John Cena has been in the limelight for the majority of his life. This has primarily been due to his contributions as a marquee WWE superstar who was the face of the company. Cena has led the charge for an entire generation of stars and found stardom like many of his former top peers.
Apart from his successful professional life, many chapters of John Cena’s personal life were also in the public eye. His most high-profile relationship was with WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Bella. The former WWE Divas Champion and John Cena were together for almost five years before their relationship came to an end in 2019.
After that, John Cena decided to make his return to WWE on an episode of SmackDown. But little did he know that there would be a female star who would dare to step up to him and threaten to drop him to the mat, much like how Nikki Bella dropped him in real life.
Which female WWE superstar stepped up to John Cena in 2019?
In 2019, there was only one WWE superstar who was at the top of every conversation: Becky Lynch. Her popularity began to skyrocket ever since she slapped Charlotte Flair at the 2018 SummerSlam event, and she began to use the moniker of ‘The Man.’ At the time, WWE was witnessing the meteoric rise of Becky Lynch, who now has become a huge attraction for the company.
When John Cena returned to SmackDown at the start of 2019, he cut a promo and dared any man to come out to confront him. Little did the 16-time WWE Champion know that it would not be just any man to come out, but it would be ‘The Man’ who dared to face him in the ring. Right then, Becky Lynch came out and got in Cena’s face.
The Man gloated about her rising popularity and claimed that John Cena “was” the top star and Becky “is” the star now. Moreover, Lynch did not even hesitate to take a shot at his failed relationship with Nikki Bella, which ended shortly before their confrontation.
It’s time for someone new to step up, step in and fill your shoes and there’s only one person for the job. I think these people would agree with me, that that person is me. If you have a problem with that, Nikki Bella won’t be the only woman to drop you this year.
The moment where John Cena was no longer The Man. Did Becky Lynch kickstart John Cena’s resentment towards WWE? pic.twitter.com/Cin7mHcMPy
— Fightful Wrestling (@Fightful) March 24, 2025
Following their confrontation, John Cena and Becky Lynch teamed up for an impromptu match against Andrade El Idolo and Zelina Vega. Lynch once again outshined Cena by tossing him out of the ring and scoring the pinfall herself.
John Cena and Nikki Bella had a brief reunion
John Cena and Nikki Bella went on to marry different individuals in their lives. Cena married Shay Shariatzadeh in 2020, while Nikki married Dancing with the Stars fame Artem Chigvinstev, which ended in divorce following a domestic violence and battery case in 2024.
In January 2025, John Cena and Nikki Bella competed in their respective Royal Rumble matches at the namesake PLE. Nikki revealed in an interview with People that she had a brief chat with Cena after he met her in a group of people backstage at the event.
That was Bella’s last appearance in WWE, while John Cena turned heel at the 2025 WWE Elimination Chamber, something which can creatively include Nikki Bella as the missing piece. Cena is moving to WrestleMania 41 to challenge Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE title in hopes of winning his record-breaking 17th World Championship.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
