Pro wrestler turned Hollywood actor John Cena believes Conor McGregor’s gift of gab would bring people into WWE arenas around the world.
On a recent episode on The Dan Patrick Show, 16-time WWE Champion John Cena went into detail on why he feels McGregor would be a great fit in the ring. The Suicide Squad star praised McGregor’s ability to draw fans with his “wonderful personality.”
“It’s entertainment. You have to buy into that reality. If you don’t believe you’re a piece of that world we’re in or your opponent is a piece of that world, it doesn’t work,” John Cena said. “I don’t watch much MMA or anything. To me, it’s true fight sport, but then a guy like (Conor) McGregor comes along with a wonderful personality and will talk people into the building. You either root for him or root against him and you buy his fight, like (Floyd) Mayweather or (Muhammad) Ali, they talk about developing that great personality and believing in it. The way to make people buy into you as a WWE personality is to drop the make believe of it and make it a reality and believe in what you do.”
Between McGregor’s attitude and his MMA accomplishments, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine the Irishman involved in the WWE. Whether it be in the cage with his stellar knockouts, a boxing mismatch with Floyd Mayweather, or snatching the belt off the table from José Aldo during a press conference, McGregor has proven to be a spectacle in and out of the Octagon. And while some of his actions over the years have been reprehensible, when the “Notorious” is involved, people pay attention.
Cena also seems to think that professional wrestling may be safer than combat sports.
“He’d be fantastic. He is what we do,” he added. “It’s a little less predictable. Our surprises are getting people to show up at random and weave the ‘choose your own adventure’ into a different alley. His surprises are getting a few teeth knocked out or getting an operation. Not to say that this doesn’t happen with us, mistakes happen, but in his profession, it’s not a mistake. I hope (he makes an appearance) because I want to see it. At my core, I’m a fan. He’s interesting and has a gravity about him. I want to see him perform.”
Conor McGregor (22-6) recently stated that he only has two fights left on his UFC contract. It’s not outside the realm of possibilities that McGregor leaves MMA and moves on to another endeavor soon. The former two-division champion is now 1-3 in his last four MMA fights. McGregor’s last trip to the Octagon saw him being pummeled by Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 before an ankle break ended the clash.
How do you think Conor McGregor would do in professional wrestling?
