The stage is set for an epic showdown at WWE WrestleMania 39 as John Cena and Austin Theory prepare to face off for the coveted United States Championship. The two wrestlers have been engaging in a war of words both inside and outside the ring, with tensions escalating in recent weeks.
While Austin Theory has always looked up to Cena as his favorite WWE superstar, the upcoming match has put their relationship to the test. In a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet, Theory revealed just how much Cena has influenced his career and how the two first met during his early days in NXT.
“Man, the first conversation came about at the Performance Center one day when we were all leaving. We got told ‘Hey, just everybody stay, we’re gonna have a little meeting before everybody leaves.’ Out comes John Cena. He took the time out of his day to come down there and talk to everyone who’s aspiring to be on the main roster.
A lot of us weren’t even on NXT TV then, so this was the very beginning for me. He told us ‘I’ll answer any questions you guys have but if there’s anybody that wants to talk to me personally, I’ll stay here all day. I’ll go into this office room and you guys one by one can come in there.’
I remember waiting like three hours to talk to him and I just went in there, I remember the first thing I showed him was the picture of me as a kid where I couldn’t afford the actual shirt and wristbands, so I made my off brand stuff. I was eight years old and I showed him the picture and was like ‘Man, this is probably crazy but check it out.’ He was like ‘That’s not crazy, that was awesome.’ We got to sit there, I really just asked everything I could because this is the source, this is the man that held it down for well over a decade. It was a lot for me to take in at the time, you know, because he was spitting knowledge but I’m still, woah, this is John Cena. I’m just trying to take everything in. That moment specifically I’ll never forget.”
Austin Theory
It remains to be seen how WWE will continue to build the feud between John Cena and Austin Theory leading up to WrestleMania 39. However, fans are eagerly anticipating Cena’s return to the Grandest Stage Of Them All and are excited to see what’s in store for him.
H/T to Ringside News
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