John Cena found a way to recycle one of his funniest Fanatics Fest moments—and the crowd loved every second of it.
During the UFC punching challenge at Fanatics Fest NYC on July 18, Cena walked up to the machine looking like he was about to unleash a huge shot. Instead, he turned the moment into comedy. Rather than throwing a practice punch, Cena slapped his own knee.
On his second “warm-up,” he faked a kick without ever touching the machine. By that point, fans were already laughing. That’s when Cena delivered the punchline: “Still haven’t hit anybody for real!”
The callback immediately reminded fans of last year’s Fanatics Fest, when Cena walked up to another punching machine, teased throwing a punch, and joked:
“I haven’t hit anyone for real in 25 years, thank you very much.”
That wasn’t the only time Cena stole the show during the 2025 event. He also went viral after attempting to recreate the legendary “six baseball toss,” only to drop every baseball before casually walking over and slapping each target by hand instead.
Whether he’s cutting promos on or entertaining a crowd at Fanatics Fest, Cena has always had a knack for turning the simplest moments into memorable ones. This latest callback proved he hasn’t lost that timing, giving fans another viral moment without throwing a single punch.
What was your favorite John Cena moment from Fanatics Fest NYC? Let us know in the comments below.
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