John Cena: Nattie And TJ Wilson Bet On Folks They Believe In
John Cena has praise for Nattie and TJ Wilson.
Cena has made trips to The Dungeon 2.0 run by Nattie and TJ Wilson in past, giving advice to a group that has included the like of Angelo Dawkins, Liv Morgan, Maxxine Dupri, Brodie Lee Jr, Marcus Mathers, Avery Styles, and many more.
At the Edmonton Fan Expo, Spencer Love of Love Wrestling asked Cena about TJ, Nattie, and the Dungeon.
“TJ and Nattie are awesome,” began Cena. “They’re awesome folks. They move through space with kindness. TJ’s like a ‘kind curmudgeon’. He’s got a hidden sarcasm to him, but he wants to bring the best out of everybody. They wouldn’t be doing what they’re doing – keep in mind, there’s no fees at the Dungeon. It’s invite only. You don’t pay, and they make you better. That sort of business model resonates with me, where they’re losing money just to give some wisdom. I really admire that, because some of the early mentors of my life had the same sort of model. They just bet on folks they believed in. I think that speaks volumes about them as people, to be able to invest their own money with no return on investment rather than just the joy they get from watching people passionate about the business.”
Asked what he taught them, Cena said, “What did I teach? I’m retired, and I’m retired for a reason. I’m scuffed up. If I had any life left, I wouldn’t be teaching in a ring. I’d be trying to fall down in front of an audience, because that’s what I love the most. I tend to watch a lot, and then give active feedback. The thing that I see the most, and the thing I saw at the Dungeon, it’s a universal truth – the little things. People don’t stress the little things. The little things can make what we do beautiful.”
“I think CM Punk is doing some of his best work with the little things,” he continued. “I think Sami Zayn, Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes – Randy is the king of the little things. A performer like Shawn Michaels is the king of the little things. They make the most out of the smallest stuff, and it makes you come to the edge of your seat. It makes you stand up, and it makes you never sit down again. I was guilty of this myself: as a young performer, you just want to show what you can do. All these kids are trying to get better, just trying to show that they can do stunts, and that they’re athletes. You need to have the little things. The little things make the magic, and that’s what I saw was absent. That’s common in a lot of schools.”
Cena retired from wrestling in December 2025, facing Gunther in his final match.
Elsewhere during the Fan Expo, Cena commented on the ownership of his soul. You can find his full comments here.
