John Cena has admitted he once broke Vince McMahon‘s trust by pursuing a business opportunity without first discussing it with the former WWE chairman.
Speaking on the Wild Card podcast, the 17-time world champion revealed he had explored getting involved with a social networking start-up while under a WWE contract, acknowledging that he should have consulted Vince McMahon before pursuing the venture.
“One time, I tried to get involved with an entrepreneurial social network startup, and I didn’t tell my boss, and we talked about everything,” Cena said. “In potentially being a part of the startup, my name’s John Cena, so I would essentially be leveraging intellectual property. That’s a team decision. I love and trust my boss; he’s far more than my boss.”
John Cena explained that McMahon eventually learned about the discussions, but instead of reacting angrily, he calmly outlined the possible business and contractual consequences.
“My boss found out, and to be honest, he was great,” Cena said. “He walked me through it, like, okay, this is the choice you’ve made, let’s walk through all the tentacles of what might happen. In a moment, it was a direct violation of trust to somebody I had worked for years.”
Reflecting on the conversation, Cena praised McMahon for his patience and willingness to understand why he had considered the opportunity.
“It was a moment where he could’ve just gone nuclear, because trust takes years to build and moments to destroy. He didn’t. He had patience, tolerance, and I think, possibly as an entrepreneur himself, he tried to put himself in my shoes and walked through it. It took five minutes or less to realize, ‘I’m such an idiot.’ I immediately called the company back and said, ‘I’m out, this isn’t for me.'”
John Cena Says His Talk With Vince McMahon Made Him Decline The Offer
John Cena ultimately decided against joining the start-up, saying his discussion with Vince McMahon helped him recognise the wider implications of pursuing an outside business venture while representing WWE.
Since retiring from full-time in-ring competition, Cena has remained involved with WWE. He recently announced plans for the John Cena Classic tournament, which is intended to showcase emerging talent, although he has acknowledged the company is still working through details of the format, including concerns over fan voting being manipulated by bots or multiple accounts.
