Though initially pegged to be sidelined for as many as six months due to a triceps tear, John Cena will return to the ring after only two months on October 27 at Hell in a Cell to challenge Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship. WWE.com spoke to the 11-time WWE Champion and two-time World Heavyweight Champion about his injury, how it feels to watch Raw at home, and more.
Cena says he’s not surprised about his rapid return to the squared circle, as he’s “happy with the way everything has gone.”
“I didn’t feel too bad when the injury happened,” states Cena. “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.”
As a result of the recovery process, Cena can only catch up with Raw from the comfort of his own home as a fan. Cena, however, says watching the show as a fan “[is] something [he does] anyway.”
“It’s just in a greater capacity when you can no longer physically contribute,” said Cena. “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.”
Another question posed to Cena is whether his injuries will force him to alter his in-ring style. He says, “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].”
Much more is contained in the interview, as Cena discusses the recovery process, his upcoming match against Del Rio, going after the World Heavyweight Championship as opposed to the WWE Championship, learning Mandarin, and more. The full interview is available here.
