John Cena on the Notion that he Buries Young Talent

You can’t see me….if you’re covered in dirt. You’ll hear a lot of things about John Cena and it’s hard to say which of them are true and which of them are people complaining about him due to just not being a fan. However, one major issue that he can’t shake is the notion tha the buries other talent. Now Cena is getting the change to respond.

In a new interview with Thewrap.com, Cena discussed this very topic and didn’t hold back when saying how he didn’t think he was guilty of burying other talent. Cena says he’s willing to go as far as anyone else on the mic and expects nothing but their best, with the understanding that he’ll be bringing his best as well. Here are his comments:

I just believe you bring your best to every story and you bring your best to every fight. And if my skills aren’t as good, then it’s time to step back. It’s just a matter of believing in myself and going out there and speaking from the heart. I believe that sometimes that’s something missing in some of the WWE storylines … being honest and brave enough to put everything out there on the table.

I’ve always done that, and I think the same could be said about multiple storylines with multiple Superstars … and it’s always with me. This is why I have the reputation of quote-unquote “burying younger talent,” because I will let them do whatever they want with me — and then after they get done, they’re not as motivated. So, it’s not that I sink their ship, it’s that they fail to operate at an elite level. And I’m on to the next person, [to] whom I say, “Hey man, bring your best punch and I’m gonna punch back” — and they don’t take that attitude beyond me.

I take that approach to everyone. The Miz story couldn’t be a better example of that, because when that story started … no one wanted to see that match. No one. I made it a point to have everyone work as hard as they could to change everyone’s mind. And now here you are, months after the fact, saying that was one of the most entertaining things done on television. That just goes to show you that it’s all just about how much you’re willing to invest and how strongly you believe in what you want to do.

You can read the full interview here.

Opinion: While I’ve occasionally bought into the notion that Cena buries talent, it’s hard to argue with what he says here. Cena does have a history of taking something that should have next to no interest and building something out of it. Take the US Open Challenge for instance. How many people did Cena give their best match of the year or possibly their careers? He has one great match and promo after another and you have to expect him to come out on top more often than not.