John Cena is arguably one of WWE's biggest stars over the past decade, having made a successful transition into Hollywood. Recently, former World Heavyweight Champion The Great Khali reflected on his time working with The Franchise Player.
In 2006, The Great Khali first appeared for the Stamford-based promotion under Vince McMahon's regime. The Hall of Famer remained dominant on SmackDown before becoming the first-ever Indian-born World Heavyweight Champion in the promotion's history.
In an interview with The Lallantop, the former World Heavyweight Champion was asked about some of the stars he befriended while working in the company. The WWE Hall of Famer spoke highly of John Cena and stated the star was never insecure about his spot in WWE.
"I really liked John Cena. At the time, he was the biggest star in the promotion and never felt insecure about me taking his spot in the company. He's a gem of a person, not just for me but for everyone in the locker room," Khali said. [From 55:23 to 55:53]
In 2007, The Great Khali left SmackDown and moved to Monday Night RAW. The Punjabi Playboy was a year into his career in the Stamford-based promotion when he crossed paths with John Cena.
Meanwhile, The Leader of Cenation had a very successful and long reign as the WWE Champion and eventually came face-to-face with the Hall of Famer for a singles match.
However, the bout ended in a disqualification before the two had a title match in the coming weeks. Eventually, Cena overcame The Great Khali and headed to WrestleMania 23 against Shawn Michaels.
Elsewhere, The Punjabi Playboy defeated Kane at the same event in a singles match. The two resolved their rivalry, and Khali even sang a birthday song for The Leader of Cenation on Monday Night RAW.
If you use quotes from the article, please credit The Lallantop and provide an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.