John Cena says he regrets former beef with Dwayne Johnson

'I was so selfish'

Cena started a feud with 'The Rock' a decade ago, when they faced off against one another as major WWE stars.

On Thursday’s episode of the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, Cena said he “would like to think” the pair – who both have gone on to have hugely successful acting careers - have “always been good, except for one little patch where I really messed up.”

Cena was referring to the time in 2011 when Johnson returned to the world of WWE after almost a decade away.

Cena took this as a provocation and an opportunity to “call him out” and challenge him to fight.

The 'Trainwreck' actor explained he now believes he started the feud because he “got selfish" and didn't have "any concept of growth or someone else’s perspective” because of how much he was "living WWE" at that point in time.

“My view was, if you love something, be there every day. What a hypocrite I am, because I still love WWE and I can’t go all the time. And I just didn’t see that, I was so selfish.”

The beef culminated in two much-hyped Wrestlemania matches - including Wrestlemania 29 in April 2013 - which both drew huge viewing figures.

“I wanted a main event marquee match because it would (be) better (for) what I thought was the business. And that’s so shortsighted and selfish,” Cena said.

He continued: "It worked but it worked at the cost of two people who communicated and almost put it in jeopardy.

"It was almost at the cost of our friendship, which I would like to say now is in a really good place.”

Since the beef, Cena and Johnson have gone on to develop a great relationship, and have appeared in each other's films.

In 2019, Cena cameoed as himself in Johnson's film 'Fighting With My Family', with Johnson appearing in an uncredited cameo as Hobbs in 'Fast X,' which stars Cena.

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