WWE's The Last Ride shares insight, not just into the Deadman himself, but into many of his opponents as well. It's shown Edge speaking on superstars staving off retirement, as well as guys like Triple H speaking about the code and brotherhood backstage.
In the latest chapter, "End of an Era," the focus shifts slightly to John Cena. While he doesn't get to speak on it directly, his interactions backstage with 'Taker show that one stereotype about him needs to be put to bed -- that Cena has a "golden shovel" and a reputation for burying talent, whether they're up and comers or veterans.
It's no secret Cena has been the face of WWE in the Ruthless Aggression era, moving from a rapper and expert on Thugonomics to a 16-time world champion. He's actually tied with Ric Flair for the most world championship reigns in WWE history, and has won almost every major belt in the company. He's copped the U.S. title, tag team belts, the 2012 Money in the Bank contract, and even won the Royal Rumble in 2008 and 2013. Despite being an institution, many fans began booing him because it seemed Vince McMahon wanted him to be the face of his company -- someone who could never be a heel again, would win constantly and get shoved into almost every title fight.
It was frustrating at times, and even C.M. Punk did a shoot promo calling it out. But The Last Ride, clearly shows Cena's willingness to job when the narrative requires it. Following Undertaker's poor showing against Roman Reigns in 2017's WrestleMania 33, he'd train for redemption and face Cena a year later. The match was quite short with the Dead Man thoroughly squashing Cena. Yet backstage, Cena can be seen reverently talking with 'Taker, happy to have jobbed to him as he knows what the Phenom went through in terms of injuries and struggling to put on great performances as he got older.
Cena clearly doesn't care about being embarrassed and just wanted to maintain the mystique of the Dead Man and help build the character up again. Cena tells him that it was an honor and privilege to lose to the legend, and 'Taker thanks him for being understanding, even though he wanted them to go longer in the ring.
That's the definition of a team player and company man, and while many accused Cena of holding back talent, he put over Kevin Owens and A.J. Styles by losing to them in their early WWE days. He also handed the belt off to Punk, had the 'Mania losses to the Rock, and got pummeled by Brock Lesnar as the first sacrificial lamb when the Beast came back from UFC in 2012. In other words, Cena took losses when it mattered and helped define the future of the company. Looking at the current roster, he's lost to guys like Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns as well, so he's been pushing talent for some time now when they do come over from NXT.
Fans who accuse Cena of burying talent are just clouded by the titles he's gotten. Admittedly, he's taken a backseat more recently as he's now in Hollywood working on things like the Fast & Furious franchise. But when he came back in this year's 'Mania, he jobbed to the Fiend to once more help build up a rising superstar. He even poked fun at himself to show he takes everything in stride. Like him or not, Cena does look out for the rest of the roster -- and without him, a business based on hustle, loyalty, and respect just wouldn't be the same.