There are few things that will get you into the WWE doghouse quicker than insulting top draw, golden boy and all around great guy, John Cena. It's something that few dare to do whilst gainfully employed by the company, but Wade Barrett is not someone who is afraid to speak his mind. Speaking to DNA India in September 2014, Barrett let his dislike of Cena known, saying:
'He's been the face for ten years, and he's really good at what he does. But everyone knows that I don't like John Cena, and he doesn't like me either. You're right, he does get booed by a lot of fans, lot of people don't like him. But he sells a lot more t-shirts and other merchandise than anyone else. So there are a lot of people out there who like him too. Either way everyone has an opinion about him, I respect that. Personally I don't like him and he doesn't like me, we are not friends'.
Work? Shoot? Some comination of the two? Wade's comments about Cena selling more t-shirts and other merchandise lead many to believe that his comments were, in fact, his own and that he was genuinely saying what he really though of Cena, rather than being in character. It certainly sounds like there is no loved lost between the two and, given how Barrett's initial 2010 push came to a screeching halt thanks to Big Match John, it's entirely possible that he does harbour a grudge towards him. Since WWE likes to paint itself as one big, happy family and Cena as the likeable everyman, this real-life animosity is not something they're going to highlight.
