Ahead of closing the majority of shows for the next decade, John Cena opened his first WrestleMania with the confidence of a man who wouldn't be jerking the curtain much longer.
'The Champ' claimed his first singles title after clocking The Big Show with a chain-wrapped fist and jaw-dropping FU, but the win felt transformative rather than ill-gotten. Long before audiences divided up between those in neon t-shirts and those paying for tickets to indulge their hatred, 'The Doctor Of Thuganomics' was both throw-back rapper and contemporary anti-hero.
In 2008, the Madison Square Garden faithful went nuts for his return before catching themselves. Here, they were caught up in his every move.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back almost 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 60,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
