John Cena and Batista had quite the epic rivalry in WWE.
John Cena recently sat down with WWE’s YouTube Channel for an exclusive interview. When asked about competing in a Last Man Standing match, Cena explained why it’s a fun match type to take part in.
“A Last Man Standing Match is a fun one because it’s a different construct,” John Cena said. “There is no three count or submission finish. It’s kind of about that level of punishment. All this stuff is so extra fun to be able to use as a performer because it’s not normal. So anytime we can do something like this, that’s really cool.”
When asked about his Last Man Standing match against Batista at Extreme Rules 2010, Cena said Batista’s biggest attribute is his perseverance.
“Dave’s biggest attribute is his perseverance,” John Cena said. “And I think all of the hurdles he put in front of himself learning about his perspective, his ability not to cave under those hurdles.”
A motivational rivalry?
When asked about Vince McMahon’s plan to compare the two WWE Superstars to motivate The Animal, Cena said he wasn’t aware of that.
“I didn’t know Vince was comparing the two of us to try to motivate him,” John Cena admitted. “I didn’t know there was any resentment to opportunities one would receive. But he didn’t care if it made him work harder. But I think it’s his perseverance that has got him where he is today.”
When asked about the finish of the match where Cena taped Batista to the turnbuckle so he couldn’t stand up, Cena said he had to use his brain to come up with that one.
“How do I keep a man who looks like Batista down? Well, I can’t do anything to knock him down for 10 seconds,” John Cena admitted. “So maybe if I can use my brain, and there should be some tape under the ring because they tape the ropes. I’ll just tape them up.
“And again, one of my biggest supporters but biggest critics, Michael Hayes, was like, ‘Let’s see you do it.’ And I was super sweaty, and the tape broke like 10 times, and what should it take in a quarter of the time ended up being extended and took a whole lot of time. So these are situations where I preach to young performers to be brave enough to try and fail.
“I think in a match with a different construct, where you don’t have to pin someone’s shoulders to the mat for three seconds, I think unique ideas like that, people have used, like forklifts to keep people down. I love that creative thinking. But man, that could have been smoother on my end.”
READ MORE: John Cena Comments On Fans Feeling ‘Possible Fatigue’ With Randy Orton Feud, Infamous Pyro Spot
What do you make of John Cena’s comments? Did you enjoy his WWE rivalry with Batista? Let us know your thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below.
If you use any of these quotes, please credit WWE with a link to this article for the transcription.
