John Cena has weighed in on the pressure facing Cody Rhodes as WWE’s self-styled “QB1,” advising him to stop focusing on the nickname and simply continue doing good work. Cena made the comments during an appearance on Busted Open Radio, where he was asked how Rhodes should handle being dubbed the quarterback of WWE’s roster.
According to NoDQ, Cena said that both Rhodes and CM Punk are “carrying weights” they do not need to carry. Cena directed Rhodes to shift his attention away from the QB1 moniker itself, instead emphasizing that the focus should remain on the quality of his in-ring and on-screen work, as reported by F4W Online and Wrestling Inc.
Wrestling Inc noted that Cena explained his own perspective by saying he never personally yearned to be positioned at the very top of the card, framing that context around his advice to Rhodes about not letting the pressure of the label weigh him down.
Separately, Cena offered praise for Rhodes’ promotional work tied to the upcoming “Street Fighter” film, in which Rhodes portrays the character Guile. Speaking with Comic Book, as relayed by Fightful and Wrestling Headlines, Cena said he admired Rhodes for being “brave enough” to fully commit to the Guile persona during press appearances. The comparisons have drawn parallels to Cena’s own promotional run dressed as Peacemaker while supporting “The Suicide Squad” and the “Peacemaker” television series, a connection Cena addressed directly in the interview.
