John Cena recently had a Dallas fan convention in floods of tears for his handling of a touching story, as told by an appreciative soldier. Apparently, sometimes it really is okay to meet your heroes—twice!
While the current WWE Undisputed Champion and Heads of State star is playing the ‘bad guy’ as he wraps up his pro wrestling career, the grappling icon proved that he’s all heart away from the ring. Cena has granted more than 650 wishes on behalf of the Make-A-Wish Foundation—the most ever by a single individual. But his recent on-screen character has seen the WWE icon presenting a darker side of his personality as of late, claiming that we wishes to destroy pro wrestling and giving reporters like me a fun but challenging time during press conferences.
So, when the “You Can’t See Me” star attended a fan Q&A at the FAN EXPO Dallas last weekend, the crowd was unsure of which Cena they would meet, but that didn’t stop one guy from shooting his shot.
John Cena Proved that Sometimes It’s OK to Meet Your Heroes—Twice
“Remember me at the Planet Hollywood in New York City?” quizzed the man. Unsurprisingly, Cena, who meets countless fans every day, looked puzzled. “You walked right by a U.S. soldier, and you noticed how disappointed he was when you walked right by, and he was trying to get your autograph,” continued the speaker.
With Cena’s Q&A audience now on the edge of their seats, the individual explained what happened next. “You actually turned around and you made sure that he was the very first one (to get a picture),” he confirmed. With the crowd now applauding, the man continued. “Later on, you took a picture with that soldier. I have that picture right now after 20 years,” added the man, revealing himself as the soldier from the story, and standing with the aid of a walking cane and holding the hallowed picture aloft. “Can you please sign this for me,” he asked, as he began to cry.
Quick as a flash, Super Cena responded. “Yeah, sure, no problem!” noting that he couldn’t sign autographs for everyone in attendance at the Expo. “But this is a 20-year story,” he qualified. “I think it deserves at least a four-letter signature.” The WWE champ, who also stars in Prime’s Heads of State with Idris Elba and Priyanka Chopra then exited the stage to meet the man, who was walking towards him. The two embraced as the crowd roared with appreciation.
Of course, it wasn’t just the live audience that was touched, as a clip from the event has gone viral. “Cena being a heel on TV is cool, but Cena being Cena will always be cooler,” wrote one impressed fan on Instagram. “It’s reasons like this as to why I will always say John Cena is the greatest of all time,” added another. “He was so fast to jump down with a ‘Yes Sir’ to boot,” noticed yet another IG user. “Oh okay, single tear dropping down my face right now,” wrote another fan. Never change, John!
Heads of State is released on Prime, July 2, while WWE airs on Peacock and Netflix.
