Dwayne Johnson and John Cena are without any doubt two of the biggest attractions in WWE and even beyond in the pro wrestling industry. It’s been a long time since they discontinued being full-time performers for the Triple H-led promotion, but they are still highly regarded by the audience.

Being two of the best in the business, The Rock and Cena were even involved in a historic rivalry in the past. The two went one-on-one at two consecutive WrestleMania’s, with Dwayne winning their WrestleMania 28 match and John being victorious at WrestleMania 29.

While the win at 2013’s WrestleMania PPV was absolutely memorable for The Cenation Leader, what he did after the match was even more special. As the two stood in the ring after they fight, Cena showed his admiration for The People’s Champion. The veteran shared how he had been following Dwayne since his young days and that he’s been kind.

In a video posted itself by WWE, the 16-time World Champion said, “Because of you, I’m serious. You have no idea. I asked for a picture with you when I was 20 years old, working in a store in Venice, California. You’ve always been nice; you’ve always been respectful; whenever we talked, you always told me to keep it up.” (Via: X)

After listening to Cena‘s words of appreciation, the Jumanji actor was also not able to control his feelings. Dwayne told John that he came back to the ring for this moment only and that he totally believes in him. After this moment, they shook hands and had a hug, which clearly showed how much mutual respect they shared with each other.

John Cena admires Dwayne Johnson even after a decade of their fight

It’s been over a decade since this moment took place after their WrestleMania 29 match at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. But Cena still admires Dwayne the same way he revealed after defeating him for the WWE Championship in 2013’s WrestleMania.

Showcasing how he still admires his former rival, The Cenation Leader gave a wholehearted welcome to The Rock during his recent WWE return. As Johnson made a surprise appearance on SmackDown‘s September 15 episode, the two shared a beautiful backstage moment on the show.

As The People’s Champion was seen standing backstage with Pat McAfee, the 16-time World Champion suddenly arrived. Both the legends had a brief interaction during the segment in which John welcomed Dwayne back to his first home, the Stamford-based promotion.

After Cena showed his admiration for The Brahma Bull, the two shared a hug. Following this, The Rock acknowledged John’s welcome for him and thanked him. Their meet-up on a WWE episode in 2023 was something nobody would have expected, but after witnessing it, fans showed their love for these two legends all over the internet.