John Cena says he regrets his fight with Dwayne Johnson when he returned to WWE

(CNN) – John Cena He admitted feeling “shortsighted and selfish” to starting a feud with Dwayne Johnson a decade ago, when they faced each other as WWE superstars.

On Thursday’s episode of the podcast “happy sad confused”Cena said he “would like to think” that the couple — they both became big Hollywood stars, share screen credits in the movie. “quick X” This year – “It’s always been good, except for one little patch where I really messed up.”

Cena was referring to the moment in 2011 when Johnson, already a movie star, returned to WWE after leaving nearly a decade earlier. At the time, Cena took it as a provocation and an opportunity to “invite” him back, challenging him to a fight.

“Selfish,” the “Trainwreck” actor explained. He said, “The fact that I lived in WWE at the time and had no idea of ​​someone else’s growth or perspective” sparked the feud.

“My opinion was that if you love something, you have to be there every single day. What a hypocrite, because I still love WWE and can’t go all the time. And not only did I see that, I was so selfish.”

The confrontation between the muscular pair culminated in two highly publicized WrestleMania matches – including “WrestleMania 29” in April 2013 – both of which racked up huge viewership.

“I wanted a great match because it would be better for what I thought work was. And that’s shortsighted and selfish,” said Cena.

He added, “It succeeded, but it succeeded at the cost of two people who ran over it and almost endangered it.”

Since then, he and Johnson have resolutely put their feuds in the past. Cena made a cameo as himself in Johnson’s 2019 film “Fighting with My Family,” while Johnson appeared in an uncredited cameo as Hobbs in this summer’s Fast X, which co-starred Cena.

Of their feud, Cena said Thursday that “it almost came at the expense of our friendship, which I would say is in a really good place right now.”