Rusev Reveals The Biggest Lesson John Cena Taught Him In WWE

Rusev credits John Cena for a key learning experience.

While he is now retired from in-ring competition, the lessons that John Cena taught continue to live on through the active WWE roster. For his former rival Rusev, Cena specifically emphasized the value of listening to the fans in attendance.

“Just timing, take my time,” Rusev told Insight With Chris Van Vliet when asked about his biggest learning takeaway from Cena. “There’s no such thing as a TV match and a live event match, like there’s no such thing as a bad crowd. If they’re not reacting, it’s because you’re not giving them what they want to see. Him listening, ‘Okay, is it a high pitch? Is it low-pitched? Who’s out there tonight? What’s the vibe?’

“He’s always there, watching and learning the crowd as much as everything else. Not everything has to be like [fast paced] it’s got to make sense, and it’s got to take your time and listen to the crowd. I think that’s the most important thing. Just listen to the crowd. They’ll tell you what to do.”

Rusev and Cena famously feuded over the WWE United States Championship throughout 2015, with Cena ultimately dethroning Rusev and retaining the title on multiple occasions. The two met again in 2017 for a flag match at WWE Battleground, which Cena won.

The Cenation Leader marked the end of his in-ring career at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event in December 2025. Meanwhile, Rusev returned to WWE earlier in April 2025 as a part of the Raw brand.

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