LOS ANGELES, January 9, 2026
Kazarian Reflects on Early Days with John Cena, Foreseeing His Rise to Stardom
TNA’s Frankie Kazarian recalls recognizing John Cena’s potential from their earliest training sessions together, highlighting his exceptional work ethic and self-awareness.
- Frankie Kazarian and John Cena first trained together at Ultimate Pro Wrestling.
- Cena immediately demonstrated a remarkable level of self-awareness and a willingness to adapt.
- Kazarian, along with Samoa Joe, formed a close bond with Cena during their formative years.
- Kazarian always believed Cena would achieve significant success in professional wrestling.
Frankie Kazarian, currently wrestling with TNA, remembers a time when John Cena was still finding his footing in the professional wrestling world. Kazarian shared his recollections of training alongside Cena at Ultimate Pro Wrestling, and another future wrestling great, Samoa Joe, during a recent interview with “Insight.” He vividly remembers their initial interactions and the blossoming of a lasting friendship.
“I had one of his very first matches. One of, not his first, but very early on. And I had already had a decent reputation of being like a pretty good wrestler, and you know, I remember walking in and was like, ‘Hey man, what’s going on?’ He’s like, ‘Hey, look, I’m very green, and I know you do a lot of high-flying and stuff, but if you don’t mind, can we please keep it [simple]?’ I go, ‘I don’t do a lot of high-flying, man.’ He said, ‘Can we please keep it simple?’ He was very honest, very self-aware. Of course, we went out and had a good one,” Kazarian said.
Their shared experiences extended beyond the ring. “We actually became good buds. Like, we would ride to like spot shows out in the middle of like Lancaster together and always do road trips up to Northern Cali when we were doing this feud with APW and became real friendly, and like him and me and Samoa Joe would hang out,” Kazarian recalled. The trio would often gather at Samoa Joe’s house after training, enjoying meals prepared by Joe’s father.
What set John Cena apart from the beginning? Kazarian believes Cena’s dedication and attitude were immediately apparent. “John’s work ethic, from day one, and his attitude, set him apart, and he’s had maybe the greatest run ever,” he stated. Kazarian expressed genuine happiness for Cena’s accomplishments and emphasized his consistently kind nature.
Kazarian also expressed a sense of pride in having played even a small role in Cena’s remarkable career trajectory. He reiterated his admiration for Cena, not only as a performer but also as a person.
