymore.
(05:35):
He was the guy which brings us to main event ascension,
the face of WWE. Wrestle Mania twenty one, Sena versus JBL.
Sena wins his first WWE Championship, and from that moment
(05:56):
on everything changed. For almost five fifteen years straight, he
was the top guy. The company ran through him. Pay
per view after pay per view, main event after main event,
merch crowds make a wish, the whole thing seen. It
(06:18):
became the heartbeat of WW. His most memorable rivals from
this era edge probably the rivalry that defined him the most.
Randy Orton two careers locked together forever, Battista, the Choose
(06:38):
Your Destiny feud, c M Punk Money in the Bank
two and eleven. What an iconic match, The Rock to
Wrestle Manias once in a lifetime twice, Rock Lesnar the
(07:00):
beatdown in twenty fourteen that felt like a crime scene
and through it all, Sina carried the weight like a pro.
Now let's talk about his championships. This dude has a
resume of a legend. He was WWE Undisputed and World
(07:22):
Heavyweight Champion seventeen times combined. He was WW United States
Champion five times. Just recently, he was an Intercontinental champion.
He won it on November tenth. WW Tag Team Champion
with the mizz and then with David Otunga. He was
(07:44):
World Tag Team Champion twice, once with Bautista and Sean Michaels,
Money in the Bank winner in twoenty twelve, Royal Rumble
winner in two thousand and eight. In two and thirteen,
ten Slammy Awards in total. He also has the most
(08:05):
Make a Wish wishes ever granted. Whether people booed him
or cheered him, they respected him. But all this didn't
come without its up and downs. Seeing his career wasn't perfect.
He was pushed hard, sometimes too hard. Crowds got tired
of the super Sena. They booed him, yelled at him,
(08:27):
tearned all their backs on him. But he never cracked.
He showed up every single week. He worked through injuries,
the torn triceps, the neck issues, the elbow surgeries, bruised everything.
He evolved when he needed to do. You guys remember
(08:47):
the US Open Challenge era. That was the rebirth of Sina,
a workhorse run where he had banger matches with Cisoro,
Sammy Zain, Kevin Owens Rollins. That run reminded fans he
wasn't just a pro machine. He was a wrestler and
a damn good one. Let's talk about his character evolutions.
(09:35):
Sina had three major versions of his character. The rookie
with ruthless aggression, trying to survive and proving that he belonged.
He was also the doctor of Thuganomics, a swagger filled
heel anti hero who won the crowd by accident. Then
he became the franchise, the company ace everything the brand
(10:00):
stood for, loyalty, respect, hustle, work, ethic. He kept the
colors bright, he kept the message simple, and over time,
kids loved him, adults respected him, and WWE leaned on
him to keep the machine running. He had a transition, though,
(10:23):
a transition to Hollywood. That was his next chapter. Scena
started taking small movie roles Marine twelve Rounds, nothing crazy,
but years later he hit comedy with train Wreck and
people realized, wait a second, John Cena is funny. Then Caine, Blockers, Bumblebee,
(10:46):
Fast Nine, Sulicide Squad, and his breakout role as peace
Maker Witch turned into a full HBO Max series. Scena
became what everyone said he never would be, a legit
crossover star. But through all of it, he never abandoned wrestling.
(11:08):
He kept coming back, big matches, surprise returns, He put
over younger talent. He showed up even when he didn't
have to, which leads us to the final run the
Goodbye Tour, and now as he approaches the end, every
(11:30):
appearance feels heavier, Every promo feels like a chapter closing
every match feels like a thank you. He looks at
the camera with that tired smile, the one that's seen
absolutely everything, and you can tell he's proud of what
he built. WWE is holding this tournament for his final opponent.
(11:54):
Fans are waiting to see who gets that honor, who
gets to be the last name in the last match
of John Sena. But no matter who it is, Sena
will make them better, because that's what he does. John
(12:17):
Cena is more than the championships, more than the slogans,
more than the bright colors and the merch and the catchphrases.
He is the blueprint for what showing up looks like,
for what commitment looks like, for what carrying a company
on your back for two decades looks like. He inspired
(12:41):
kids who needed something to believe in. He broke records
just by caring about people. He made wrestling feel big,
even on the nights it felt small. He wasn't perfect,
he wasn't always loved, but he was always there, always giving,
(13:02):
always trying. And as he closes this chapter, we get
to say something simple. Thank you, Sina for everything, for
every moment, for every match, for every time you showed
us what hustle, loyalty, and respect actually mean. Friends, Thanks
(13:25):
for spending this time with me as we looked back
on the incredible career of John Cena. If you enjoyed
this episode, hit the subscribe button, Share it with someone
who grew up watching him too. Make sure you follow
us on our official Instagram account Wrestling with Freddy. Hit
that follow button on there. Let us know what you think,
(13:45):
what you love, everything, what you hate. Leave us a
review right here on Apple Podcasts and on Spotify. We
read them and Jeff might, as Freddie always says, whether
it's good or Jeff might, go ahead and pick up
on it, and we did live on the air. Listen,
(14:05):
let's just end this in the spirit of Sina, never
give up, keep going, keep listening. This is Wrestling with
Freddy on Sanctioned Thursday,
Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready shut us up? About
to hit the fan? Welcome to on sanction Thursdays are
wrestling with Friday. What's up? Everyone? Welcome back here to
Wrestling with Freddy. It is on sanctioned Thursday, and it
(00:26):
is me. It is producer Alex. You guys are not
used to me talking. I'm sorry. Most of the time
I'm either reading questions that you guys send in to
the guys, or I'm in the background, just in the
guys's ears, telling them the notes of the show and
keeping them in line. And you know how it is
(00:47):
the producer world. You guys are producers out there and
and some of you are say what's up? You know
it's a tough job, but someone has to do it.
And by the way, Freddy and Jeff are the most
professional two podcasters I know. They are really good at
what they do. We watch every single wrestling show. We
(01:07):
are in a group chat, just always chatting it up.
And I do think that their opinions, specifically Freddy's. Hey,
no hate Jeff, but Freddie, who has worked in the
industry or WWE, is essential in this business and it's
always good to hear his take on all the storylines,
(01:27):
and that's what we pride ourselves on our show. As
many of you know, there's a lot of wrestling shows
out there. Most of them love to talk wrestling like
we all do, and we all love to listen to
but ours, ours is on its own little genre. We
love to talk storytelling. We love to talk about everything
(01:48):
that goes on in the world of professional wrestling within
the storyboards. And you know, that's why we watch wrestling
and that's why we were praising AW so much nowadays
because they have really stepped up on their storytelling. Matches
are great too, by the way, you can tell an
entire story within a match as well, but we like
(02:09):
the lead in and the lead out of each story.
But talking about stories, I'm talking about the leading in
and leading outs. Today, I producer Alex. I'm putting together
this show this specific on sanctioned Thursday as a love
letter to a legend. I'm talking about John Cena. Now
(02:31):
he has just about less than a month left as
a in ring entertainer. So I wanted to put this
together and put it out there, and I'd love to
get you guys' take on this piece that I wrote
(02:51):
and I put together for the one and only John Cena. Now,
today's episode is dedicated to one of the greatest ever
to lace up a pair of boots. Twenty plus years
of storytelling, championships, heartbreak, surprises, and moments that shaped an
(03:13):
entire generation of fans. Now, this isn't just a recap
of his career. It's a thank you, a quiet nod
to a man who gave everything to this industry. So
why don't we start in the beginning. Now, John Cena
debuted on June twenty seventh, two thousand and two, on SmackDown.
(03:37):
He walked right up to Kurt Angle, an Olympic gold medalist,
and said the words nobody expected, ruthless aggression, and then
he slapped him, because that's what you do in pro wrestling.
Sina didn't win that night, but it didn't matter. The
message was sent. He was young, hungry and trying to
(04:02):
survive in a locker room full of giants rock Taker,
Big Show, Edge, Angle, Eddie Little. The people know that
he was almost fired, that's something people forget. Wwe didn't
know what to do with him, But then during a
European tour, he started rapping on the bus and That's
(04:26):
when everything changed. Vince heard it, Creative heard it, bands
heard it. The prototype became the doctor of Thugodomics, and
suddenly the kid who almost got cut became the loudest
voice in the room. Let's talk about the Doctor Hugonomics era.
(04:51):
His baggy jerseys, padlocks, freestyles that walked the line every week.
This era made Seen a star because he finally felt
like himself. He wasn't playing a character, he was living one.
He battled booker T Big Show RVD JBL. He won
(05:13):
the United States Championship and made it feel cool again.
He carried a spinner belt. He cut promos that were funny, disrespectful,
and sharp. Crowds started chanting with him, and then he
hit the ceiling. He wasn't just a mid car rapper anymore.
(05:35):
He was the guy which brings us to main event ascension,
the face of WWE. Wrestle Mania twenty one, Sena versus JBL.
Sena wins his first WWE Championship, and from that moment
(05:56):
on everything changed. For almost five fifteen years straight, he
was the top guy. The company ran through him. Pay
per view after pay per view, main event after main event,
merch crowds make a wish, the whole thing seen. It
(06:18):
became the heartbeat of WW. His most memorable rivals from
this era edge probably the rivalry that defined him the most.
Randy Orton two careers locked together forever, Battista, the Choose
(06:38):
Your Destiny feud, c M Punk Money in the Bank
two and eleven. What an iconic match, The Rock to
Wrestle Manias once in a lifetime twice, Rock Lesnar the
(07:00):
beatdown in twenty fourteen that felt like a crime scene
and through it all, Sina carried the weight like a pro.
Now let's talk about his championships. This dude has a
resume of a legend. He was WWE Undisputed and World
(07:22):
Heavyweight Champion seventeen times combined. He was WW United States
Champion five times. Just recently, he was an Intercontinental champion.
He won it on November tenth. WW Tag Team Champion
with the mizz and then with David Otunga. He was
(07:44):
World Tag Team Champion twice, once with Bautista and Sean Michaels,
Money in the Bank winner in twoenty twelve, Royal Rumble
winner in two thousand and eight. In two and thirteen,
ten Slammy Awards in total. He also has the most
(08:05):
Make a Wish wishes ever granted. Whether people booed him
or cheered him, they respected him. But all this didn't
come without its up and downs. Seeing his career wasn't perfect.
He was pushed hard, sometimes too hard. Crowds got tired
of the super Sena. They booed him, yelled at him,
(08:27):
tearned all their backs on him. But he never cracked.
He showed up every single week. He worked through injuries,
the torn triceps, the neck issues, the elbow surgeries, bruised everything.
He evolved when he needed to do. You guys remember
(08:47):
the US Open Challenge era. That was the rebirth of Sina,
a workhorse run where he had banger matches with Cisoro,
Sammy Zain, Kevin Owens Rollins. That run reminded fans he
wasn't just a pro machine. He was a wrestler and
a damn good one. Let's talk about his character evolutions.
(09:35):
Sina had three major versions of his character. The rookie
with ruthless aggression, trying to survive and proving that he belonged.
He was also the doctor of Thuganomics, a swagger filled
heel anti hero who won the crowd by accident. Then
he became the franchise, the company ace everything the brand
(10:00):
stood for, loyalty, respect, hustle, work, ethic. He kept the
colors bright, he kept the message simple, and over time,
kids loved him, adults respected him, and WWE leaned on
him to keep the machine running. He had a transition, though,
(10:23):
a transition to Hollywood. That was his next chapter. Scena
started taking small movie roles Marine twelve Rounds, nothing crazy,
but years later he hit comedy with train Wreck and
people realized, wait a second, John Cena is funny. Then Caine, Blockers, Bumblebee,
(10:46):
Fast Nine, Sulicide Squad, and his breakout role as peace
Maker Witch turned into a full HBO Max series. Scena
became what everyone said he never would be, a legit
crossover star. But through all of it, he never abandoned wrestling.
(11:08):
He kept coming back, big matches, surprise returns, He put
over younger talent. He showed up even when he didn't
have to, which leads us to the final run the
Goodbye Tour, and now as he approaches the end, every
(11:30):
appearance feels heavier, Every promo feels like a chapter closing
every match feels like a thank you. He looks at
the camera with that tired smile, the one that's seen
absolutely everything, and you can tell he's proud of what
he built. WWE is holding this tournament for his final opponent.
(11:54):
Fans are waiting to see who gets that honor, who
gets to be the last name in the last match
of John Sena. But no matter who it is, Sena
will make them better, because that's what he does. John
(12:17):
Cena is more than the championships, more than the slogans,
more than the bright colors and the merch and the catchphrases.
He is the blueprint for what showing up looks like,
for what commitment looks like, for what carrying a company
on your back for two decades looks like. He inspired
(12:41):
kids who needed something to believe in. He broke records
just by caring about people. He made wrestling feel big,
even on the nights it felt small. He wasn't perfect,
he wasn't always loved, but he was always there, always giving,
(13:02):
always trying. And as he closes this chapter, we get
to say something simple. Thank you, Sina for everything, for
every moment, for every match, for every time you showed
us what hustle, loyalty, and respect actually mean. Friends, Thanks
(13:25):
for spending this time with me as we looked back
on the incredible career of John Cena. If you enjoyed
this episode, hit the subscribe button, Share it with someone
who grew up watching him too. Make sure you follow
us on our official Instagram account Wrestling with Freddy. Hit
that follow button on there. Let us know what you think,
(13:45):
what you love, everything, what you hate. Leave us a
review right here on Apple Podcasts and on Spotify. We
read them and Jeff might, as Freddie always says, whether
it's good or Jeff might, go ahead and pick up
on it, and we did live on the air. Listen,
(14:05):
let's just end this in the spirit of Sina, never
give up, keep going, keep listening. This is Wrestling with
Freddy on Sanctioned Thursday,
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