John Cena and The Rock produced one of WWE’s biggest rivalries when they met in back-to-back WrestleMania main events, but the tension between them was not entirely part of the script. Looking back at that period, “The Cenation Leader” has explained that he damaged The Rock’s trust by going around him and publicly pushing for their marquee match instead of trying to build the program together.
The tension began as The Rock returned to WWE while also establishing himself in Hollywood. Cena publicly questioned Johnson’s commitment to wrestling, arguing that someone who truly loved WWE should be around more often. Those comments became part of the buildup to their WrestleMania XXVIII match, but Cena has since acknowledged that he could have handled the situation differently.
John Cena has previously described his mindset at the time as “short-sighted and selfish,” explaining that he wanted a major main-event match and chose to create the confrontation publicly rather than approaching The Rock privately. The comments were effective for the storyline, but Cena later acknowledged that they created genuine bad blood between the two performers.
Speaking about the situation again during an exclusive interview with “Club WWE,” Cena acknowledged that The Rock had every reason to be upset with him and explained why he now prefers working collaboratively:
“I know Rock was not happy with me. And if the shoe was on the other foot, I understand. I completely understand and empathize. Like, I don’t blame him for it. I just went rogue to try to book a match. This is in a lot of performers nowadays; as we get into more gray area, are taking this approach. Yes, you can get a match, and you can get some interest. I have had far more success being a collaborator.”
The WrestleMania XXVIII match ended with The Rock defeating Cena, while “The Chain Gang Soldier” later won their rematch at WrestleMania 29. Cena has said that he apologized to The Rock and his mother after their first ‘Mania match, and the two eventually repaired their relationship.
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John Cena Clarifies His ‘Soul Deal’ With The Rock
(Photo by Rich Freeda/WWE via Getty Images)
Their relationship later became part of another WWE storyline when The Rock attempted to convince Cody Rhodes to give him his “soul” ahead of WrestleMania 41. Rhodes rejected the offer at Elimination Chamber 2025, but Cena then turned on “The American Nightmare” and aligned himself with The Rock, leading fans to interpret the angle as Cena having effectively sold his own soul.
Cena has since rejected that interpretation. During a Fan Expo appearance, he made clear that his motivation was championship success rather than any secret agreement with The Rock.
“Is there a soul for sale? No, no. I just wanted to win a championship. The Rock does not have my soul. I don’t think he ever got Cody’s. I just want to make things clear. We did not have a soul deal, DJ and I. We have a good relationship. I don’t need to also give him my soul.”
The clarification fits with John Cena’s broader explanation of their relationship: what once created genuine friction has ultimately become a relationship he now views through the lens of experience and collaboration rather than competition.
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