John Cena talks about the WWE loss that defined his career and why ‘LOL Cena’s victory’ had to happen (Exclusive)

John Cena is one of the most decorated wrestlers in WWE history, and that meant he had to win. And he won big. Unfortunately, fans got a little tired of it, which led to the infamous “LOL Cena Wins” meme. But in an exclusive interview with Collider’s Steve Weintraub for Cena’s upcoming project, “What Drives You,” the 16-time world champion talked about the losses that shaped his career and the unparalleled performance he received at the height of his WWE career. He reflected on the need for consecutive wins. As a 16-time world champion, that means he has to win some big matches, but it also means he has lost the title 16 times, surprising the crowd and elating his opponents as well. He emphasized the importance of defeat.

“There were times when I won a lot and there were times when I lost a lot,” Cena said. “I don’t necessarily think it’s as impactful as I think it is. Whatever’s best for the business and the fans, that’s exactly what I’ll do.” When asked which matches were the most meaningful, Cena cited three matches that made his opponent a star or provided a surprise that fans weren’t expecting. He explained:

“The thing that comes to mind is definitely The Rock in Miami (at WrestleMania 28) who had a great loss. Kevin Owens’ debut (at Elimination Chamber 2015) was also great and really fun. Rob Van Dam at Hammerstein Ballroom (2006, ECW One Night Stand) You can always surprise people.

The three matches Cena mentioned were each interesting and unique. When The Rock and Cena faced off, The Rock was returning to wrestling for the first time in eight years. Their match was introduced as “once in a lifetime,” with Cena staying and Rock returning to Hollywood. However, the audience was stunned when Rock won. The next night, he declared that he intended to win the WWE Championship the following January, eventually facing Cena again the following year. If Rock had lost, there would have been no compelling story. “I don’t know if people can call it a match,” Cena admitted, reflecting on how the result shocked fans and set the stage for a rematch the following year.

As for Owens, the up-and-comer was the current WWE NXT Champion at the time. NXT continues to be WWE’s most promising talent development brand. It was a statement of intent for the wrestler to defeat Cena cleanly in his debut match, even if Cena went on to win the pair’s next two matches. Owens went on to become WWE World Champion himself and even faced Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania 38.

Finally, the match against RVD meant a lot considering the atmosphere in the Hammerstein Ballroom. Van Dam was the face of Extreme Championship Wrestling, but the crowd that night was hostile to Cena, holding signs that read, “If Cena wins, we’ll riot.” In an explosive ending, Van Dam stunned the crowd by pinning Cena to win the WWE Championship. The exciting atmosphere and Cena’s desire to defeat Van Dam made this match one of the most iconic in WWE history. “Yeah, that was pretty special,” Cena said.

LOL Why “China’s Victory” had to happen

For most of Cena’s career, especially during his peak years, it was a source of great frustration for fans that many of their favorite rising stars would reach a certain level and then lose to Cena, leading to the nickname “LOL Cena wins”. The expression has become established. Abbreviation for match predictability. But Cena was candid in explaining the reasoning behind his advantage and why it was necessary for the business at the time. he told Collider.

“One of the biggest stumbles in the middle of my career, spoiler alert, was that John won. What people don’t understand is that maybe we’re here looking back at this last run. I think you’re starting to think back and be like, ‘Hey, I’ve been working hard for a long time.’

Cena explained that for a rare defeat to actually mean anything, he has to be seen as having the upper hand, at least in his mind, and that’s no surprise. “Sometimes you have to win, and sometimes you have to win a lot, to make your losses impactful,” Cena said. “Any time you can transfer energy to someone, that’s kind of the life cycle of a business. You come into the unknown, spin a flywheel if you can, and on the way back you produce all the energy, and then I will pay it forward and give it to you.”

What Drives You is coming soon to Roku. Check out John Cena’s final year in WWE streaming every Monday night on Netflix.

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