John Cena Says He Regrets Feuding with the Rock

With his profile outside WWE continuing to grow, John Cena said he has gained a new perspective on the company's biggest crossover star to date: The Rock.

Cena and The Rock's feud leading up to WrestleMania 28 carried a somewhat personal edge, with Cena calling out The Rock for being a part-time wrestler. Cena told Sports Illustrated's Justin Barrasso he regrets that line of attack in retrospect. 

"It was stupid of me," Cena said. "It genuinely was. That was my perspective at the time. When you're involved in the daily grind of WWE, and that's something I never will let go of—I promise you that. I just love it, and I don't think I need to say that, ever again, or have somebody question my allegiance to a brand, not the sport of professional wrestling, so to say, but a brand. I love the WWE. For me to not be able to see Dwayne's vision on what he wanted to do personally, and how his personal success could affect a growing global brand, that was just ignorant on my part."

Cena's frustration at the time was understandable. For years, he had been one of WWE's biggest workhorses through both his work in the ring and his efforts outside of it as an ambassador for the company.

Then The Rock swoops in to receive a main event match at WrestleMania and massive fan adoration after wrestling one match since leaving WWE in 2004.

At the same time, The Rock shouldn't have to apologize for becoming a massive movie star after his WWE departure. His presence on the card also helped WrestleMania 28 be the company's highest-grossing event at the time. The pay-per-view netted WWE $8.9 million in gross revenue, according to Cageside Seats' Geno Mrosko and drew 1.3 PPV buys.

While WrestleMania is supposed to reward WWE's full-time wrestlers, the company also relies on it to be a heavy revenue-generator. Bringing in marquee part-time stars such as The Rock helps to achieve that aim.

Considering how Cena has spent more and more time on outside ventures, it will be interesting to see if many of the criticisms he levied against The Rock are used against him in the buildup to a WrestleMania match at some point down the road.