WWE May Have Missed A Huge WrestleMania Match John Cena Personally Pushed For
Paul Heyman has revealed that John Cena once told Vince McMahon he could main event WrestleMania with Claudio Castagnoli. The comments offer a new look at how highly the current AEW star was viewed during his WWE run.
John Cena shared the ring with plenty of future Hall of Famers during his WWE career, but one potential WrestleMania main event never happened. Years later, Paul Heyman has revealed that Cena once saw that level of potential in a wrestler who is now part of AEW.
The discussion came up during Heyman's appearance on INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet. While talking about talents he managed over the years, The Wiseman reflected on Claudio Castagnoli's time in WWE. Known to many fans as Cesaro during his run with the company, Castagnoli was viewed by several people backstage as someone capable of becoming much bigger than he ultimately did.
Paul Heyman believes WWE missed a major opportunity with Claudio Castagnoli
The conversation started when Heyman was asked why certain partnerships during his managerial career never fully took off. One name that came up was Curtis Axel. That led Heyman to compare Axel's situation to what happened with Castagnoli when the two were paired together in 2014.
According to Heyman, Castagnoli checked every box expected of a top WWE star at the time. He recalled wrestlers returning from matches with the Swiss star and pushing for more opportunities to work with him. From Heyman's perspective, there was no shortage of respect for Castagnoli's in-ring ability.
He went even further, describing WWE's handling of the former tag team champion as a major mistake and calling it a crime against his career that his full potential was never realized.
John Cena reportedly told Vince McMahon he could headline WrestleMania with Cesaro
During the same interview, Heyman shared a story involving Cena and Vince McMahon. After working with Castagnoli on WWE television, Cena reportedly approached McMahon with a bold opinion. According to Heyman, the 17-time world champion believed he could main event WrestleMania with Cesaro.
Heyman agreed with that assessment. In his view, not only could that match have headlined WWE's biggest show, it probably should have happened.
The revelation stands out because Cena spent years at the center of WrestleMania's biggest matches. Hearing that he viewed Castagnoli as a potential main-event opponent offers a glimpse into how highly the former WWE star was regarded behind the scenes.
Castagnoli eventually left WWE and found a new home in AEW
Heyman also explained why Castagnoli was paired with him in the first place. At that point, WWE needed Heyman on television after Brock Lesnar ended The Undertaker's WrestleMania streak. The alliance with Castagnoli followed, though it never developed into the career-changing run some expected.
Years later, Castagnoli departed WWE and joined AEW in 2022 following his release from the company.
As for Cena, his focus today is very different. Since retiring from in-ring competition last December, he has repeatedly stated that he intends to stay retired. Speaking to Good Housekeeping, Cena said he wants fans to invest in newer talent instead of hoping for another comeback match, adding that his goal is to leave WWE in a better place than he found it.