WWE.COM: Are you at all surprised that you’re coming back so quickly?
CENA:
No, I’m happy with the way everything has gone. I didn’t feel too bad
when the injury happened. It started to really be a pain in my neck
about two weeks before SummerSlam. I had to tell the greatest surgeon in
the world that I have a physical therapy team that I’m extremely
familiar with. In doing therapy, it’s good to know that the therapist
will push you. A lot of times, people are reserved or maybe scared of
testing what your body is capable of. I’m not. I have complete faith in
my surgeon. When it was time to test range of motion a little bit or
test strength a little bit, a lot of people — if it’s their first
surgery — they want to wait a few weeks before they do that. I kind of
want to say, “Hey I got a new arm. Let’s see how it works.”
WWE.COM: Are you in the gym lifting weights already or you’re not quite up to that yet?
CENA:
I started weight training 16 days after surgery, because I had to wait
for the stitches. The biggest concern with this whole thing was the risk
of infection. After I got the stitches out at about 14 days, it took
two days for the wound to heal up, and that’s when I could actually
start breaking a sweat. So, those first two weeks were tough.
WWE.COM: What are you doing in those two weeks? Give me a picture of John Cena at home on the mend.
CENA:
A lot of ice, a lot of electronic stimulation, a lot of strengthening
everything around the elbow, shoulder rehab, grip strength. Physical
therapy twice a day, six days a week.
WWE.COM: When you have some free time, what kind of stuff do you do to keep your mind off of things?
CENA: I’m either studying Chinese or spending much-needed personal time with a beautiful woman.
WWE.COM: How’s your Chinese?
CENA: It’s getting better every day.
WWE.COM: Are we talking Mandarin or Cantonese?
CENA: Mandarin.
WWE.COM:
When we last saw you, you lost the WWE Title to Daniel Bryan. How do
you feel about coming back and going for the World Heavyweight Title
instead? What do you feel the distinction is between those two titles?
CENA:
I see them all as opportunities. For me, I’m hugely thankful for being
able to get this opportunity. Daniel certainly did deserve to be called
the WWE Champion and because of the circumstances and sorry state of
affairs that’s happened to him, you can’t help but feel sympathy for the
guy. But I just want to be back and I want to be back in any capacity
that I can. For me to get any match is fine. For me to be thrown right
into the mix and be named No. 1 Contender for the World Heavyweight
Championship is a blessing.
WWE.COM: Do you anticipate having that rematch with Bryan down the road?
CENA:
Eventually, yeah. I don’t think Daniel Bryan is gonna hang up those
boots anytime soon, certainly not. So I don’t see why it wouldn’t.
WWE.COM:
Do you think you’re missing out on a big moment by returning sooner
than expected and not in your hometown of Boston at Survivor Series?
CENA:
The big moments for me are moments when I can actually contribute. For
me to want to hold off, especially if I’m ready to compete and be part
of the active WWE roster, I think that’s just selfish. I don’t want to
do that. I want to be back in the ring and in front of the WWE Universe,
because I miss them and I hope they miss me.
WWE.COM: When you’re not on the road and not on television every week, are you sitting down and watching Raw every week?
CENA: Every week.
WWE.COM: When you do that, are you picturing how it would be if you were there or how the show might be different?
CENA:
Not at all. Having done this a few times, it’s actually a nice little
refresher to be able to watch. You gotta remember, I was a member of the
WWE Universe before I was a WWE Superstar. It’s really nice to know,
“Hey, I’m not going to be back until that date. There’s nothing I can
do.” Right now, if I were to be frustrated or upset, it’s a waste of my
own time, because I can’t physically contribute anything. So, I just
watch and enjoy with an unbiased eye, be entertained, be not
entertained, but just enjoy the show.
WWE.COM: What’s that like for a 10-year-plus veteran and enormous star to distance yourself and watch Raw as a fan?
CENA:
It’s something I do anyway. It’s just in a greater capacity when you
can no longer physically contribute. At all Live Events, I’m watching
somewhere, whether peeking behind a curtain or peering at a TV
backstage. I watch just as much WWE as almost anyone, but I love to.
It’s something I enjoy doing. I don’t force myself to watch. I get
excited for Mondays. I get excited to see the show.
WWE.COM:
You haven’t had many injuries and when you are gone, you’re gone for
very short periods. But do you feel, over time, these injuries force you
to change how you perform in the ring?
CENA: If
you broke down my technique, it wouldn’t really take a rocket scientist
to do so. I don’t know how you could take something so basic and do less
[
laughs].
WWE.COM: What’s your frame of mind coming back to face Alberto Del Rio at Hell in a Cell in Miami?
CENA:
I’m just so excited to be coming back. You have no idea. Being injured
is tough. I know this is a business where you only have a certain window
to perform in, and being here for 11 years now, that window closes
every day, so I want to spend every day that I can in the ring. I’m
driving back from the Performance Center right now, having gotten in one
of the seven practice rings that are over there, just giving myself a
last little test. Everything feels good. I know Alberto Del Rio is at
the top of his game, but man, he’s gonna be hard-pressed to have a
decent night in Miami. I want to make Miami special.
Source: wwe.com
