The Rock s relationship with major WWE star soured after controversial comments ex-writer recalls × Follow Us Create Notifications New User posted their first comment this is comment text Link Approve Reject & ban Delete Log in Manage your profile Editing Story Queue Video Queue Editing Stats Writer Home SEO Redirection Admin Gaming Wiki Edits Taxonomy Home Edit Site Menu Mapping Dashboard Tag Pages Community Social Feed Queue Feed Center Notification Center Affiliate Home Manage Pages Bottom Tagline Dash Timeless Stories Logout WWE News The Rock s relationship with major WWE star soured after controversial comments ex-writer recalls By Danny Hart Modified 04 Oct 2022 Follow Us 1 Comment Share WWE legend Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson The Rock was left "surprised and actually shocked" when John Cena disrespected him in an interview, according to former WWE writer Brian Gewirtz. Cena famously criticized The Rock in 2008, four years before they met in their first blockbuster match in the WrestleMania 28 main event. In an interview with The Sun, the 16-time world champion claimed the Hollywood star "doesn't give anything back" to the wrestling business. Gewirtz wrote about the controversial comments in his book, There's Just One Problem...: True Tales from the Former, One-Time, 7th Most Powerful Person in WWE. He recalled how The Rock was disappointed when he heard what Cena had to say: "Rock had been a fan of John's, and to hear these comments really didn't sit well," Gewirtz wrote. "It would be one thing if John expressed these things face-to-face, but for Rock to hear them in a radio interview was jarring." The Beermat@TheBeermat#OnThisDay 2011, The Rock & John Cena agreed to a match at #WrestleMania 28 a night after Rock cost Cena the #WWE Championship.A year long build, did it do the match justice? ?@JohnCena @therock92#OnThisDay 2011, The Rock & John Cena agreed to a match at #WrestleMania 28 a night after Rock cost Cena the #WWE Championship.A year long build, did it do the match justice? ?@JohnCena @therock https://t.co/7NmP9r1v5V The Great One also took exception to Cena's claim that he lied about his continued passion for WWE after going to Hollywood: "For Rock, that last part crossed the line," Gewirtz continued. "When it happened, I talked to Rock about it and he told me point-blank he was surprised and actually shocked that the guy who took his place as the face of the company was so flippant—and so disrespectful—with his words. Rock knew one day he'd see John and hold him accountable. Make no mistake, there would be a day of reckoning." The real-life tension led to a lengthy WWE storyline, beginning in 2011 at WrestleMania 27. The Rock hosted the event, which was headlined by The Miz vs. John Cena. The movie star cost Cena the victory to set up a match between the two men at WrestleMania 28. How John Cena and The Rock grew to respect each other The WrestleMania 28 match was one of the biggest in wrestling history. Billed as Once in a Lifetime, The Rock defeated John Cena in his first WWE singles match in nine years. The following year, Cena won the rematch at WrestleMania 29 to capture the WWE Championship. World Wrestling Radio@wwrliveThe greatest match I ever witnessed live was The Rock vs John Cena at Wrestlemania 28! What’s yours? #wwe #aew #njpw #roh #impact #nwa45036The greatest match I ever witnessed live was The Rock vs John Cena at Wrestlemania 28! What’s yours? #wwe #aew #njpw #roh #impact #nwa https://t.co/poLotrAFU0 Brian Gewirtz added that both men developed a respect for each other after their first match: "Compared to the buildup, the event itself, WrestleMania 28 was a cakewalk. (Well, for me at least, since I didn’t have to actually wrestle a half-hour-long match in front of seventy-eight thousand people.) After the match, Rock and Cena were buzzing—thrilled with the match and the reaction from the fans. They met backstage afterward, and it was there I saw a true mutual respect grow between them." Three years after their rivalry concluded, Cena and The Rock joined forces at WrestleMania 32 to fight off an attack from The Wyatt Family. The latter also defeated Erick Rowan in a six-second match at the event. Did you enjoy the Once in a Lifetime storyline? Let us know in the comments section below. Brian Gewirtz's book, There's Just One Problem...: True Tales from the Former, One-Time, 7th Most Powerful Person in WWE, is available to buy on Amazon. A legend has pointed out the issue with the White Rabbit storyline here Poll : 0 votes Quick Links More from Sportskeeda Edited by Ken Cameron × Feedback Thank You! 1 comment Follow Us Share Show More Comments GIF Comment in moderation 0 0 Reply x Edit Delete Delete the comment? No thanks Delete GIF Cancel Update GIF Cancel Reply ❮ ❯ GIF Comment in moderation 0 0 Reply x Edit Delete Delete the comment? 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