The Final Deletion was a big hit backstage in WWE, even with John Cena.
Former NXT tag team Champion Simon Gotch spoke to Journey of a Frontman about the now infamous segment, and said that Chris Jericho was able to procure an advanced screening.
"Chris Jericho had actually been given an advanced copy of it because Matt had done his podcast and he gave him a copy of it. So when we were over in Japan for a couple days, he was showing it to us. He was telling us that this video's insane, it's insane, it's insane, it's insane," said Gotch. "So we had a viewing and Cena sees everybody laughing and asks what's going on. And we were like, 'Oh, we're watching this Matt Hardy video.' And he asked how it was. I said, 'Try and imagine the worst thing you've ever seen WWE do. Then imagine if somehow it was good.' And he looks at me for a second and he goes, 'I don't want to come in halfway. Please tell me when it is over. I would like to watch it.'
Gotch said that in full John Cena form, he didn't show much emotion, but enjoyed the screening.
"So it finishes and we're all dying laughing because it's just the most insane thing anyone's ever seen. I actually brought it up to Chris and found out he ended up bringing it up to Matt at Mania. If you watch the video when he lights the fire, Matt actually gets engulfed in a ball of flame for a second," said Gotch. "If you watch it closely when he throws the fire down, pay attention to Matt. Don't look at Jeff, don't look at the fire. Look at Matt. The fire comes up and engulfs him. And he was like, 'Yeah! No one noticed that! We were doing it, it took all day and we were losing the gasoline. They were like you just gotta go, just do it. And we just went and did it. It got all over me!' And so it was just one of those where it was just a complete accident, but apparently not a lot of people noticed it. I came back in later, Cena was watching the video, he looked at me and said, 'You are absolutely right.'"
