Why Cena's Feeling RAW
The-Sun

When we interviewed WWE champion John Cena before he won the belt at WrestleMania 21, the star told us that he was "Smackdown born and bred" and would only swap to rival show Raw if bosses dragged him "kicking and screaming".

So when we caught up with John again this week, after his shock switch between the brands in the WWE's draft lottery, we expected him to be down in the dumps. But Cena - whose excellent rap album You Can't See Me is in shops now - told us he is extremely happy with the trade even though he is leaving some of his best friends behind.

"Of course back then I'd say I didn't want to switch, the star rather candidly revealed. Because the way I see it is that you've got to believe in your product. I was on Smackdown then, and in the hunt for the WWE championship, so for me to say 'I want to move to Raw' wouldn't have been right. But now that I am on Raw, I'm going to say Raw is the better show. I have to, because you have to show your support for your brand. It's like getting transferred from Manchester United to Arsenal. You don't think it will happen but when it does you can't buck the team you are going to - you've got to play for them and do the best you can! The shows are truly separate and I had a good group of friends on the Smackdown brand, whereas I don't know the guys on Raw as well. Of course, my phone was ringing off the hook with Smackdown stars calling me "traitor", "Benedict Arnold" and every other insult under the sun. Ironically Kurt Angle - who was also drafted to Raw one week after me - was the worst. He left about 30 messages telling me I had no brand loyalty and how much of a turncoat I was. " think every single superstar on the roster must have called me and said something similar."

He added: "The whole thing was mad - I found out I was moving at the zero hour. They got me to the arena pretty much as the live broadcast started. If my flight had been delayed the whole thing would have been screwed. It was like: 'Raw is in St Louis, you have to be in St Louis for 7.30pm and you're on live at 8pm. The drive from the airport to the arena is half an hour - you better be there on time!' I pulled up and got out of the car, just as Chris Jericho was in the ring cutting his promo introducing the first draft pick. The whole move was kept top secret and it turned out to be something really special, which translated on TV. I didn't even get a call from Vince McMahon telling me what was going to happen - it was somebody in the travel department who let me know. When this draft started they said everyone was eligible and anything was possible - but I really didn't think I'd go to Raw, especially as the No1 pick. I didn't think they'd take the champion that early, not in a million years!"

Cena's surprise was shared by almost every wrestling fan around the world, as well as the guys in the locker room. And it means everyone is asking the same question - what will happen next? The draft lottery runs until the end of the month and there will have to be some big names joining Chris Benoit and Randy Orton going in the opposite direction to Cena.

Because as John told us: "We've now got two world champions on Raw - myself and Batista - and none on Smackdown. So no one knows how this thing is going to play out. It's not my decision but what I'd do next is have Smackdown hold a tournament-style PPV to crown a new champion and unify the belts on Raw. I think that people would love to see a title v title match. If that happens I'd like it to be me against Batista, rather than Triple H, because of the moment we shared at the Royal Rumble."

Before everyone gets too exited, John's ambition is probably the least likely outcome of the draft lottery. To many observers it still seems that Triple H, Batista or even Cena himself will go back to Smackdown with one of the belts.

"That could well happen," John admits. If I'm not mistaken the two general managers have until June 30 to trade. That means if Teddy Long wanted me back he would have to put together a deal that Eric Bischoff would accept. And if I get traded back tomorrow, then I'm bleeding Smackdown blue again."

If things do stay as they are it means John Cena would have seen the last of his long-term rival John Bradshaw Layfield. The two polar opposites have been feuding on Smackdown throughout 2005. Cena won the WWE title from JBL in a disappointing match at WrestleMania but followed that with one of the bouts of the year at Judgment Day.

He told us: "As far as classic matches and all that go, there are a time and a place for them and WrestleMania is definitely a proving ground. It just wasn't meant to be for me that night. But from what the general public are saying the rematch at Judgment Day made a lot of people feel fulfilled. Both matches hold a special place in my heart. WrestleMania is the biggest show of the year and where I won the WWE title - so that will always be one of the most important bouts of my career."

After winning the championship from JBL, John replaced the title with a gold and diamond-encrusted affair with a spinning WWE logo in the middle. Lots of fans loved it but the belt had many older wrestling followers, us included, up in arms. Cena is unrepentant.

Answering our criticisms of the bling bling belt, the star blasted: "I know that there are a group of people out there, you guys included, who are traditionalists.

"But if wrestling was run by the traditionalists then it would still be in carnival halls featuring large hairy guys. Wrestling has come a long way since then. There's been the introduction of music, pyrotechnics and staging - the whole World Wrestling Entertainment phenomenon. What I'm doing is giving my input on the development of the WWE title. The title had been the same for so long and I didn't think it embodied what it should as the very pinnacle of our sport. I've made the championship a lot more classy, it is the most expensive belt in WWE history. It's something I think anyone would want to fight for."