Rare footage of an old dark match, in which John Cena wrestled as The Prototype, has emerged online.
John Cena, who recently retired from in-ring competition, found his way into WWE through the company’s old developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling, back in 2001. While his early days in OVW are well-documented, he also had a brief stint in another WWE developmental territory, the Heartland Wrestling Association, in mid-2001.
He initially competed as The Prototype, a semi-robotic character during his early days, and once faced former WWE Superstar Nick Dinsmore/Eugene in HWA. Dinsmore has shared the rare dark match footage on his X/Twitter account, which shows Cena’s pre-stardom phase.
This isn’t the only rare John Cena footage to emerge online, as a clip of him facing WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair also made rounds on social media earlier this month.
MJF Reacted To Missing Out On A Match With John Cena
During his recent conversation with Brandon Walker on Mostly Sports, AEW World Champion MJF opened up on whether he was disappointed about never facing John Cena in a singles match. He also shared that Cena played a huge role in shaping his love for wrestling.
“Yes, absolutely. I think that there is a different world where that match would have happened. Unfortunately, it’s not this one.
“I’ve had so many incredible run-ins with John where we’ve shot the sh*t. He’s an incredible guy. He watches our product, he’s seen my stuff. He was very complimentary. Obviously, I’m super complimentary to him.
“I’ve said it before in other interviews, but before CM Punk, my favorite wrestler growing up as a kid was John Cena. He was a Fathead on my wall in my bedroom. So I’d wake up, salute the OG, and then get ready for school.” [H/T: 411mania]
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