Ashley Cooke performed at WWE RAW in November, and she also had a memorable run-in with the biggest star of the show that night.
The rising singer-songwriter made a special appearance at Madison Square Garden, where she performed God Bless America ahead of WWE RAW in November. Cooke believes the opportunity came up after some “very important people” in WWE saw her on tour in New Hampshire, noting that they approached her about singing during the event.
Cooke admitted that while she is a WWE fan now, she didn’t watch it growing up, so she learned as much as she could about the company.
“I did some deep diving and did some research, watched a lot of John Cena stuff. Tried to kind of figure out what my role would be in this and be able to enjoy it as somebody who’s paying tribute to our country beforehand, but also watching it. I got to watch it afterwards and experience the whole community and MSG just roaring for John Cena and watching all of it happen,” Cooke told WrestleZone’s Ella Jay.
“It was very cool, very, something that I didn’t know that I was ever going to get to do. But I’m glad that I got to, because now I have this community that’s so supportive and so kind,” she added. “It really kind of shocked me how much everybody just like open arms, welcomed me into the family as if I had been there my whole life.”
Ashley Cooke reflects on meeting John Cena
The event also marked John Cena’s final WWE event at “The Garden,” and Cooke got a chance to meet the now-retired 17-time WWE Champion backstage.
“It was the coolest thing ever,” Cooke said about meeting Cena. “We got to hang out and talk for a bit backstage too, which was cool to just get to see because he just looks such like a superhero when he’s in the ring. He commands the crowd so well. And I think it was cool to see from my perspective because we’re both in entertainment but in such a different space, It was just really cool to see somebody that’s just had this massive career and you [captivated] as an audience. He gets their attention so well. It was just inspiring to get to watch as an entertainer of country music. So nothing to do with what he does, but it was special. It was cool to see.”
Cooke shared some details about her conversation with Cena, who she said was so cool despite facing the pressure of his final event at MSG.
“That’s a great question because I feel like we all were just so excited. It was mainly just like thanks for being here, and he loved my shirt. I was like, ‘Hey, good luck. You’re going to kill it.’ And he was like, ‘Hey, thanks.’ He was just so he was calm as a cucumber. I was like, you’re about to go fight at MSG for your last time, and he was just chilling, very calm.”
Ashley Cooke also marked the occasion with a custom John Cena vest
Cooke wanted to pay tribute to Cena, so she worked with her stylist, Krista Roser, to make a custom vest and pants consisting of John Cena merchandise.
“I feel like he deserved the most possible recognition. And it was cool because after we met backstage, we met before he fought, and we were talking for a minute,” Cooke explained. “Then when he came into the ring after and was addressing the crowd, getting all hyped up and stuff, he took a second in the ring at his last fight at MSG to look at me and point at me and say, ‘You did really great.’ And I was like, ‘What?’
“This is crazy that he listened to my rendition, but also that he took the time during that big moment, that last massive moment for him from this massive career that he’s had to point at me and say, ‘You did really great.’ That just kind of shows the heart of John Cena and the heart of what this whole organization and this sport is,” Cooke said.
Ashley Cooke is currently promoting her latest release, Ace, out now on Big Loud Records. When asked if she’d entertain a future WWE return, Cooke teased that she’d love to make it happen.
“I’d love that. I would absolutely love that. I mean, stay tuned. We’ll see, because that’d be very fun. I did fall in love with the world when I was in it, so I would love that so much.”
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