Teddy Long defends WWE's decision involving John Cena that has been criticized by fans (Exclusive)
WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long was asked about one major criticism of WWE's handling of John Cena on the Road to WrestleMania 41. He had a different take from most people.
In the latest episode of The Wrestling Time Machine, former SmackDown General Manager Teddy Long was asked by host Mac Davis about the fact that John Cena had been absent since his heel turn. While he is set to appear on the March 17 edition of RAW, his lack of appearances after such a shocking moment at Elimination Chamber: Toronto has led many fans to believe that WWE hasn't capitalized on the moment well.
Teddy Long has a different take, though. The veteran thinks that there's no need to rush the storyline and that John Cena's absence will allow for heat to build up in his feud with Cody Rhodes.
"You're rushing it. Why do you always want to rush stuff? You can make something happen in six minutes. So stop rushing stuff. This is great. You shouldn't see him right now because now this builds the heat. The heat is building. So when you do see him, you'll see how it explodes," he said. [1:16-1:42]
You can watch the full video below:
What does John Cena's schedule for the upcoming months look like?
John Cena is finally set to break his silence on his heel turn in the March 17 episode of RAW. The Franchise Player will be present in the subsequent two episodes of RAW, but he won't be appearing on any edition of the blue brand's show on the Road to The Show of Shows, despite Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes being a SmackDown Superstar.
March 17, 24, and 31 are his advertised appearances for this month. In April, it looks like, barring a surprise return, we're going to see Cena next directly at WrestleMania 41, where he is expected to headline Night Two.
While it looked like he was next slated for an appearance only in May, the updated list of his appearances revealed that the 16-time World Champion would be present on the post-WrestleMania edition of SmackDown on April 25. It was recently announced that with Backlash 2025 heading to St. Louis, Missouri, on May 10, Cena will very much be a part of that event.
He's also scheduled for Saturday Night's Main Event on May 24 as well as the May 30, June 13, and June 20 episodes of SmackDown. This has led some fans to instantly speculate the direction that WWE is taking with The Greatest of All Time, with some believing that the Backlash announcement could mean that the 47-year-old would win his 17th world title in Las Vegas and then run back his legendary rivalry with Randy Orton at the first PLE post-WrestleMania 41.
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