While WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker competed in a host of legendary WrestleMania matches, one often discussed disappointment is his singles match against John Cena at WrestleMania 34. Now the star has revealed the backstage reason why the match was incredibly short, and it makes the lackluster showing even worse!
In a recent chat on Bully Ray about his infamous WrestleMania 34 squash match against John Cena. After weeks of build, the match would ultimately go on to run less than three minutes - but that wasn’t the match that The Undertaker originally had in mind.
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Vince McMahon Didn't See It That Way
Detailing that he prepared in advance of the match to be able to put on a true show, "training like hell" to get in the best shape he had been in years, Taker described a contemptuous scene backstage after he arrived at New Orleans' Mercedes-Benz Superdome:
"I get to the stadium that day, and Vince says, ‘Yeah, this is going to be quick. This is like five minutes,’ and I’m like, ‘No, this is John Cena and The Undertaker. No, we’re going to tear the house down. You guys talked me into coming back and doing this. I’m going 30, or I’m not going out.’"
Despite the lackluster build to the actual match, with Cena appearing to challenge an absent Taker by deriding him on the mic, Taker’s arrival was meant to be a bit of a surprise. With Cena notably having ‘purchased a ticket’ to Mania in order to attend in the absence of a match, his bout with Taker could have been an unexpected delight for fans of multiple generations. However, the pair’s WrestleMania 34 match would ultimately end in a record 2 minutes and 45 seconds at the behest of Vince McMahon to “play the hits” and keep the match brief.
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The decision by McMahon would ultimately rob the WWE fandom of an opportunity to see a true competitive clash between the two stars. Instead, the squash match failed to showcase any of the dedicated work the Undertaker says he put in ahead of the event. Having planned to go up to 45 minutes, Undertaker revealed that he was in the “best shape of his life” at the time. However, after demanding that Cena weigh in - Cena agreed with Vince McMahon.
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Cena Proved Once Again to Be a Selfless Superstar
The match was not one with a typical build as it saw John Cena on a quest to find his place back in an ever-evolving WWE. When he decided to begin targeting the Undertaker, the air of mystery of whether the Dean would even appear remained. All the way until The Undertaker made his entrance, Cena portrayed uncertainty about whether he had any match at all. An actual match could have provided the opportunity for both men to showcase that they indeed ‘could still go’, but it was not meant to be.
Cena ultimately sided with McMahon when he arrived into the backstage discussion, communicating to Undertaker that a very short squash was justified. The Undertaker shared in the interview that, given Cena’s berating of him on the microphone in the lead-up to the event, John felt it was only right for him to be demolished quickly, despite the fact the match was marking an important milestone for the two stars.
After not having competed in singles action against each other on pay-per-view since the 2003 event WWE Vengeance, Undertaker wanted to put on a classic that would make people attending the event happy to have paid a ticket. In the end, Mr. McMahon’s will prevailed and Cena did the job asked of him.
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Is It Finally Time For Cena To Be Ruthlessly Selfish?
While John Cena has spent his career as a selfless performer and willing to do whatever was ‘best for business’, there is a new era in WWE. Already having made it clear by simply declaring his entry into the WWE Elimination Chamber, this iteration of Cena is willing to shoot his own shot. Not only that, but he has already made a bold declaration - he will win his 17th World championship. Speaking in the post-Royal Rumble press conference, Cena reported that he was clear about his goal to capture World title gold at WrestleMania 41.
With Gunther’s WrestleMania 41 opponent already secured for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in Royal Rumble match winner Jey Uso, the logical path forward for John Cena may be through Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. While Cena’s WWE farewell tour in 2025 will mark the end of his in-ring career, securing a record-breaking 17th World title would further cement his legacy as one of the greatest stars WWE has ever seen. Toppling Ric Flair for the most World title reigns, the inevitable loss of said title to cap off the farewell tour could be Cena’s final selfless act - putting over someone on the way out.
Source: Busted Open Radio
