“I thought it was the right decision,” Ross said. “The legacy of John Cena, the feeling of John Cena, his career, the whole nine yards, it’s just that winning or losing wasn’t going to affect that. It’s over. It’s always over.” Ross briefly debated whether or not he would consider Cena the absolute best of all time, but gave up on placing him among the top four wrestlers WWE has ever had.
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“Tony Soprano didn’t need to shoot one more person to be a bad guy,” Ross added, comparing Cena to the fictional mob boss many consider one of the greatest television characters of all time. “That’s like John Cena! All those big wins? John stood out and became much better than I ever thought he would be,” the veteran expressed, recalling how the trainer he spoke to when he scouted Cena claimed that the future WWE veteran had a crazy work ethic back then.
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Jim Ross claims Vince McMahon initially disagreed with him about John Cena’s star power
Despite stating that he couldn’t imagine John Cena being the big star he is today, Jim Ross still praised “The Champion” and admitted that he was attracted to him and knew he would become a big deal in WWE.
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“I told (Vince), I said, ‘I just found a guy who’s going to be a starter at WrestleMania. I just found a kid who has all the intangibles we’re looking for,'” Ross recalled, citing that Cena had all the qualities they’re looking for, specifically being a team player and having experience in a locker room. “Vince thought I was crazy and said, ‘You’re just sleep deprived’ or something!”
Ross added that all the talk about Cena has brought back many of his memories of scouting him for WWE years ago.
“He deserves everything he has earned. And I emphasized the word ‘earned,'” the veteran said. Ross then returned to the final match, praising GUNTHER for his body transformation and suggesting that he has an incredible work ethic while also calling him a blessing to the promotion. “I think (WWE) did the right thing,” he said. “I’m a big fan of his. I’m a big fan of his! I guarantee you one thing: everyone, everyone on the WWE roster, and they’re great talent, but if I had a territory and I just won the lottery and I’m going to start my own territory and do a draft, I promise you: GUNTHER will be very close to the top step… of my draft.”
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “Grilling JR” and provide ah/ta Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
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Read the original article on Wrestling Inc.