John Cena Slams WWE Talent For “Going Into Business For Yourself” At Live Events

John Cena isn’t holding back when it comes to why he’s skeptical about WWE bringing back more untelevised live events. While several top names have pushed for an increase in house shows, Cena says the bigger issue isn’t scheduling — it’s discipline.

Speaking on the No Contest Wrestling podcast, the Cenation Leader took direct aim at what he sees happening when the cameras aren’t rolling. According to Cena, too many performers use live events as an excuse to stray from the bigger creative plan.

“When I watch live events, a lot of times, you guys are going into business for yourself. F** off.”*

That line says everything. Cena explained that while talent often say they want more live events for “time and attention,” what actually happens in his view is wrestlers chasing personal moments instead of protecting the overall narrative.

“You have fun. But it's not fun that follows the narrative of the show, and it's a disconnect to the audience.”

For Cena, it’s about consistency. WWE programming is built around long-term storytelling, and he believes that when performers improvise for their own enjoyment, it can fracture that structure. He made a clear distinction between reacting to a crowd organically and forcing moments that don’t serve the bigger picture.

“So you want more freedom to be able to - if the crowd is chanting 619, should I do one right now? That's different than like, ‘I want to do a fun spot that I think is going to be fun with my partners [but] it'll be a disconnect from the audience.’”

In Cena’s eyes, that disconnect is the real problem. It’s not about whether live events are good or bad — it’s about whether talent can resist the urge to turn them into playgrounds.

With WWE currently operating under a more streamlined event model and data reportedly showing strong results, Cena clearly believes less chaos equals better storytelling.

Do you agree with Cena that wrestlers going into business for themselves is a problem — or should live events give talent more freedom to experiment? Drop your thoughts in the comments.