John Cena Didn’t Want WWE To Sign AJ Styles, New Rule On Masks

If it was up to John Cena, AJ Styles and other Impact Wrestling names would not have joined WWE. Also, there are new rules about wearing masks at the Performance Center.

John Cena Didn’t Want WWE To Sign AJ Styles

When one thinks of WWE, several names come to mind. One of those is John Cena, who became the poster child for WWE for over 15 years now.

Cena has been known, especially lately, to help elevate new talent. While Cena wants to help the next generation of superstars, he apparently wants WWE to find those names in NXT.

During the ARN Podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Arn Anderson spoke about a conversation with Cena. Apparently, Anderson saw potential in some Impact Wrestling (formally TNA) wrestlers, but Cena was not into the idea.

Cena’s Reaction To Anderson’s Suggestion

“I was pleasantly surprised and I pushed for AJ,” said Anderson. “It was at a point when TNA was doing well. I would watch there, sitting with Cena one afternoon, and I said, It would really beef up the company if we went out and stole Bobby Roode, AJ Styles and ‘The Cowboy’ James Storm.” 

“If you brought those three guys in it would give you a whole plethora of new opponents. It would give a lot of guys new opponents. John looked at me and said, ‘We’ve got NXT, we make our own stars.”

“I’m sure he was just transferring Vince’s psychology to me when he said that. But. I knew at that time what those guys could do in a match for John.” 

“If you just gave them six to nine months to come in and get over – these guys had their experience, they were ready. You could bring them on day one and you have a player. They were all on my radar for a while before they ever made it.”

What Happened Next

Eventually, all three Impact Wrestling names would join WWE.

Roode found the most success in NXT, where he held the World Championship. He has floated around on the main roster, but is currently stuck in Canada due to the travel ban.

Storm would make two surprise appearances for NXT, but later decided not to sign. Nowadays, he works for NWA.

Styles found success from right out of the gate. The huge response from fans allowed him to enter the title picture within months.

Right now, some consider Styles the best wrestler on WWE’s roster. He wrestled Cena several times, often getting the win and having match of the night.

See, it is a good thing WWE brought in some talent from Impact Wrestling. Otherwise, they could have signed with AEW and given WWE a bigger fight each week on TV.

New Rule On Masks

Face masks have become a debatable topic in the United States. Some used them to possibly help stop the spread of COVID-19 and other refused, citing certain rights.

As for WWE, they have restrained from their employees wearing a mask while on TV. That started to change after several employees tested positive for the virus.

Now, the Performance Center recruits in attendance have been sporting masks. Only talent that is on camera are not required to wear a mask.

PWInsider stated anyone caught not following the rules will face consequences. First time offenders will be fined $500 and subsequent offenses will be in the $1,000 range.

Due to their superstars getting the virus, WWE has increased their screening process. Now, everyone is tested before entering the building for TV tapings.

Renee Young, Jamie Noble, Adam Pearce and Kayla Braxton confirmed they tested for COVID-19.