Biggest Takeaways from Chris Jericho's Podcast with John Cena

Chris Jericho gave John Cena a platform to peel back the curtain and allow fans a look at his thought process, his frustrations and his passion for WWE.

During Monday night's podcast interview (subscription required) with Jericho on the WWE Network, it was never more clear the character Cena plays on TV is essentially himself. Even when joking around with Y2J and laughing about road stories, he was that same loyal, smiling soldier. 

This was the first time Steve Austin wasn't in the chair for these special presentations. Jericho took his spot this time around, employing a more playful interview style. It's not as if Jericho didn't press Cena for tough answers, though.

For one, he asked Cena if he ever used steroids. The United States champ flatly told him, "No." Cena added, as noted by WrestleView.com, that he hasn't changed:

Beyond that, the biggest discussion points to come out of this interview center around Cena's relationships with The Rock and Vince McMahon as well as how Cena views his place in the company.

Cena is An Even Bigger Company Man Than We Thought

In addition to his physique, charisma and his ability to come in the clutch, it's easy to see why McMahon has been so high on Cena for all these years. Cena is willing to do whatever the boss tells him and make the most of it.

As he put it, he's "ready to play any hand."

So now that he has slid from the main event and holds the U.S. title, he's not antsy to rush back up the ladder. He's not upset about what many would view as a step down. He told Jericho he doesn't get caught up in where he is on the card; he just does the best he can at all times. 

He sees the U.S. title as a chance to let other Superstars "put their business cards in front of the WWE Universe."

To him, he's being asked to elevate the title, not getting demoted. He has to create his own mystique about the championship while he carries it. So far, that's been a combination of outspoken patriotism and being a fighting champion willing to take anybody on. 

On what his relationship with McMahon is like, Cena revealed he still gets yelled at from time to time.

For the most part, though, he and McMahon "share the same vision." That was clear when Cena talked about adjusting to the PG Era. In his mind, this period just has "different rules" and one simply has to learn how to dance around them.

He came off as a devoted member of the team, a man who lives the words he so often preaches in the ring about doing right by WWE and the fans. None of that is shtick; it's who he is when the lights go off as well.

Cena said, "I love this company," making sure to say not just pro wrestling, but the company specifically.

He's clearly fond of McMahon as well. The champ praised his boss and said he likes how McMahon does things. He even wholeheartedly agreed with McMahon's now famous brass ring comment.

Dave Allocca/Associated Press

One can see why some fans view him as a yes man and a suck-up. 

That's not a fair assessment, though. He's just working his dream job and when he's injured, he wants badly to get back in the ring. He told Jericho, "I hate being away from it."

Insight Into His Character and Career

With as long as Cena has been in WWE's throne, it's easy to forget where he sat before that. In talking with Jericho, he educated fans unaware of his path to the top just what went into that rise.

It was fun to hear him tell a story of tucking Jericho in at night after a bout of heavy drinking or reveal the fact he used to travel six deep in a car with Funaki and others in a group who called themselves "Team Stay Cheap." The more intriguing elements of this discussion, however, were of how his persona grew over time.

Early on, he struggled to find himself. "I had very little identity," he said on the podcast.

Jericho joked that he referred to him as the "wacky roll-up guy" because he didn't have many other moves. Cena was in search of a signature move just as he was in search of what was going to allow him to stand out in the stacked class of talent at Ohio Valley Wrestling that included Brock Lesnar, Batista and Randy Orton.

What catapulted him into stardom came almost by accident.

Cena told Jericho he once freestyled with a group of guys on a bus on a whim and some WWE officials overheard him. They wanted him to do it on TV. Of course, he did and gained a robust following largely because of that element of his gimmick. 

When moving from The Prototype to The Doctor of Thuganomics, he wanted to go all out with it. He chose to dress as outlandishly as possible, even if employees like Michael Hayes told him he shouldn't wear jerseys and such.

He was simply trying to be different.

That's partly why his descends into juvenile humor apparently. Jericho called Cena out for that part of his game, saying, "poopy Cena gets on my nerves."

While some may assume that comes from on high, it's actually Cena's doing. He dubbed his more childish jokes "feeble attempts to show versatility."

Cena urged the next wave of stars to do what feels right to them even at the risk of getting fired. To him, the next star is going to be "the guy with the balls enough to take chances."

That's only part of the equation of course, but reflecting on how little WWE thought of Cena early on should be inspiration for those trying to duplicate his success.

Cena and The Rock Had Legitimate Heat

No need to refer to rumors and speculations, Cena made it clear during their feud leading up to WrestleMania 28, he and The Rock had real-life animosity.

It wasn't that The Rock called him out onscreen so often that upset him. He told Jericho he didn't care about that, but rather he "cared about not having a chance to jab back."

Cena revealed the two stars "had some abrasive times." Their tension was unspoken at first, stewing beneath the surface. Regardless of what issues they had, though, Cena said The Rock was "always professional."

They just didn't see eye to eye in the beginning. Cena never said this, but it sounded as if he was somewhat jealous of this megastar waltzing back into the WWE spotlight. After all, he was working every small-town show on the schedule while The Rock was out making movies.

He did make it clear it angered him The Rock had his promo notes on his wrist.

Calling him out on that in front of a live audience reawakened The Brahma Bull, as Cena sees it. That's when The Rock truly started rolling as a performer again.

Cena Is Open (But Resistant) to Turning Heel

At one point during his feud with The Rock, WWE apparently told Cena they were considering turning him heel. It didn't turn into anything, but Cena was ready to do it.

He seemed excited about the prospect, telling Jericho he went out and got new gear in preparation for the shift some fans have been demanding for years.

How seriously WWE was thinking about making the change is unclear. The fact it was brought up at all will surprise some, though. The company has seemed unwilling to sully their huge babyface for the sake of a good story.

Cena said he was willing to become heel, but had plenty of reservations as well. 

He talked at length about his relationship with kids in the audience and various charities.  It is "rewarding to be aspirational," he said. 

The work he does with kids and the emotional experience he creates for them is what validates everything he does in the ring. If that's how he feels, it's going to be tough to convince him to change his mind.

And at this point, he's earned the right to say no to McMahon.

The one way he would change his stance is if he knew someone was waiting in the wings to be his replacement as the ambassador to children. Should Roman Reigns (who Cena called "an absolute star"), Daniel Bryan or someone else position themselves as the next Cena in terms of charity, that's when we can expect to see WWE's Superman get darker.