Welcome to the SI Media Podcast. I'm your host, Jimmy Trainer. No intro, no phone around. This week, big show because I've tried to get this guy for about two years for an interview, and not only do I have him, but he's kind enough to come into the studio. The legendary multimedia star John Cena. Interesting introduction, Thank you very much, here to promote a children's book. You do movies, you do TV w W superstar reality shows. So you are a multimedia superstar. You wrapped? Yeah, how about that? How about that? A multimedia star? Thank you very much. Usually how it starts the King of All Media. Now we have Johnson. I am not vying for the spot in the King. I'm just just trying to keep a place on the squad. So John, this is funny because I do you know, if you listen to the SI Media podcast, we have w w E people on often, but John is not here through w w E. He's here to promote a book called promoting Elbow Greets Elbow. Great. Yeah, how did you get into doing eight children's book? Uh? It's a weird six degrees of separation to w w E, which is my entire existence, everything kind of goes back to that nucleus um. So there's no denying those folks that pay attention to w w E. My fan base is young. Uh, it's it's usually family based and and very young fans. And the message that I continuously drive home throughout my story arc in w w E is one of hustle, loyalty and respect and one of never giving up. And also, uh, kind of tossed into the mix are the words rise above hate as well. Um. So I wanted to be able to create a different universe that isn't w w E because sometimes, and I don't know why, because we are a PG company, but sometimes, uh, you know, I'll hear from parents. I just won't let my kid watch yet. So I wanted to create something for young readers. I'm talking readers I don't know, three to three to six, three to seven, so they can enjoy the same aspirational conversation in a world that I loved as a kid. And I loved big machinery and I loved monster trucks. I had four brothers. Elbow Grease has four brothers, So it's kind of like a hodgepodge of the message I'm trying to send on WWE mixed with stuff that I enjoyed as a kid, kind of mix with my upbreaking right. So it is a picture book. Give us a little a very quick synopsis of what the sols out there can't expect from the book which is out today by the Yes. So what's great about elbow Grease? And this is what I think is the best thing that's going to be for young readers and parents reading to their children. It doesn't hate you over the head with a focused um topic of discussion, just naming the truck elbow grease instead of hard work. Because you're a young reader, is going to ask you, hey, what's elbow grease? And you can come up with a conversation and definition of what that is. Elbow Grease is special quality is gumption, So asking what's gumption? Like you you may even have to look that one up yourself. So it inspires conversation between people reading and young readers. And there really isn't anyone takeaway. It's in the book that elbow Grease never gives up, which is a very important message. But he's different than all of his brothers. He gets bullied, he doesn't um conform to the way that they want him to be. Like, there's a lot of cool messaging in there, and it's all really easy to read, Like I said, young readers three to seven. So it's it is a picture book and it's set in a very wonderfully illustrated, imaginative world. But there's a lot a lot of takeaways there that if you're a parent and you decide I want to focus on this with my child, you can, So I think that's excellent. So how does it come about that you get a children's book? Is it through w W W E? I mean no, I was approached to write uh an autobiography and I don't want to do that. You do not want to do that yet? Or that I'm in the w W way of doing business? Sir, You'd never say never, So it wasn't it's not time for me to do that yet. Um, but I I really did want to do something. And when breaking on the chain of supply and demand, like I said, the demand is from young people and they seem to gravitate towards the message. So if I could do something that a company like Random House is asking me to do, we would like to do a book and at the same time, send a great message to young readers. I think that's pretty special. It's pretty your versatility is impressive. I mean, well, I'm not afraid to fail, and I'm not afraid to try new things. I think we get comfortable in I'm good at this, so I'm just going to do this. I have failed tremendously, uh, but I just keep on trying and amazingly enough, that's kind of the ethos of Elbow Greece as well. Is it a conscious thing for you, though, that you want to be as diverse as possible? No, I just go after stuff that I enjoy. Like, um, I didn't search making a book. The book people found me in. Their original offer was an autobiography, to which wasn't a cold shoulder no, it was a no, but let's figure out something to do. And then we sat down and spoke and checked out what the best solution would be. And now we have Elbow Grease. And that's just one example of of all the things that I'm trying my hand at and some are successful and some aren't. And that's you just have to not be afraid to fail and enjoy what you do. Maybe it's my own immaturity. I just find it amusing. You've gone from a movie called cock Blockers to a children's well there's and this is this is another thing like don't get stuck in one phase. Uh. You know, it's so very difficult for WW superstars to transcend w W, which is why I ap applaud Dwayne Johnson because you we do our jobs so well that society knows you for nothing else. So I think taking chances like that. And I know for a fact there aren't too many three to seven year olds that are going to watch Blockers because you need parental consent, but it does. I don't want to alienate the adult audience. I'm a forty one year old man. I have an adult sense of humor. So once again doing what I love, telling jokes with very funny people and making a goof of myself Like I enjoy that, So there's no reason I shouldn't do it. And if a certain audience looks down on me or or um you know, I I don't know if anyone looks down, But that's that's the thing. I mean, why not do it all right exactly as long as I enjoy it all that's my that's my point. Yeah, Um, I think we've done a good job. Plug in the buck will plug it more. But let's uh talk about some other things that I want to I want to ask your showman talk about you want exactly what is John seen his status with ww right now? I know you just did the show in Australia couple of days ago. Um, are you on like a part time contract? Full time? They call you when they need you. I know you're doing a movie in China. No. I think this is the best way to put it. Um. I am very conscious of how long I have been in w w E. In fifteen years as a fully functional performer, I believe is a time span that is in rare company. And if you look at my story arc over the last few years, I would um and I I hate looking back. I'd like to look at the future. But this is only to put it in context. Uh. My last major event was Versus the Rock in New York and since then I've been utilized as a vehicle to try to enhance a new talent, which is great, but that's been going on for three or four years now. But even with the three or four years, I still have the reputation of being the one who holds back new talent. So if I'm consistently there, and it's very difficult to adapt new talent to the program because um maybe maybe for a subliminally that they rely on me for certain reasons. Taking myself out of that equation puts them in a position where they have to develop new talent. And I've tried my best to enhance new talent and developed them myself. But even when I'm in the running for the United States Championship, I love what I do and try to make it the best I possibly can. So with the US Open and that became a wonderful piece of television, or hey, we want you to go to WrestleMania as a fan. I that was great. That's one of the That's one of the storylines I'm the most proud of because it's sent a message basically not my final messages. I'm not done, but you know final in the way of full time performing where you shouldn't consider yourself too big for any role. And I really wanted to get that message across to the young performers and challenge myself to try to make that entertaining. But so you you said a few seconds or about a reputation for holding talent back. Do you think that you still have that reputation? You think that's dissipated. I don't care about the reputation I have. What I care about is the performance I give. But um, the easiest way to just silence that problem is take me out of the equation. Here's the crazy thing. All the people that have chastised me for staying around too long are now chastising me for not being around. So also a great exercise, and like, you'll never be able to please these people because they always need something to be cynical about. I guess that's why they're called critics. But I'm very happy now because it truly is. It's like it's like it was in two thousand and two when Randy and Dave and Brock and myself and Shelton and those guys came up and everybody left. We changed the name of the company, the XFL had failed. A bunch of superstars left, and now you're left with these new guys, and it's like sink or swim, and we just happen to have a very very talented group of individuals. And it was a long long swim. I mean, the stock was at seven Bucks for a long time, and now the fruits of our labor have kind of shown and the company is bigger than it's ever been. So I'm very excited for all the superstars now. I hope they understand in perspective, as Randy is is towards the end of his run, Dave's obviously having tremendous success in the movie business. He's another guy that's transcended the industry that deserves his just do um My, my my days as a full timers are certainly numbered, and that's has nothing to do with extracurricular activities. I just I can't. It's it's a forty one year old. I can't do it. If you look at anybody in my shoes, Chris Jericho had taken a break, Hogan certainly had taken a break. Um. I think the only guy that may fall into that category of not taking your break is Flair. But Austin had already been done, Rock was already to retire own point. So I mean, people are like, well, where are you going? Man, Like, I'm forty one dude, but I would, I mean, I should ask you instead of assuming, but just based on obviously your physique and you're working. I mean, you can't feel forty one day or no, I'm in the best shape of my life. But now as a you know, you're young, and you think you're indestructible, and then you get this job and you think that like it is a dream come true and you never want the dream to end. And I'm super grateful for for everything that I've done. But as a forty one year old man, especially someone who's at his attitude, chains about a lot of things in life. One of those things is how am I going to get around when I'm seventy? Right? How am I gonna get a wrong when I'm eighty. I can't look at forty one being like, well, I'm lucky if I make it past this year. I'm trying to do the best I can to live as healthy as I can. And I know for a fact like that, a full time WW schedule is a young man's game. If you if you right now at forty one, had a full time schedule, what what would take the bigger toll on on you the the actual performing in the ring or the traveling, because would just be it would just be the amount of hours in the day. So to give you an example, at twenty six or thirty two, I could literally just show up and go. And now, uh, I have to wake up every morning and break a sweat for twenty minutes and then stretch for thirty five minutes to get through a day of sitting down and doing interviews. So repeat that process on a day of a performance, then go work out, then go do it before a match, and then go cool down after a match, and then add all the logistics into everything. It's not that I can't go. I think that was the quote is I'm not as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was. Um, that's why, that's why all the the elder statesman should we say, can come back and perform at a high level once or twice or a few times. And I think that's where I fit best now because the days aren't long enough for me to do it five days a week. You end up. But when I was younger, it was easy. You show up, you perform, you move to the next one because you don't feel any like your bulletproof. But now in taking care of myself and I've I've had a wonderful career. And then my career is not over, it's it's changing, it's evolving. But my main concern now is my overall long term health. And I mean and that I've changed up my strength training. I don't use as much heavy weights as I used to. I still do all the same basic movements, but I'm not sitting under two kg for a squad like. I don't care about that. I don't care about the next thirty years of my life. What is there an injury? Is there a severe injury you've had that you still feel the effects of it? No? No, Like I'm I'm great, literally like I feel great. That's that's me physical as a spiritual person. And it's not Father Time. I want to I want to wage war against Father Time as long as I can, and I don't. And it's not the wrestling, it's not the in ring performance. It's everything and everything that has to do with a five day week and one day off repeat fifty two weeks a year. Um. I hate when people are like I did my time. I'm grateful being for being able to add to be asked to do that. I'm also and I need to say this, I am super grateful to the w w E for having understanding that I may need to take some time to reevaluate my life and like, that's huge on them, That's fantastic. It's it's interesting to hear you say all this is we're about thirteen fourteen hours removed from fifty three year old Shawn Michael's basically coming back as a you know, it's it's no but that's and that's what's great about w w E. It It is sports entertainment in pure sport. If you're gonna run the hundred meter at fifty three years old, I'm not going to Pencilly into the top three um in baseball. It's just it's the same thing where where the object is purely uh, fastest man wins or strongest man wins. We are entertainers, so as long as you can be entertaining, you have life. And I think that's very important because it gives guys. And I will say this and you'll hear it from anyone with an opinion who's ever been out in that ring. There is no feeling like being in the ring. Absolutely, it is the best feeling in the world. And if I could do it seven days a week, and that's why I did it, seven days a week for so very long. And that's why I still speak so highly of the company that I love and I will always love, and it's my family. But I just have to focus on now everything you said, I believe a hundred percent. You're convincing. There's no reason not to believe everything you've said. Um, But when you say this to Vince, is Vince uh just right off the bat gives you his blessing to go do your other thing and come back periodically, or is Vince like, listen, you're John F and Cina, we want you full time. No, I think there's I think there's um, certainly thoughts of that, But riddle me this, So I stay full time and continue these middle of the road storylines which I've been in and proud to be in. Uh, that don't necessarily move me forward, or they have the general conception of not moving the talent that I'm trying to develop forward. And that's the most painful thing. You invest all this time and labor into this guy, and whether it's something simple like um the promos with Roman, letting Roman know that there is another level to the game, and if you don't step up to that level, you don't have the right to call yourself someone at that level. That's what my job with Roman was supposed to be. And the great thing about Roman was he understood that and was open to it. And really, you want to talk about being vulnerable, he let it all hang out out there. He got his teeth knocked in out there verbally and shot back with one of what I thought was his best performances. So over the story arc of five weeks, he did learn right. But um, that was a great moment. And I asked Roman about this when he was on this podcast a few months ago. But there was a great moment and well, not great probably for him, but for viewers it was amusing where he forgot his lines at one point and you didn't miss a beat, and you know, encourage him to like, you know, you gotta keep going to trust me. Those are those are moments where, like you, we are, we are entertaining the customer, the consumer. And if you're going and that's another thing, if you're going to say you are at a certain level, that's the worst endorsement you can give yourself because you have to be at that level. And and fans will, especially w w E fans man, they're scrutinizing me about my haircut like that. They will get at about anything and everything, So especially if you say I'm a top level performer and perform sub top, they have every right to be like, remember when you said this, it's not exactly who you are. But I believe Roman is that and it was just my job to really try to bring that out of him. And I think, like I said, there was said, there was some slip ups at the beginning. I really think towards the end it was one of his his best emotional investments in a program that he's been in. I said this to John before we started, and I feel like Roman get such a bum rap because I've interviewed him a bunch of times. He's really great on these podcasts as a great personality. I asked him about flubbing his line. He got mad. He gave a great answer. Um, you know, I I think it's a little ridiculous. It's a w W. Roman has a tough h you keep in mind, and I kind of ruined this for everybody. I didn't know the content the format change did Attitude era was males eighteen and thirty five, and our program still draws heavy attraction from males eighteen to thirty five. But we're a PG program, which means your audience is a six year old. And I don't say don't cater to the eighteen of thirty five year olds, but you have to understand your audience starts at six or younger, so you have to give them essentially Shrek or Cars or the Lego movie. And sometimes eighteen and thirty five year old dudes don't want to watch the Lego movie, right, So I feel like you try to push it a little bit. You have to try to push, but don't think there's not a second that goes by in my mind that our audience isn't six. And if you watch how I perform in the ring, how I talk, even the fact like I remember losing. I remember a match with a J Styles in Los Angeles, the crowd being so uh four a j and against me, and I wanted to be able to entertain the audience and the element is right in front of me, so I the audience got to me that night. And the first thing I did in my post match interview was apologized for losing my cool because I want to send that message to the six year old. But I don't want to rob the live entertainment of the experience. So now you have this, we're our our Our audiences are so mixed. So there's never going to be a good guy that appeals to everyone. And nowadays it doesn't matter whether it be Roman. Take Roman out of the equation and put in someone else, the next guy, the next guy after them, even if it's someone who the fans endorse and then become the guy. It's a thing where like, okay, you as a company or going with this guy. No you're not, because we get to choose. But this was your choice a little bit ago. Nope. You gotta remember when Roman was with the Shield, everybody loved him right right, and he didn't really change much. He was very he was soft spoken, he didn't speak a lot. His actions spoke for him. He performs un incredibly well. He speaks much better now, he's much more comfortable in his role. I think his presence is phenomenal. Yet there's this giant uprising and I think a lot of it is because you can't tell us what to like. And that's okay, that's okay for a fan. It's just tough waters to navigate as a company. And it's also tough to try to build stars because even if someone has an underground sort of or an anti establishment sort of following, eventually you become the establishment, right and then what right? So you can't there's no long term sustainability just because of the reaction of the audience. But to me, you always just have to look at your consumer and you have to look at the analytics. People really like Roman reigns, and the numbers are there to prove it. Do you think, um, do you think you'd be at WrestleMania this year? I know you missed them at WrestleMania every year. Yeah, I know you miss Summer's lame in China, right, Yeah, I don't think. There's a great video video of you on YouTube in China eating the food, and so I've literally been living there since. It give me like a little tasty schedule here, because so you did you go to Australia from China? No? No, So I've been in Australia since June and I have a visa there that's only so many days, so you have to get out of the country to come back in. And this book was coming out, so they let me because I was right up into the money on my visa, they let me come back to America. I had a few sponsorship obligations with some sponsors that I was I had to fulfill fulfill those literally, shot a commercial all day Thursday into the night, jumped on the ten forty to Melbourne. Landed in Melbourne at nine thirty in the morning, got to the hotel, got to the building, broke a sweat, stretched, went out, did my thing. It was a a very wonderful evening. I think Bobby Lashly for for really helping me out as a teammate. I think those who saw the show, I understand what that means. Um. And then took a plane back here and now we have a week's worth of elbow Grease promotion and then I'm back to China. Unbelievable. I appreciate this because you did the Today Show before this, and you're doing Fallon after this, and how I'm in with that. Then we're doing a couple of signings in between, and uh so, I mean it's it's interesting times. Like you said, it's a trying out new things. I'm living in a new country, like I'm doing this children's book for the first time, So I'm I am really chasing my patent not to kiss your ask because you're here, but you've been phenomenal since the minute you've gotten here to do this podcast. Do you ever get sick of doing interviews? Do you ever think I think I'm tremendous that's okay, and amazingly enough with everything that I do, I think I'm tremendously misunderstood. And because people are so used to what they see on television, what's the biggest misconception? They think that I am what they see on television. But I think on television you seem like a good guy or a funny guy and hearted. And once again, the perception of that is is up to the viewer, like the perception that I I hold talent back. I never once have done that. I just go out and do my thing. But someone can look at the character John Cena and have disdain for that or disdain I'm not performing as a bad guy and that's the root of their criticism, or that I don't do great maneuvers, and that takes is the guy you see and makes him I don't like this guy. They're all entitled to their opinion, but man, I wish I could sit down and break down what we do. And I love I love talking about w W. I'm obsessed with it, absolutely obsessed with it, and I I love talking about like embracing the uncomfortable and going after stuff that you're you're you're passionate. What question are you sick of being asked by? You know, not one? Not even the hair thing is getting to every anymore. I just got the hair. I know it's ridiculous, but when I I said on Twitter yesterday the day before I'm interviewing John Cene if anyone has questions, I'll try to squeeze them in, and it was all about the hair. Yeah, yeah, And that it just goes to show how much we cherish these characters that come into our living room every week. Because I went out, I have to grow my hair for the role. Uh. And you're growing your hair for a role for what you're shooting in am currently filmed, So I cannot cut it because I still have two months left. Uh. And I show up as John Cena, but I don't look like John Cena. Um. And that made a lot of people angry, like viscerally angry, which is really cool because when I said this on the Today Show. Uh. In doing the book tour, I'm speaking to a lot of young readers, and if the conversation of cyber bullying ever comes up, I literally can look at my Twitter feed and show them, like, Hey, this is a real thing. Happens to everybody. People make fun of the way I look all the time. I choose to laugh at myself a little bit and deal with it with positive I think, because every day the story was changing. I think you're single, right now? What do the women think of the hair? That's the question, man, as as a as a forty one year old dude who's literally just trying so many new things in life. I'm embracing the fact that for the longest I've been insecure about the way I look and my hair or whatever. No, it's not. Morphia is a real thing and everybody struggles with it. I just lost twenty pounds in China, and man, did I get heat for that? Like that was the thing before the hair, Like, but I mean, you're gonna get heat for anything because you're just so big. I mean it can't well, not not necessarily. And by the way, thank you for the compliment. If I stay in my comfort zone. If I continue to walk the earth in George's a ball cap, a T shirt and wave my hand in front of my face, I will hear the same critiques. You only do five moves, you hold people but a little bit of that problem. But but that's what that's comfortable for people. The only things I've been criticized about as of late are the changes I've made to myself. So I just encourage people out there not to listen to any of that. But yes, and I'm starting from me. You know, as celebrities in the public eye, we often want to keep that comfortability because we don't want to ruin the dream. It's probably the only good thing I think about getting older is that you care less about zero f to get yes when you're you know, when you're in your twenties, you care They've got a lot of you don't give a fuck zero f R zero. So and that's here I am at forty with with a bunch of wisdom. I wish that, you know, I wish I could pass to a younger me. But that's a very important message just and I try to send this through my social channels. Be comfortable with you, love yourself and then go out and just live life. All right. Since you mentioned the social channels, let me get to that. That's fine here. Um, the Instagram you do that or or the people refer to it as you do that all yourself, and Twitter you do all yourself. I might have to check your phone some celebrities when it's that. Um, what's the word? Like? Your Twitter is very you know, inspirational quotes. You don't respond to anyone, which is smart. No, that's just my choice. It's not smart. I think you can engage in great conversation with people not on Twitter. I think that when you're that big and on Twitter. I really think you can, as long as you're accountable for everything you say. Just like we're having a conversation here that is going to go into the Twitter ethos and people are going to quote us and comment on us. I feel comfortable with everything I'm saying to you. I'm accountable for everything that I've said and everything I will say. So what's the difference? All right? So your Twitter is pretty straightforward. That's some good quotes you have to quote about recently. I thought it was interesting about taking time for yourself. It's not all about just the hustle, and you're realizing that now is important. Now your Instagram is different. Yes, what's that? Give me the philosophy behind the I G. You can read it in the description. It's just, but it is it? So tell me how you what's how you get a post? It's going to be a road to nowhere. But keep talking. How do you come up with what you put on Instagram? Is it that morning? Is it planned out? No? There is. There is meaning to everything that people will check out, and some of it is formulaic and some of it has a pattern, and I think those who follow it will be able to see the formulaic pattern. But now, yeah, like sometimes you'll post something timely, like something's in the news, and you'll post the a like a photo that's sort of round about. I don't know what's talking about you? No, I don't. I post images images that you can interpret as you see. Burt Reynolds, that's a straightforward you know, Burt pass You posted a picture of Burt Reynolds, or I could have watched Smoke in the band ATTENTI um. But then there's just a myriad of other things. But there's a lot of them. I don't get because I'm not smart enough to get it. It's not here's the thing about that. It's not about getting it right. It's about taking away something from it. And I think that's what's special about it. And I can't, I don't want to go into it any more than that, but I will say that everything posted as meaning and everything posted as value, and it is to the to the consumer. I think today we are hit over the head with so much hashtag and this is what's going on, and this is what I'm trying to borrow it, and this is what I'm trying to prove. It's literally just take this for what it is. And by the way, it is whatever you make it, and you do it all yourself. Allow myself. I have. I have some photoshop aid with some of the spectacular photo shopping that's going on there. You know, you do the photoshop, but you know I have, I have some help with that. But every everything is the brainchild of Yes, the Graham and Twitter. Do you read your mentions? Yeah all the time. That's how I told you. I get killed in the hair right right right right, all right? Yeah, I'll have to send you tweet see if you reply. Um, I don't really reply to people because what I mean, because it is a form for conversation and I just like to send the thought out there. Um. But I think it's a great way to see how people accept your thoughts, and so Instagram is used for what it is used for. Twitter is a great way for me to express It's been a great way for me to be vulnerable with the universe and be accountable for the things that I believe. I think, once you throw them out into the universe, like I feel like this, I can't wear never give up in my sleeve and then go quitting stuff, right, you know, without trying my best. I agree. I think the quote I enjoyed the quotes on Twitter. I favored it one. I think yesterday that I was when I was looking here, But of course now I'm not gonna be able to find it. Can I ask a question while you're looking? Because you brought up your younger self fort we're the same age, yes, so forty one year old John cena Es, what advice would you give to your thirteen, twelve or thirteen year old self when you just whenever you start got into wrestling. I think I would just be keep doing what you're doing. Like I say, you know, I'm the wisdom that I have at forty one. I'm sure I'll say the wisdom that I have at sixty I wish I could give to my forty one year or self. But that wisdom is that weird gift that you have to just earn through life. You have to live life. And I've been very fortunate to be surrounded by people at an early age that allowed me to live life, from going to boarding school as a teenager to never being really chastised for my personality, to being involved always with diverse groups of people, uh from ethnic back rounds, social backgrounds, from financial backgrounds. UM always been in the center of wonderful team activities where nothing truly relies on the individual and it's a lot team based. And I consider w W the same thing. Even though we have individual superstars, even the best superstar needs a wonderful opponent to get in there and make the performance wonderful. So UM, I don't know, and and and in in that profession, I've had a chance to see the world and see different areas of the world and meet different people. Uh So as a as a forty one year old talking to my thirteen year old, I would just say, just keep living, man, just keep living, okay. And one last one, would you be a fan of John Cen and the Wrestler? I'm not sure. I'm not sure. As we grew up in the time where you were either Hogan or Piper or Terry Fund, you know. So as a as a young boy, I absolutely would because I was a Hogan guy. But then and this is why I understand and I don't want to say I understand the audience so well, but this is why I can understand the audience's opinion because when I was a nineteen year old dude, I liked Steve Austin and for all the right reasons that a nineteen year old. So that's why I understand why there's a resentment from nineteen thirty year olds, maybe even as young as fourteen ish, like that rebellious teenage. There's nothing about me, rebellious nothing, and that's that's who I am. Like, I'm not a true conformist, but I do not think that the system is out to get me. And my thing is literally and this is just the way I live my life. Honesty, show up and work hard, and you will be rewarded for your hard work. I don't care what position you're in, I don't care who you work for. If you have the most nondescriptive profession and you kick ass, someone's going to be like, man, nice work. And repeat that process over and over again and you will get opportunity. And it's just a matter of being brave enough to be like, Okay, this is gonna be scary because it's it's not what I'm used to, but screw it, I'm gonna go for it. And literally that like I got my debut because the Undertaker was sick. You know, That's how I got the ruthless aggression thing. And then when that failed and I was about to be fired, somebody heard me. Stephanie heard me rapping on the back of the bus and was like, hey, do you want to wrap? And like that was embarrassing, but I was like, hell, yeah, I want to do it. And not only did I do it, I went for it. I want to dress outlandishly. I want to look outlandishly because I could see that we were in an era of genuine, real performance. Everyone wore boots and everyone wore tights, and everyone performed the same. I wasn't as skilled as those guys, but I love to entertain and I knew if I looked different at least that would make people go, that's the rap guy. And they did. And all I had to do was just perform at what I thought was giving everything I could, night in and night out. And I haven't wavered from that philosophy at all. Ever, if you show up and do good work, you'll talk to other people will be like this person helped me down this I don't. I can't give you a list of people who have liked me who have not liked me. I care about the noise that I hear where I'm when I'm out in the pit man, when I'm out in the ring, and all that politics bs is simply just that we are in the This is like the model of w W. E is the American dream. You go out and you get a chance to perform, and everyone stands up and makes noise. You did good. One of the best pieces of advice that Shawn Michael's ever gave me. It was loud, kid, you did really good. All right now, hearing you say all this stuff, this is I was always surprised, and I guess it's stupid to be surprised, considering the w W is the ultimate reality show if you think about it. But I was always surprised. I was surprised at first that you did Total Bella's Total Devas whatever it was at the time, and then and I was. I watched it because I was a huge John Cena fan, Heres keep Bella fan, Daniel Brian Bribella whatever. And I've said this on this podcast, I have written this for Sports Illustrated dot com. You deserved an Emmy nomination for your work on that show. Now, now, I'm sure you're gonna tell me it was a reel, But those scenes where you would say about We're gonna have coffee every morning, wine every night, don't do this in the house. Now, I don't know if that was acting not acting, but it was brilliant and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have to believe that was not a thousand percent accurate. I don't want you probably have like an NDA with E, but I don't know what you can say about that. What I can say is, I'm glad you thought it was entertaining. It was very entertaining. Yeah, I said that, man deserves an Emmy nomination. But I figured, you know, you probably can't talk too much about that, but what were the rules? Coffee? Coffee every morning and wine before All Right, I answered my question. That's all. I wanted to get Johnson Anemy nomination for his work. I wish I wish you could see the look on John's face. He's just like, but I'm actually not kidding. You have to watch the brilliant performance of John on that show, and I'm glad. I'm glad you're entertained. Yes, Um. I was also shocked that your breakup played out so publicly, Um, which maybe that's stupid considering your two public figures. Did it ever get to a point where you said to yourself, like, I can't believe this is going on so publicly? I mean it was I mean People Magazine Entertainment tonight, it was the coverage, it was, you know, I mean it was basically like you know, um, Megan and Prince Harry over there. Before we walked into the studio, I told you I would give you honesty. Yeah, that's all you're gonna get from me. Yes, Uh, we're not going to talk about that. Okay, that's fair enough. Yes, that's that's my personal business, and I'll keep it that way fair. I'm just about the coverage of it. Can we talk about that? Okay? Um, I was gonna ask you if you're on dating sites. Somebody on the street just asked me about that. TMZ caught me in the street and had it written down. No, that's cool, that's cool because Ken Well, let's talk with this, Ken John even be on a dating site, it's this is how people socially interact nowadays. Can I be on social media? Yes? Been social media and bumble well bumble Bees coming out. It's a great way to promote bumble Bee by being bumble Um. I just once again the stigma of trying to be perfect when you're in the public eye. So millions of these people flock to these social sites because they don't know how to meet people, and they realize that it's an easy way to connect. If I'm trying to meet someone, why shouldn't I be able to use this interface? You should? You shouldn't because of what I do with for a career. But I don't think who's saying you shouldn't, though. I think it's general perception that if you are in the public eye and you go to these connection sites that everyone else uses. Somehow you are of lesser value you as a human being. Well one, I love that you call it. When you call it general connection site, this is a people connected Yes, I like that term. Um listen, maybe I think that's old school thinking. I think in you would be surprised. Honestly, you would be surprised. And like I'm I'm not currently on any dating sites, but I mean, like I certainly not even Riyat. That's all celebrities you can be on that. I don't even know. Tinder. You can't do Tinder. That's you're too big for Tinder. See see what you just said right there. See what you just said right there. And this is the same person a minute ago that said this is two thousand and eighteen. There shouldn't be any perception. No, No, that what I'm saying is there. I'm saying you need to find the right dating site. No, you just proved your stereotype. I think you should be on other ones. You're too big for Tinder. So if I were to use this application, you would think negatively about me, because right now, no, you just said no, No, you just said thing negatively I'd be worried about you because I think the women who are on Tinder, you you want to be on like a riot, which is celebrities. That's the dating. No, no, no, I'd like you to finish your thought. The women on Tinder? What why would you Why would you feel worried? It depends what you're looking for. Are you looking for a wife or you're looking for just a casual hook up? I have no idea. Well, if you want a wife, you look, you're gonna find a wife on Tinder. You don't know that. You don't know that. And by the way, you having that closed minded opinion to that form of social networking is the reason that I can't use those apps. I disagree. No, go on, bumble go on, hinge go. There's plenty of that. You literally are proving the stereotype correct. Hey, no, no, don't worry about it. There's no stereotype. Here's the thing. This is a weird thing because you don't know me, but I feel like I know you. I feel like I'm friend with you. I'm worried about John C and my friend. I don't want you on Tinder. You're You're better than that. You completely with every word you're saying are proving the fact that there is a stereotype that's someone like me or someone in the public eye can't use these avenues of connection that millions of people find relationships. I would say this, I would even go so far as to say this, Now, I'll really get you mad. I don't think you can be in a serious relationship with someone who's not famous our celebrity and ridiculous. And there you have it. You that is, you're too big. That's ridiculous. I know you're going to say that. No, that is absolutely ridiculous, talking about like a long term could lead to marriage relationship that I think that is so. The sadness and the short sidedness of that is so that's why he wears glasses so horrible, Like really that and that's it's thinking like that. That is what's wrong. No, that's bro, that's just wrong. We're all human beings being mess up like everybody else. Everyone a lifestyle with travel and being on the road. That's finding a person with similar value beliefs. That doesn't mean I can't not find someone like that through digital information. I agree with that, and that does No, you're hitting me right between the eyes with your interpretation. I can't be with someone who's not famous. Why because they don't value or believe. Because they don't, they're not gonna understand your skin. It's totally not true, all right, totally not true. And I think you're not only are you putting uh my position on a pedestal, but you're undercutting everyone else that isn't in the public eye. And that's a shame. All Right, I'm sorry, I apologize, apology accepted, thank you? All right? Since I messed up there, Since I mess up there with a chair, let's talk about the Make a Wish Foundation? Sure would that be? That? That will make up from bro trust me that no, No, I and I love an honest debate. But this is this is something nobody ever talks about because celebrities try to keep that image and it's a lot of the problem is on on the celebrity themselves, like they well, I can't be seen doing that because it will ruin my character. I'm a guy who can write a children's boo, who can meet a kid with a life threatening illness and have a wonderful connection with their family and drink a beer out of my asshole, right, we have, We've seen it all. Yes, because I don't care. I just want to do stuff. But having passionate about and stuff that's good and I don't the rolodex of but this will ruin your career doesn't go through my mind. Like you said at forty one, I have a lot less s to give. So when I hear stuff like you can't do this. The question the guy asked me in the street about dating sites, the same one you have. My agent is right next to me, longtime friend, I'm known for fifteen years. We've done a lot of great business together. He turned white and started shaking his head. I'll answer every question right, and I'll answered honestly, and I'll answer directly. You want to breach something that I don't want to talk about, my answer is we're not going to talk about that. I just feel that it's wrong for people to place us and or place anyone in the public eye on that level of like, hey, you can't do this, you're essentially not human. No, I'm no, no, no, I listen. I don't want to fight with John c on my own podcast, Debt. Never do an interview with me again. You've said all this, You've kicked my ass. You've won the debate, but you're still not on any dating websites. If it was, it's also not about winning and losing a discussion. Well that's why I don't argue with people on Twitter because people think it's a fight, and it's Yeah, it's about addressing the uncomfortable topic, right, But you're still not on any of the dating sites, so that so maybe you I'm getting crap for my belief, but you're proving me right by not being on any dating site. Like any good person making a decision that has to do with the future of their life, I am researching everything to make sure that I'm making the right decision, good answer, so hopefully I can find somebody some side of connection that fits my description. All right, let's talk about make a wish. When you started doing because if you don't know, I'm sure you do. No one has. No celebrity has done more maker wishes, granted more maker wishes. I should say, then, John Cina, when you started doing these? But when did you did you ever say in your head like I'm gonna do more of these than anyone else, or when did you get to the point where I know you didn't, but you wasn't. But you had to have gotten to a point where someone may had to say to you, you know, you're about to become the guy who's doing more of these than anyone. I mean, how did it become such a staple for you? The only reason that the staple is publicized is to raise awareness for the charity, and it's um. For the longest time, I did so many of the Make a Wishes and I didn't want anyone to say anything. And then w W started publicizing its relationship with Make a Wish, and you could see the line move in monetary contribution. So while you publicize this is something, this connection is private and this connection is personal and you never want someone to feel like it's not. So that's very thin ice. But at the same time, the more awareness you bring to the charity, the more people will donate time and resources, which is how you make more wishes. So the only reason you hear about a total, and the only reason you hear my name connected with that total is so people can be like, I wonder what Make a Wish is like and I want to find out more about that. And it works. But also the I mean, we've seen videos of you with you know, the kids, and um, you know how anyone could see that and not realize what a great organization it is. And and that's the whole Just you giving your time is I mean, don't discount that. That's you know your your time is bad. And I don't mean just writing a check. If you want to volunteer your time or I've also donated frequent flyer miles. There's a bunch of different stuff you can do to help Make a Wish and everyone every I think everyone reaches a point where they they gravitate towards cause, and I think everyone hopefully reaches a point in their life where philanthropy becomes important. You talk to anyone who will do a podcast and they'll probably say, well, I got this charity or I'm supporting this cause. Early on, I really developed a strong connection with Make a Wish. And I think it's wonderful because the kids chosen. It is their wish. It's not like you're an extra thing, like they want to meet this person or they want to go to this place, and it's their one wish, and that wish can provide tremendous hope and the power of hope can do some really really cool things. So I've seen it. I've been a part of it. And I think once you're a part of something in a philanthropic sense that you feel special about, you just won't stop. And I you know, having been successful at this for a long time now, I definitely could have developed my own charitable cause I don't want to do that. I like make a wish. Really, there's no company that does a better job with the chatty something w W ay sure and the Hall of Fame they have the award now I mean anti bullying and reading challenges and and and they really they really have become a nice cornerstone of philanthrops. I was lucky enough about a month ago, two months ago Special Olympics as well. Yeah yeah, I um, we did something with Dalve Ziggler, followed him around for a day and he was doing something at a school here in New York. And it just the kids get so into it and they gets so into seeing that w W I think that's a wonderfully unique thing about w W E because it is this live, larger than life performance. But these people will actually come to where you are, do you know. It was a big deal when you got to five hundred. You know how many you're up to now with the Yeah, it's over five hundred. Make a witches, which it's pretty well as long as I'm invited. That's That's the one thing that I wish I could find a way to balance everything because I know the w W fans attention span is very short, and the longer I stay away from the product, the easier it is to forget me. It happens with everyone, and that's the one thing. But the one thing about the w W I think just as a fan, it does seem like everybody comes back. I mean, no, that's true, that's true. But when you're in it on a daily basis, and when you're a regular, full time player, you have the opportunity to do more of that stuff. Absolutely, And in trying to find balance for the next term of my life, that's the one thing that's that's difficult to manage, Like how do I continue that? So I'm still trying to figure that out. Um, switching gears. This this is the Sports Illustrated media podcast it should be. And I know you're a Boston guy, foreign country for four months, this conversation is going to be awesome. Well, I'm just so, are you more? Are you a Red Sox Patriots, Brewin Celtics fan? I this is gonna be rotten. I have no geographical allegiance, so you have no favorite teams. I enjoy teams that perform well. And I don't mean like I really enjoy the Patriots for the same reason I enjoy a program like Alabama to be able to perform well at an elite level year after year, regardless of setbacks. That says something about how you how you expect people to perform for you, Like I just think the dynasty that is the New York Yankees is fantastic. And as a growing up in Boston, you're taught to hate the Yankees. But as every good good guy needs a good bad guy, what would the Boston fans do without the Yankees? And I don't think it's reciprocal. I don't think the Yankees are like what will we do without the Red Sox? But a little I mean they are the number one rival by far. I mean in here. I mean I'm a diehard Yankee fan and here in New York. You know, I've always said, you know something, you know, there's this thing with the Yankees in the Mets because they're both in New York. But I know it's a Yank fan. I couldn't care less about the Mets. It's all about the Red Sox. For me. The Mets are irrelevant compared to the Red Sox, and in fact, they're in the same division. And that that's why it met many times they've been at the top, kind of you know, vying for that top spot. I love sports stories and and those stories and sport. I think here's what gravitates us towards. We were talking off air about like crazy instances of fandom, and I think all those fans superstitions are wonderful. It's that's how deep sports resonates with us. That's how aligned we are to these organizations and how faithful we are these teams. Give me I'm sure you have many, but if you can, you give me one crazy fans story where I don't know if someone has come to your hotel room or someone has tackled you on the street. No super crazy moments, just uh. I'm really good about making people understand the situation. Like if people fall you into a bathroom and want to take a picture, I will absolutely be like we're in a bathroom. I'm about to either urinate or urinate and defecate. Are you sure you want to kind of hang out right now, because that's what you're asking. So just making people aware. I think sometimes we see people and it's like WHOA, I didn't think I would ever see that person, and we lose track of time, context or like what's going on. So not nothing super by the way, I also understand that, um, the only times I feel bad or is if like traveling back and forth to Australia a flight I could not us when I'm dragging my bags to the terminal and people like, hey, man, you got two minutes. I don't know that I don't, but it's it's I try to be as genuine as I can. You can follow me or like I don't, but that's different. I mean, listen, if you're in an airport and you don't have time and someone company, that's different than following you in the bathroom. Man, can we can we have some manners here in society. But at the same time, like a lot of times when working out, people will just um, you know, a lot of times you feel like a like an exhibit. People will just have their cameras on all the time, and you kind of go through a little bit of an ark of acceptance. You're you're very abrasive to it in the beginning, and then you kind of realize that, like, well, if those people weren't taking videos, I wouldn't be able to do my job. So it just becomes a nature of the beast. And uh, in the way that I live. If I need privacy, I have privacy. But when you when you're out, you're out. Now you've said you've lost about twenty pounds or so in China, is that because of what you're eating? You're working out differently? Just working out differently. When I when I signed on for this movie with Jackie Chan, they me to go over with this Jackie Chance stunt team and train for about a month. Uh, And in doing that, their main focus is flexibility, something which I'm not really skilled at. I don't know if you've seen me run before on WW television, but it's quite awkward. So you never felt like who did that tightest? When you listen, I'm not gonna lie as much as I am a huge John Cena fan, if you ran to the ring and felt it would be good for me because I write a column every dance what's illustrated, have a video to but in there get good traffics. So thank you, no problem. I'm not going to intentionally do that, but no, it was just m I'm used. I was used to training a certain way and added about two hours to four hours of additional activity every day. So it's it's basically like, hey, I drive ten miles to work every day, and then your commute goes to sixty miles, You're going to burn more gas, right, So I just I'm doing more work. So always like to ask athletes, especially ones in phenomenal shape, give me like a general round about what you eat in a day. Two milligrams of caffeine, three point five liters of water, grams of protein, approximately thirty five calories, most of it dominated by protein and fat. I would say, even close to sixty nine grams of fat, with thirty five grams of carbohydrates, probably thirty five grams of dietary fiber, and every multip item and spectrum, hopefully within the USDA guidelines. Okay, that answers that? Is that like a ketto diet type of thing there. I just try to genuine And that's the thing, Like, I don't have any secret uh to to performing, to nutrition, to health. I work hard and I do the stuff that sucks every day. When I stretch it's super painful, but my body feels great afterwards. And I eat things that I enjoy. But I eat healthy things that I enjoy. We all know what's crappy, and we all know what's not crappy. Right, I just try to eat the nut crappy. Yeah, I have the opposite problem, unfortunately. Do you follow the rock on Instagram? I followed no One on Instagram? Or the Graham? Have you ever seen no by the way, elaborate one of those? What does that mean? What do you mean? Like? Please? What do you mean? Throw us a bone and follow someone? Enjoy the fun? Or follow no One? Well, here's here's what I was going to say. Or follow no One and said an example. Yeah, I guess interaction is good. Interaction is good. I still have tons of interaction with people on Instagram. You comment, you like, reply to people. That's not interacting. No, it is. Look at the comments. Yeah, but you don't then respond to the comment. Doesn't It doesn't need a response. Do you know the thrill someone would get if John Cena responded to them, the thrill would be of orgasmic length, and then the experiment would be over and that would be that. The reason I asked if you follow the rock on Instagram is because he posts photos of his cheap meals. Okay, and it's usually like eight seven pancakes and fifty seven chocolate chip because some handcakes loves some cookies. So I was wondering, like the John's sina, I can't say that, John sena cheap meal is like if you have a cheap meal, and what I think it's I think, once again, I know the stuff that's not good and the stuff that's good. And I think when we use the term cheat, I hate that term because it's it kind of it's just as a negative connotation. But when I decided to eat something not good, I know that it's not good. No, I just can't. But if you're gonna eat something not good, what does John Cena go for? Love baked goods, huge ice cream? Fan? Yeah? Like red wine? Huge red wine? That could be healthy though if you do it in moderation. Everything is healthy in moderation, my man, everything how well? I mean, could you have red wine one today? Or is that he's been known to I've been known to go on a few days round, I've having red wine once a day. There you go. I've also been known and going a long run without anyone? Right? Uh? Did I read you know to know? That wasn't you? Someone else? Not a beer drinker, That wasn't you. I'm not anymore, Yeah, not anymore? Yeah, yeah, I'm open wine guy. Yeah. Um so over in China, I don't know if you. I mean, I'm sure you don't have in China. Isn't that where you offer five months? I'm sure you don't have a ton of time to watch TV or movies. But um, what are you doing? Like the Netflix thing? To be entertained over there? You're not keeping with anything. My entertainment is in being immersed in a new culture. I barely watch television. If I do, I make sure it's I just turned on the Hotel TV. I watch CCTV, so it's in Chinese anyway. Um, so you know watching any shows? Johnson is not watching whatever game of throw which is big head father, small no, small head father, big head children children, that's a that's a popular kids to show. The kid TV. Yeah, well, I'd like to get I'd like to watch kids programming because the language is simple, so I can kind of understand. Uh so, so no Netflix while you're in China. Oh man, I'm just like it was such a great experience and still going on. But I also wanted to give it the most, Like I didn't want to go, Oh, this is a great chance to binge watch whatever. No, this is a great chance to be dropped in a country where I have no idea what's going on. I can kind of speak, so I can kind of survive. Let's just see how it plays out. How many languages do you speak just to just to just to and and uh my, Mangrain's about as good as manguig, which is both pretty shitty. Um I could keep going. I don't know if they have to like times, I mean, I could just talk about what I keep going. I'll tell you what we'll get. We'll give you a few more, we'll give you a few more, We'll give you the old Yeah. Yeah, yeah, I just just say, like I've had enough. What what do you make of your match against the Undertaker? There was a lot of talk about that, um Man, Just like the haircut. There's talk about every time I perform and we're in a critical environment and if people aren't happy with my performance, they sure as hell can voice their opinion. I loved WrestleMania. It's one of the like I said, it's one of the performances and lead ups that I'm extremely proud of because of the challenge of the story. Uh. It went from literally no one believing that the w w E would put a healthy John Cena on the bench to me in the crowd at two pm drinking beers with fans and I said, I'm going did you have security with you? I told them to get the hell away from me, so you all by yourself. So they were back because they didn't want to make it a liability. But I was in that section by myself, and it was awesome because WrestleMania, as you know, is long. And they opened the door like they opened the doors at like two thirty, and they wanted to just shuffle me out there at five pm for a quick on camera and then again I said, no, I'm a fan, give me my ticket. I'm going to my seat, and by the way, give me a beer and some suff toat because I know I'm gonna be out there for a long time. And when you're around the same uh, I don't know, six to a thousand people, there's that rush of like, man, this guy's out here now. And then after hour three, like I'm literally nudging them, they're nudging me like that. I just see that. That was great. It was awesome. I hope that one day every superstar can sit in the seats and be with the fans. It was a super rewarding experience. And I don't think that could translate to the home viewer, but anyone in my section, we'll tell you. I loved it and for what it needed to be. My job in the performance was to make the Undertaker look like the Undertaker, and I believe we achieved that objective. And if someone critically thinks that we should have had more time, that's a better criticism than saying we should have had less time. That's why you get that much less. Um what has been I don't want to I want to keep things positive. But someone no, no, no, no fireway. Someone to what has been your least favorite storyline or feud? I not one, not one, because even sometimes you need to work a little bit more with performers than others. But I think the thing with me is everyone knows that when I come out, they're going to get something genuine, and they don't necessarily know what I'm going to say or what other people are going to say about me. And I've always let people just like, hey, do what you want, and and to try to encourage somebody to be like, hey, this is the story I think we should tell. I think this will be interesting. To get them on the same page sometimes takes more work than other people. But once you have that agreement of like, this is the direction we're going, everyone is awesome. So I could I could tell you that I liked this story or this story or this story. I just told you that when I'm most proud of is being a fan, So like it's I don't I don't see anyone as a negative. And that's another thing that really irks me as a professional is when guys are like, either I hate to use inside Baseball, but it is sports illustrated. They're booking me wrong, right, bullshit right. If you are given a chance, go down swinging. And I think one person who does this spectacular is the miss. Well, it's funny, it's very funny you mentioned the miss because I think the best thing the w w A from an entertainment standpoint has done in the last couple of years was the feud with MS and Maurice, with you and Nikki when the miss when they did the the the vignettes spoofing Total Bella's. I had the miss on after that and I told him I thought that that's where I brought up John con if you win an Emmy for total uh total Bellas, which I stand by, Um, that was phenomenal. Did you have a hand in any of the stuff he did? When you first saw it was at the first time you were experienced, So so you you have a choice. You can either be like bring bring your best out there, or you can I think it were much better when people put their minds together and say how can we make this the best we can and keep in mind, uh, there was some offensive things that I said about miss and and then the repercussions were the spoof and that the point of that story is we really had a long talk about this and they It was very much similar to the feud I had with Dwayne. Dwayne is on his own planet. Man, he is just there's no one like him, So when you face Dwayne Johnson, you have to try to become equal to Dwayne Johnson. Dwayne Johnson doesn't need to become any better. And the situation of the miss, seeing as we've wrestled so many times before, we kind of had to bring them up a few notches and the spoof was the perfect thing to show that he doesn't care and he's willing to to say whatever and do whatever. And it was super entertaining. So that's what I'm saying. When you saw it, did you expect it to be that good? Were You're like, oh, ship, that is good. No, I expected it to be great. And you know what, like the honesty that Mike had and telling me like, this is what we think. What do you think? I think it's fantastic and look on his family, Sure, yes, I think it's gonna be great, and then seeing his face like no better. Because when you talk about this weeks months earlier, there's those are uncomfortable conversations because essentially you're like, this is what I'm going to come at you, this is what you're gonna come at me. So sometimes if there is a bit of animosity there, those those conversations can be very uncomfortable, but there's all of our performers will say the same thing. There is no better feeling then going out and knowing that you did well and the noise you did it was really loud. You did really good. There's like the smile on people's face and the feeling of internal happiness you can't hide. And I remember those vignettes airing and seeing mis b me like, at the very least I could make someone happy and give someone the confidence that they're like, hey man, you may be better and you may want to go at this a different way, and this is how you may want to think from now on. He works his ass off and he makes even the most trivial storylines super entertaining. That's the definition of a pro and fascinating. Background coming from MTV is the real world. And it doesn't matter. Well, no, I'm just saying it's it's it's an interesting life that he's had. He's at a fantastic here. We are talking about a children's book, you know, So it doesn't matter the fact is that he loves what he does and he's invested in I also think that it's guys get a bad rap when they come into the business or something that's that's just a different culture and I'm so glad that that doesn't exist. Holy hell, Yes, Well give me an exist, you know, talk about his case. I don't want to, but give me what what's something what back in the day, What was something a WW superstar could do that would get them heat in the locker room or not. I don't know. It's it's it's just the culture of like, we're a traveling family that works really hard and makes a lot of sacrifices to be in this job. We just want to make sure that you have the same passion we do. So anytime someone's passion was put into question, you kind of rock the boat a little bit. And nowadays, because of the way we recruit talent from n x T and the development they get in n x T, you're passionate about it when you show up, no matter who you are, and and the I think the thing that's finally been brought to the surfaces. If you're not, you don't need the locker room to get upset. You will get crucified in front of the audience, so they know if you're authentic or if you're not. And if you're not Dell, either booyah or they'll go up and get a hot dog. And in one essence, getting booed is good. Going up and get a hot dog not so good. Well that's the thing that Roman has going for. I mean that promo aster are they're making Mania where they boot him for twenty minutes And he said basically three words, and I went back to a lot of room and once again confidence. Um, were you the first w W superstar to have the bus to travel from city to city? No? No, there was. There was a few before me, but in trying to we talked about logistics and time certainly not cost effective. Well, I was gonna say, now that you're not a full time superstar, where is the bus? What happens to the bus? It's getting a nice rest. Nice rest, got a lot of miles, so we're trying to trying to keep it under lease. Miles means I can't drive it another foot, so U no, But it's just it was I was on a quest, especially towards I think probably when I hit about thirty four. Um, you know, I just really could. I just couldn't go like I used to. So I was on a quest to just buy time and even now and you know, at forty one, the biggest investment I make every single year is on buying minutes, buying more time. Right, Yeah, well they always say time, you know. I heard. Um it was a very good interview James Cordon. I don't know if you're a fan of his. He yeah, yeah. He was on how It's turned about a year ago and talked about how he has this whole thing about how time is more important than money and I've always known it, but the way he explained that it hit me about money can be a great vehicle to buy time, right right? Um, all right, I've kept you long enough, so elbow greece, let me get back to it, because that is why you're here. Appreciate covered everything in between. You have really covered everything in between? You are you? Are you happy with everything? Um? I feel bad that I, you know, insulted you about the dating site. Look, that's making you feel guilt, which is not because now maybe you reevaluate your opinion on like, hey man, do I treat celebrities unfairly? Do I treat people in the public eye unfairly? Do I treat women on Tinder? Unfairly because I view Tinder like you'll go back and look at all these things. That's the cool thing. It's not about women. Men are animals on Tinder to it. Okay, So do I treat men wrong? On this is? Do I treat dating sites wrong? Like all this stuff? Like? That's what's good about the conversation, man, nod blood. I love being able to talk about this stuff. And I think the biggest thing is undressing addressing the uncomfortable situation. I thought it would be like a funny little question because you did have this public, very public relationship that ended. But how does how does a forty one year old get back in the dating game? I don't know. I'm trying to figure that out. Well, at least you have a topic for like your young adults. Now, now you're gonna rip me if I say it would be easier for forty one year old who's John Cena to get back in the dating well, actually that's not true. It's probably you've got a lot of issues. See look at this. Not see that's awesome because you were just about to stay bro, it'll be great, you'll be no wait a second, no, wait, wait, it may be different. But that goes back to why I think a celebrity is probably best for once again, I just wouldn't you should choose your words? Can you go? Can you go into a bar and have a drink? You can't? And but you don't tell me you don't recognize at all. I I go to dinner myself a lot. As a matter of fact. It's one of the things that I love. But you say, give me the private room in the back. When he was all go right to the bar, I go right in the middle of everything, and like people are people are genuinely good, and I guess I'm I guess I'm a half full type of guy. Do you think it changes though from where you are? Like are some cities because I've had athletes tell me, like in New York they can walk down the streeting cares. But if they're in l A and they walk down the street, people flock that but defined caring. Like, okay, so this is what I want to say. Like we were on the street when you got here, and I saw people at the phone. The phones came out right away, people whatever. So like when I leave the house, that that comes. I hope, I hope that's always there because if that's always there, it means I can still work. But what I mean by people are good is all they really want to do is say hello. And if I'm out enjoying myself, especially alone, that pretty much means that time is on my side. So if you want to come over and say hi, totally cool, all right, and like that's I think that's the thing that people don't get, Like that's why I sit at the bar and not a private room, because I'm not an unapproachable person. If i have to be somewhere or if I'm in the middle of doing something, schedule comes first, Like, Hey, this is my livelihood. I kind of got to attend to my livelihood. You feel like hanging around till after no problem, but genuinely going out like that, I'm very grateful for that problem. Hey man, you have a bunch of people that know you and would like to meet you, and you've affected their life in some way. Well, if you're on all day, like let's say today, you did it today, show, you're doing this, you're doing the book, signed, book signing after that elbow Grease Out Today, picture book about persevering, And I think and it's you know, ten o'clock tonight. You may want to go have a drink and not be bothered. No I will, But like if I want to go days, you've got to be exhausted though, And so those are the days that if I do want to drink in private, I will stay in private, like I have a hotel room. If that if I need to shut the door, and that's that, I will go there. If I go to a public place, I assume that I'm in public. You want to go way Yankees, Red Sox tonight somewhere. I really want to do this book signing and parts of Noble because I really want to meet a ton of people that are interested in I didn't expect, so, you know, I I would schedule, schedule, takes precedent. We're doing the book signing after foulon. Actually, oh really, I'll show you're all doing town. Okay, all right? Will you watch Yankees, Red Sox tonight or you don't care? Okay, it's not it's not the most important thing and my evening. The most important thing of my evening is meeting people who are fans of the book. Well, the book is Elbow Grease and it is out. Now, what give me the age bracket. You think young readers. Okay, so this is not exactly a venue to look for young readers. But I know there's a lot of family folks out there, and there's a lot of parents out there, people listening, uncles out there, my friend's got a kid or whatever. It's a wonderful story that you can take a bunch of stuff away. It doesn't hit you over the head with anything special. It's about a crazy universe filled with lifelike monster trucks that are fun for kids to read and they can take away like crazy definitions of the word gumption and helvoets, which is always fun. And do we know do we have a date on when you will be in a w W W W E ring again? So, so I have to go back to China to film this movie. I will be done the movie November, but they've carved out time, just like they did for Australia. I will go to Crown Jewel which is November two in Saudi Arabia, and then bumble Me Global Promotion starts November. So I'll come home from Beijing on and then head back out and I believe that tour includes if I'm not mistaken in Berlin, UK Korea, Hong Kong, Elain, New York, Miami. So that'll probably take me up to about the one when Bumblebee comes out. That's December twenty one. If you want to see Bumblebee, it's gonna be great. Uh. And then after that, I kind of don't know what's going on. There's some there's a few things that may maybe some opportunities to come up, and if they come up, I believe that I'm gonna take them. Uh. And if if they don't happen, which always happens in the movie business, then I will return home, which I'm I'm very anxious to do. Anyway, Are you open to any role in the movie business. I just so if you, thank you very much if you saw any of my early stuff. I was soured on the movie business very early, and I think that was just by trying to to appreciate and please my boss who was trying to develop a business model. So I did a lot of projects that I didn't like. I love performing live, It's what I love the most. But I've been fortunate enough to have a few movies or people like I liked you in that movie. So I'm getting a lot more choices on the projects that I do. I only and making a movie isn't just making the movie. It doesn't stop when they say you're wrapped. I'm doing it's worth of promotion. So if you don't like what you're doing, not only is every twelve to sixteen hour day gonna suck, but then when they ask you to do these podcasts, it's also going to suck. You can tell the book because we've been talking for ninety minutes. So it's really important for me to like what I do. So I'm saying, would you do a serious movie role if it was I'll do anything. Okay, I'll do anything like and And that's Dwayne seems very focused on like one genre, but that's fine. It's my thing is Step one, read it, And my litmus test is if I can read it cover to cover in one sitting because I'm a slow reader. And if I can read a d page script in one sitting, it's like, WHOA, all right, who's working on this? And then you kind of find out the infrastructure and you want to I want to never be the smartest guy in the room, so I want to be surrounded with great people and surround myself with a great team, and then hopefully everything lines up so you don't overlap anything and they allow you to. And then my question is always, well, can I carve out a few dates to do uh? To go back home? Like carving out Australia and Saudi were very important to me to be able to be at those shows. So it's it's a big balancing act, but it's something that I enjoy and hopefully I'll be able to It's it's a good first world problem to have, ye, definitely, So I really appreciate the time. I'm I'm very grateful all the time you give me for this interview was very lengthy and appreciate it. To to three years again, two years to get yes, so I figured we'd see you another two years. Um, I was hoping for bumblebee. I was gonna be like, that's gonna hopefully we're in the neighborhood. In the neighborhood. Yeah, Um, I do appreciate it. I'll tell you what, let's see how this one does. I don't know if anyone's gonna listen. I think we've just been wasting airtime. I totally disagree. If you get decent traction on this. Don't lie to me. I have I have people that can check your analytics. I don't see why we couldn't conversate again. I would, but if it's wasted both of our time, we all know the time. Well, here's the deal, you know what. I am at the point now where like even if no one listened to this, I enjoyed this. So yeah, but in that case, it's just me for coffee. I said, let's go watch Yankees Red Sox tonight. That would be awesome, but I just can't. All right, coffee, then that's fine, all right, I appreciate it, all right, John Cena, my new best friend. Here's the thing I'm not. I don't mean this is not an insult to you. No, no, no, I gotta I gotta ladies right this moment of with all due respect, Yeah, I've had this thing your head, your head, I don't know it's okay, this running running thing on Twitter. It's a total gay type where I'm obsessed with the rock to the point where I got the rock. Somehow I scammed him into following me on Twitter, which and in my Twitter bio, I said, the rock follows me. The rock is out John Cena is my no, no, no, don't do that. Let's not do that. The Rock will never do this podcast ever. By the way, never say never, and I think you on yourself way short. Uh he's a phenomenal dude. He's the hardest working guy in entertainment. Uh, he's certainly. I'm inspired by him, like hundreds of millions of people around the world. And uh, never, never say never. Never, very I'm gonna tell you a very funny story that happened two weeks ago. Since you're in a movie called Blockers, you can appreciate this because I felt like I was blocked. So I get an email. I get an email and uh, it says, uh, Dwayne the Rock Johnson's new show interview opportunity. So now the hearts racing a little bit, blood's pumping. I opened the email and it was a very nice publicist and it was like, Hi, Jimmy, UM, I see you're a big fan of The Rock. I saw your Twitter that he follows you. It's very funny. UM, I have an opportunity for The Rock. He's hosting this new game show on NBC. UM, we'd love for you to come down and you can interview now at this point, I'm shaking. I'm like, I'm finally gonna interview the Rock and it's like you can interview the executive producer and one of the other co hosts, and it was just and then I just I just crashed because I well, no, I didn't take it because it was in l A. I'm here in New York. I did right back and I said, um, is there an interview opportunity with Dwayne? And they wrote back and said no, And I said, I can't go to my boss at s I, So can you pay you know, a couple of thousand for me to fly to l A to interview the executive producer. We're about to dive into what's called a teachable moment. I was just going to say the same thing as somebody who's been for It was literally two days before I would have had the flight. What have we been talking about this whole time? Opportunity knocked at your door and you gave excuses on how to keep yourself comfortable if they won't pay for the ticket, and it's something, if it's something you really want to do, if it's a life there was no interview with Dwayne. If it's a life goal to interview The Rock, and this is opportunity to talk to his co executive producer and a co host of the show. I would have paid for it myself. I would have been as polished as I could have been. I would have knocked the interview out of the park. Because if you don't think those two people don't talk to Dwayne and or their publicity team, you're insane. Here's so when they asked about like, Hi, how is the guy from Sports Illustrated? Wow? Wow, he was fantastic. You don't just say I want to play baseball and they throw you a cap for the Yankees. You have to crawl through the crap and come out clean on the other side. And if you really wanted to do this, if this is really a goal in your life, not like I want my boss to pay for it. If your goal is I want to speak to The Rock, why wouldn't you invest in the channels to do the legwork to speak to the Rock? Because I know how this business works. I've done an excuse to keep yourself. I would not have gotten the Rock. The Rock is not doing it. You don't know, he's never done a podcast. It doesn't matter you wouldn't have gotten him today, you wouldn't have gotten him two weeks ago. But here's the thing I knew in my head. In two weeks I've got John Cena. I don't need the rock once again, an excuse to keep yourself coming. I went to China the first time in two thousand and ten and looked around and asked a question, why isn't w W WE here? All I see is people live entertainment is at its peak. These people enjoy being entertained. And in two thousand and ten I publicly said I will get the w W in China. Eight years later and I still have failed, failed, and I do not give up. We will. We won one event a year, we have. I believe there's so much room for expansion, in in licensing, in television presence, and especially in live event presence. Eight years of me working my ass off, studying the language, living over there, and I still have failed. But it is something I want to do, and it's something I think. It's something you just haven't accomplished it yet. You will, you know what, you know what? It would be easy. It just didn't work out. No, it's been eight years, eight years, who's who's who's blocking that event or it's not a block. It's not a block. It's just the fact that the culture has to understand what we do. And I am doing everything, including changing my offensive repertoire, to try to involve Mandarin and try to connect the two cultures, because I believe in the Chinese culture and their acceptance of what we do. Once we get there, I think it's going to be huge. I may go off into the sunset it having failed at this goal, but I can tell you damn straight, I've done everything I possibly can. I took a thirteen hour flight to spend nine hours on the ground in Shanghai to perform the last time we had an event there, just to take a thirteen hour flight back to go back to work, and I do it again in a heart pet Why Because it's a goal of mine, and it's one that's not financially rewarding. I see very little of that. If the WW becomes a success in in the in in China, the current generation, we'll see financial reward from there. So it's not about money. It's I said I want to do this, and I really want to do it, and I'm taking all the steps possible to do it. So when you ask yourself, I want to talk the rock, do you really? Oh I do? No, you don't. I'll tell you right now. You don't because you had a chance. And then you're like no, I'm good. No, No, I didn't have a chance because I think, listen, I do think there'll be a time where he's promoting a movie and I'll be able to get him for an interview. I don't think you'll ever do a podcast. He doesn't do a podcast because I know, like listen, Stone Colds asked him, he doesn't do it. Jr. Has asked me as he's gonna do those guys before he does me. He doesn't known me from a hole in the wall. He's friends with those. If you're listening at home, please listen to the amount of excuses. It's no, this will never happen. It's not gonna happen because of this. It's not gonna happen because of that. Here's and I'm thinking about and by the way, man, by the way, it may never happen. Right, but if you try your absolute best, no, no, if you try your absolute best over a long period of time and it still does not happen. Then it certainly wasn't because of lack of effort on your part. How did you get the Rock to follow you? It was really embarrassing. Okay, that's know, it's fun. Let's let's embrace it. Well, okay, So I have gotten many replies from the Rock on Twitter because I do write about him a lot on this side dot com. So in my in the back of my head, he the guy knows who I am because it's Sports Illustrated. I know he respects Sports illustrat He was on the cover and he retweeted and replies to me a bunch of times. So I said, I'm gonna it was my birthday. I said, the only thing I want from my from my birthday is to followed from the Rocks. He was nice enough to follow me, okay, which was a big deal. I think I deserve credit because I've been professional and mature and have not slid into his d m s and said can we do an inter of you. I've you know, I don't want to bother him. He's the Rock. I asked you how you got the Rock to follow you, and this was your response. I have covered the rocks career multiple times. I have written multiple articles about the rock, to which he was very happy with, and he always admired my work and what I had to say about him. A little bit of a stretch and over a long period of time, at the end of a long period of covering his career, I asked him for a favor that probably should have never happened. We shouldn't have asked. I mean, it's so doch it's not and he granted it. I thought I didn't think he'd even see it. For you not to get that it works After that, I just don't see it. You have to. It didn't. You couldn't not write an article and just say, hey man, follow me for my birthday. You put in the time to establish your relationship. You admire the dude. You certainly cover his work. You were kind with your words, and you weren't doche with your ask Like you said, you didn't haunt him on his direct message. You took as professional approach as you could at the same time embracing that embarrassing moment of like, hey man, I really do dig you. Could you follow me on my birthday? Of me in the world? And he did it on the same amount of work to try to speak to this guy. All right, I will do that time under tension, over a long period of time. I'm not saying it will happen, but I'm saying you're certainly going to have a better chance. The bottom line is, even even though we had a little dispute about the day the rocks out, John Cena, know what I don't want you to do is keep yourself in a comfortable spot and give up on something that you actually want to do. Because I will tell you this, having talked to Dwayne a bunch of times. Every time I see that dude and can sit with him, he has he has what he says, he has elect christity and energy, and when you sit and talk with him, you are inspired. So I don't know how he's going to change your life, but I know he's gonna do it. And if you can talk to him, and you put the time in to talk to him, you'll walk away going ma'am, that was a great experience. And if you put in a ton of time to talk to him and it doesn't work out, you will learn something from the experience also of value to you. I just don't think it's a waste, So don't switch the leaderboard. Yet I'm always number two in a lot of people's eyes. So keep me as a big number two. And I'm happy there. I'm happy there. That's that's that's great. But keep that, dude, But just work towards it. If it's something you really want to do, please work toward doing it. Just do like Elbow Grease does. I was gonna say the message from John Cena, never give up? How about you? Elbow base picture buck for kids at another ninety minutes. Have we sunk the ship? No, this is perfect, this is awesome. Thank you so much. Actually, now I actually do have to make my exit because I think I have to do something. I'm gonna do something to make I'm not even I'm just gonna say that wraps up this edition of this pot illustrated media podcast. My thanks to John. You can't see you, and we'll see you next week. Do you know about the locked On Podcast Network? The number one daily sports podcast network. Locked On has a daily podcast on every NBA and NFL team, plus a growing lineup of college and MLB teams. You get a daily, bite sized podcast giving you the latest on your team from the local experts. Lakers fans search locked on Lakers. Cowboys fans search locked on Cowboys. Just search Locked on your favorite team on Apple podcasts or Google podcasts, or tell your smart speaker to play podcast. Locked on your favorite team, Locked on podcast network your team every day