10 Wrestling Facts We Didn't Know Last Week (June 24)
6. Freddie Prinze Jr Had A Backstage Run-In With John Cena
To this day, Freddie Prinze Jr remains one of the most high-profile members of the WWE creative team in history. A bonafide Hollywood actor before signing on to work behind the scenes in the company, Prinze Jr was nonetheless a lifelong pro wrestling fan who was delighted to work in the industry.
One of his main roles between 2008-2009 was to contribute to SmackDown's booking, whilst also holding regular acting workshops. Having the idea to capitalise on his skills in the profession, WWE changed up their old promo classes into ones focused more on actual acting. It was during one of these classes that Freddie clashed with John Cena.
Telling the Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast all about the incident, Prinze Jr was interrupted by Cena in the midst of a workshop. Asking for a word outside of the room, the actor respected Cena's opinion that wrestlers either had promo skills or they didn't, but politely disagreed.
Prinze Jr believed that such talent could be nurtured and improved, whereas Cena was under the impression nobody could be taught to deliver an excellent wrestling promo.