John Cena has been involved in a lot of high-profile rivalries throughout his WWE career. But some of them were just more memorable due to some controversies surrounding them. One such feud was the bitter rivalry The Cenation Leader had with pro wrestling veteran Carlito.
Cena’s storyline rivalry with the Puerto Rican superstar began on October 7, 2004, when Colón made his main roster debut. He challenged John for a shot at his US title, and ended up winning it with the use of a steel chain. However, this was the start of a feud in which the 46-year-old WWE legend even got stabbed.
It wasn’t an incident that took place on live television, as Jim Ross revealed about this whole saga. The broadcaster disclosed an unfortunate incident that took place in a nightclub. As things unfolded further, it was confirmed that The Cenation Leader was stabbed.
At that time, Carlito had a bodyguard called Jesus, and it was that guy who stabbed Cena. This incident led to an injury hiatus for Cena, as he remained away from on-screen appearances for a long period of time. Finally when he returned, he was able to regain his title from the 5-foot-10 Puerto Rican star.
Even though it was just a storyline angle to give the 6-foot-1 WWE star some off-time, it was a controversial decision. Moreover, this creative idea didn’t work well for the real-life relationship between the two performers. Their feud generated a lot of differences among them, which became publicly known with time.
Have John Cena and Carlito settled their past differences?
The Cenation Leader getting stabbed was an incident that took place back in 2004, and it’s been nearly two decades. As it’s been a very long time since that controversy occurred, it seems that John Cena and Carlito have finally settled their past differences.
The thing that gives this opinion strong support is the way they met during WWE’s Fastlane 2023 PLE. In a picture that went viral after the October 7, PLE, the former rivals were spotted together.
The two veterans weren’t really seen on live television, as their meet-up took place backstage. Them being spotted together in the Triple H-led promotion, was probably a hint that their rivalry has come to an end.
As soon as the duo’s picture went viral, fans believed that they’d forgotten their brutal past encounters. If that’s the reality, it’s probably a great thing, as they’re both respected names in the pro wrestling industry, especially in WWE.