Grayson Waller already has a problem with the way the NXT locker room is reacting to John Cena’s upcoming appearance. Cena hasn’t even shown up yet, and Waller says some of the younger talent are already acting more like fans than WWE wrestlers.
During an appearance on Busted Open After Dark, Waller revealed he was backstage at NXT when the graphic announcing Cena for the November 3 episode appeared. According to Waller, the reaction from the locker room immediately caught his attention.
“So, I was backstage tonight when the graphic came up. You should have heard the kids. ‘Oh, John!’ It was tough. I felt like I was at a fan meet-and-greet or something. They were all excited, and it put a smile on my face, too.
“I’m the only one here who’s been in the ring with John Cena twice. I’ve been on the mic against John Cena, and I survived. And not everyone does.
“But all I hope for John next Wednesday is that he wipes his feet, knocks on the door, and asks me permission to come into my house. And if he wants to get in my ring, he needs to ask permission, too.
“And I’m sure maybe he’s talking about this John Cena Classic, giving some NXT superstars an opportunity. Well, those opportunities I’ve taken. So maybe he needs to come and sit down under my learning tree, and I can tell him how things run in NXT now.”
Bully Ray then asked Waller if he was basically saying most of the locker room was marking out over Cena while he was looking at the appearance as an opportunity. Waller joked that around five percent of the roster didn’t even know who Cena was before admitting he was just messing around. His bigger point, however, was completely serious.
“I’m messing with you. I wish I was just messing with you. I’m just making fun of the kids.
“But they were very excited, and I understand because they’ve never seen John Cena in person. What a cool opportunity to come down to NXT. I’ve stood across from John Cena. I’m not the same as them.
“I handed in my mark card the day I started at NXT, and for these kids, they need to do the same. They need to carry themselves as equals. We are all on this one WWE brand now. We represent WWE, and it’s cool to show respect to the legends and understand and learn from them and all that. But don’t be a fan.
“If any of them are going up and asking for photos or wearing his merch next week, I’m going to go and talk to them directly. You need to — if you want to be this, if you want to be a champion, if you want to main-event WrestleMania, when you get here, you have to treat these people as equals because that’s who they are.
“You are on their level, and I don’t think a lot of the kids look at it that way.”
Waller’s argument is pretty simple: respect Cena and learn whatever you can from him, but don’t suddenly turn into a fan when he walks through the door. As far as Waller is concerned, anyone who wants to eventually occupy Cena’s spot needs to start carrying themselves like they belong alongside him rather than lining up for a picture.
The 17-time World Champion is scheduled to appear on the November 3 edition of NXT, and Grayson Waller certainly sounds ready to keep an eye on how everyone behaves once he actually gets there.
Do you agree that younger WWE talent should avoid acting like fans when established stars visit NXT? Let us know what you think in the comments.
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