John Cena Addresses WWE/TKO Having Ownership Over His Real Name, Criticism Over His Apology to China

During a recent interview with The Guardian, former WWE Superstar and 17-time WWE Champion John Cena discussed WWE and parent company TKO having ownership over his real name, why he doesn’t seek to be the poster child for positive masculinity, and more. He also addressed facing criticism over the China and Taiwan incident, and his loyalty to WWE with the company promoting huge events in Saudi Arabia. Below are some highlights:

John Cena on WWE/TKO Owning His Legal Name

“John Cena is who I am as a human being, and there is a company – WWE/TKO – that has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the intellectual property of the character John Cena. And rightfully so; they have earned their share of ownership of that. … I prefer to use the word choice … When we say yes to something, we say no to everything else.”

On Being Reluctant To Assume the Mantle as a Face for Positive Masculinity or Male Role Models

“Rather than trying to take the reins of a movement or be the poster child for something, I’m just trying to be me. The appetite for a certain kind of manhood is just supply and demand. My advice would be: go get it. … [The system] is real fragile … if I say I’m going to be the showcase of masculinity and the supply-and-demand chain pivots in five minutes, I’m **** out of luck.”

On Facing Criticism Over His Response to Referring to Taiwan as a Country

“Just because you know the language doesn’t mean you know the culture. I got way too overconfident. I thought I was the smartest guy in the room.”

On His Loyalty to WWE in the Face of Criticism, Such as Shows in Saudi Arabia

“WWE offers a universal language of diplomacy. So, to your question of: ‘Hey, the thing that you’re in is sometimes criticised for the moves that it makes as an entity – is that difficult?’ Of course it is, especially when you believe in the entity.”

Fans might recall that during the press tour for the release of F9, Cena referred to Taiwan as a country, which became a hot-button issue. Cena later delivered an apology to China, which caused backlash for him in the US, as the move was viewed as Cena capitulating to China.

Cena revealed to The Guardian that the backlash was so overwhelming that he told writer-director James Gunn that he’d understand if he fired him from the Peacemaker issue as a result of the issue.