John Cena Revives WWE Alter-Ego For One Night
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Undisputed WWE Champion John Cena, currently on a dominant heel run during his 2025 retirement tour, recently gave WWE fans a delightful and unexpected throwback at CCXP Mexico. The 17-time World Champion embraced Mexican culture by briefly bringing back his iconic and humorous masked alter ego, "Juan Cena."
The memorable moment occurred when, during a panel conversation, the host presented Cena with a Lucha Libre mask and playfully asked if he would bring back the character. Initially, Cena laughed and expressed playful uncertainty.
JUAN CENA NA CCXP MX!!!
John Cena fez a alegria dos fãs mexicanos ao vestir máscara de Lucha Libre no Palco Omelete. SHOWMAKER DEMAIS!! pic.twitter.com/tBIKdPk0d7 — omelete (@omelete) June 1, 2025
"Ah yes, Lucha Libre! Yes — thank you so much for the gift. But I don't think the fans would want me to wear the mask," he teased. After some good-natured interaction with the enthusiastic crowd, Cena eventually donned the mask.
Once masked, Cena hyped up the audience before exclaiming how it made him feel. "OOOOOH! How did that feel? I felt like another person. I felt like my secret identity. Yeah — you couldn't see me!" he joked, referencing his famous catchphrase with a new twist.
Cena then smiled and directly addressed the crowd's recognition of the gimmick: "Some of these people remember — there was a WWE character, a masked wrestler called Juan Cena."
The "Juan Cena" persona originated during Cena's feud with The Nexus back in late 2010. After being "fired" (storyline) by Nexus leader Wade Barrett, Cena "disappeared" from WWE television for a short period.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 20: John Cena is introduced before his match against Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship during WrestleMania 41 at Allegiant Stadium on April 20, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 20: John Cena is introduced before his match against Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship during WrestleMania 41 at Allegiant Stadium on April 20, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada.He then made a surprising return at non-televised WWE live events wearing a distinctive purple and yellow mask, comically marketed as John Cena's Mexican cousin, "Juan Cena."This masked character never had a full run on WWE television and was primarily an attraction at house shows.
One of his most notable involvements as Juan Cena interfered in a three-way WWE Championship match featuring then-champion The Miz and Wade Barrett, ensuring Barrett did not win the title. Though the gimmick was short-lived and quickly dropped as the Nexus storyline progressed, "Juan Cena" became a beloved cult-favorite among WWE fans for its sheer absurdity and Cena's commitment to the temporary role.
The CCXP Mexico appearance served as a fun, nostalgic nod to this unique piece of his storied career, offering a lighthearted moment amidst his current serious heel championship reign.
More WWE News:
For more on WWE, head to Newsweek Sports.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Los Angeles Times
Zoe Saldaña says she ‘collapsed' immediately following her Oscars win for ‘Emilia Pérez'
It turns out Zoe Saldaña was more than just emotionally drained after tearfully accepting her supporting actress Oscar for 'Emilia Pérez' at this year's Academy Awards — she was also worn out physically. The 46-year-old actor explained Wednesday on the ABC talk show 'Live With Kelly and Mark' how she had been fighting a cold and felt fully exhausted immediately following one of her career-defining moments. 'I collapsed right after. I lost my voice within an hour after I won the award,' she said. 'I couldn't stand on those heels that I had. All I wanted to do was crawl in bed and maybe cry. I don't know why, I just needed to cry.' The 'Avatar' star noted that up until that point her body was running on all cylinders for months on end during awards season. 'Your body is running on pure adrenaline so you know that your immune system is in optimal condition, but once you tell your body that it's over, then everything sort of collapses,' Saldaña said. The Oscar victory capped an impressive awards season run for the 'Guardians of the Galaxy' actor, having won the Golden Globe, BAFTA, SAG and Critics' Choice awards for her role as Mexico City attorney Rita Castro in 'Emilia Pérez.' While her performance was almost universally celebrated and well-regarded, the film as a whole was heavily criticized for its incomplete and offensive portrayals of transgender issues and the lack of consideration taken in depicting Mexico. LGBTQ+ media advocacy group GLAAD declared the film is 'Not Good Trans Representation.' The organization did not nominate 'Emilia Pérez' for any GLAAD Media Awards. Although physically and emotionally exhausted, Saldaña managed to make some attention-grabbing statements in the Oscars press room after a Mexican journalist noted that the movie's presentation of Mexico was 'really hurtful for us Mexicans.' 'First of all, I'm very, very sorry that you and so many Mexicans felt offended,' Saldaña said in the defense of the film. 'That was never our intention. We spoke and came from a place of love, and I will stand by that.' She went on to further disagree with the Mexican journalist's point of view regarding the centrality and importance of Mexico in the 13-time Oscar nominated movie. 'For me, the heart of this movie was not Mexico. We were making a film about friendship. We were making a film about four women,' Saldaña explained. 'And these women are still very universal women that are struggling every day, but trying to survive systemic oppression and trying to find the most authentic voices.' Outside of the issues within the film, much of the main cast and crew of the movie was bogged down by mostly self-inflicted negative press. Actor Karla Sofía Gascón faced backlash in January after Canadian writer Sarah Hagi resurfaced tweets dating from 2016 to 2023 that spoke negatively of Muslims' clothing, language and culture in her home country of Spain. Additionally, Gascón caught heat for resurfaced comments about the 2020 killing of George Floyd, the ensuing racial reckoning, the Black Lives Matter movement and the COVID-19-era Academy Awards ceremony in 2021. Gascón later apologized for her previous online remarks and deactivated her X account. The film's director Jacques Audiard spoke openly on record about how little he prepped to portray Mexico and denigrated the Spanish language during his press tour. When asked by a Mexican journalist at a red carpet event about how much he had to study up on Mexico and Mexican culture to prepare for the movie, Audiard gave a telling answer. 'No, I didn't study that much. What I needed to know, I already knew a little about,' the filmmaker said. 'It was more about capturing the little details and we came a lot to Mexico to see actors, to see locations, to see the decorations and so on.' Speaking with the French outlet Konbini, Audiard spoke down on the Spanish language, saying, 'Spanish is a language of modest countries, of developing countries, of the poor and migrants.' Audiard later apologized for his comments after the movie received backlash from Mexican audiences. Selena Gomez, who played a pivotal supporting role in the film, was criticized for her proficiency in Spanish. Mexican actor Eugenio Derbez was among those who called out Gomez's performance and Spanish language ability. Gomez has previously said her Spanish fluency waned after she started working in television at age 7. She responded to the criticism on social media, saying, 'I did the best I could with the time I was given. Doesn't take away from how much work and heart I put into this movie.' Derbez later apologized.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Fans are Racing to Walmart to Try This Iconic Summer-Ready $5 Freezer Find
Every once in a while, a summer hit comes along that's just too good to ignore. We've seen it happen with our favorite snacks, drinks and kitchen essentials—but nothing could've prepared us for the latest top-tier summer snack hitting Walmart shelves everywhere. Introducing La Michoacana Jarritos Fruit Ice Pops, this summer's number one most anticipated product to hit your local Walmart's freezer section. Spotted by the always on the hunt @snackgator and quickly shared to Instagram to spread the word, this is one release we cannot wait to get our hands on. 😋😋🍳🍔 'NEW Jarritos Fruit Ice Pops are hitting shelves at Walmart now,' @snackgator captioned their post. 'Which one are you grabbing first?!'Rolling out now and expected to be available nationwide, La Michoacana Jarritos Fruit Ice Pops come in a 16.5-ounce package with six refreshing bars inside. Fans can choose between Pineapple, Mandarin and Tamarind flavors, each of which retail for the ice cold price of $4.37. Best of all, these tropical pops are gluten-free, non-GMO and contain no artificial flavors or high fructose corn syrup. 'If these have as much sugar as the drinks do, my teeth are going to dissolve in a week and I probably won't mind,' one fan joked while plotting their next Walmart trip. 'Need the fruit punch flavor,' another fan added, hoping for a larger release in the future. Whether you're relaxing at home, enjoying a day poolside or planning a fun picnic in the park, your day will only be better with these fruity pops involved. This unique collaboration between La Michoacana and Jarritos brings together the rich heritage of Mexican flavors with the refreshing twist of Jarritos' iconic soda pops. Each flavor is just as good as the next, so be sure to snag them all while still in are Racing to Walmart to Try This Iconic Summer-Ready $5 Freezer Find first appeared on Parade on May 23, 2025
Newsweek
3 hours ago
- Newsweek
Sheamus Predicts Released Superstar Will Return To WWE
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. WWE Superstar Sheamus has directly addressed the recent fan disappointment surrounding the news that R-Truth's WWE contract is not being renewed. Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday, "The Celtic Warrior" offered a his perspective. He thinks R-Truth's WWE story is far from over and also commented on Carlito's similar situation. The conversation came about when Pat McAfee noted how difficult it is for WWE fans when popular Superstars depart unexpectedly. "The fans get to know who that person is and they fall in love with the character.. R-Truth is one of the most beloved because he's one of the most entertaining.. There's no way he isn't gonna come back at some point" ~ @WWESheamus #PMSLive — Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 4, 2025 Sheamus acknowledged the strong bond WWE fans form with performers. "Sometimes people don't know... from a perspective of what we do—entertainment—it's about entertaining the fans," Sheamus explained. "And people... from our perspective, the fans get to know who that person is. They get to fall in love with the character and the personality. With Truth, for example—he's one of the most beloved because he's one of the most entertaining." More news: WWE News: Steve Austin Reveals Real-Life Vince McMahon Confrontation Sheamus then fondly recalled his own early history with the veteran. "I had my first dark match against him when I came up in '07, I think. '08 I joined—'07/'08... he had just come back after he was with the company, went to TNA, and came back again," Sheamus shared (H/T to Fightful). Sheamus makes his entrance during Monday Night RAW at Moda Center on September 16, 2024 in Portland, Oregon. Sheamus makes his entrance during Monday Night RAW at Moda Center on September 16, 2024 in Portland, Oregon. WWE/Getty Images "So we had a dark match together on the road, and from then we bonded. That fella walks in the dressing room and it's just... laugh. He's got a contagious laugh that would just light up the room." Despite the current news of R-Truth's contract expiring, Sheamus emphasized that departures in wrestling are often not permanent. "But there's no way of knowing. You just gotta go out there and do what you can," he said of a wrestler's career. "Sometimes you can't tell when that time is. But a lot of guys come back though—that's the wrestling business." He then delivered a strong message of hope specifically for R-Truth's supporters. "And it's not the end. It's not the end," Sheamus stated. "So many people—so many guys and girls—have left and come back. It's not the end. Sometimes it's a bit of a break. There's no way Truth's not going to come back at some stage. I'm sure you'll see him again. A Hall of Famer. He's definitely a pillar." Sheamus extended this optimism to Carlito, whose contract is also reportedly not being renewed. "And the same with Carlito. Carlito was gone for a while, he came back," Sheamus noted. "It's not the end. If you truly want to find your way back, you'll find your way back. It's not the end for anybody." More WWE News:
