John Cena’s habit of loudly calling spots in the ring has long been a talking point among wrestling fans, and Cody Rhodes says there was a method behind it.
Appearing on Good Hang with Amy Poehler (see video below), Rhodes explained why Cena never seemed concerned about keeping his in-ring communication quiet. According to Rhodes, Cena intentionally made it part of the fan experience rather than trying to hide it.
“John will not talk low or ‘in carny.’ John yells everything that is going to happen in the ring as loud as he can possibly yell it,” Rhodes said. “He calls it, for the first four rows, an interactive experience. Screams it.”
Rhodes also recalled working with Cena during his retirement tour, sharing a memorable moment from their SummerSlam match when Cena was preparing to deliver an Attitude Adjustment through two tables. Despite the dangerous nature of the spot, Cena continued giving instructions at full volume.
“At SummerSlam, he’s about to slam me with the Attitude Adjustment from a table to another table. It’s highly dangerous; it’s going to hurt. We’re going to do it the safest way we can, but you can hear him yelling at me while I’m on his shoulders that he can’t see because my arm is over his eyes,” Rhodes recalled.
Rhodes admitted he chose not to respond, joking that while he respected Cena as a mentor, he couldn’t help but think the WWE legend should simply trust him to take the move.
“I never spoke back to John, I never wanted to speak back, he’s a mentor to me, but it was one of those moments where I thought, ‘Buddy, I’m the one doing it. Just throw me.’”
Cody Rhodes is scheduled to challenge CM Punk for the Undisputed WWE Championship at WWE SummerSlam 2026, which goes down on August 1 and August 2 from US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN.
Make sure to join us here at WrestlingHeadlines.com on 8/1 and 8/2 for live WWE SummerSlam 2026 Results coverage.
