John Cena Calls This WWE Star The 'Embodiment Of Perseverance'

Last year, when John Cena made his return to WWE for a stint during the SAG strike, "The Champ" found himself with an ally in the form of LA Knight. Cena served as a referee for one of Knight's matches, and Cena and Knight later defeated Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa of The Bloodline at WWE Fastlane. During a recent conversation on "Insight with Chris Van Vliet," Cena looked back on the partnership and shared his thoughts on Knight as a performer.

"What I want to say is he's gifted," Cena said. "That's not the right thing to say. What I should say is, man — he has worked to get his talent. Because he is the embodiment of perseverance, and hard work, and believing in himself. He has earned every inch and it was really, really fun to be in there with him."

During the interview, Van Vliet brought up a moment when Knight quoted Cena's original theme music at him, which gave Cena pause at the time. Cena said he enjoys it when performers have "ammo" ready to go during promos, and the WWE star is confident that Knight had even more he could've thrown out there.

Having seen what Knight can do up close, Cena feels that he has an authenticity that shines through in his performances. Knight has a long and arduous origin story, and Cena said that he's not afraid to tell it, which adds to his character.

"I got to see him mature just in the short time I was there," Cena continued. "To see the way he worked [when Cena was his referee], to the philosophy in the tag match, and then to watch his matches after that, I could see him gain confidence even in that short period of time. That's what gets me to the edge of my seat."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Insight with Chris Van Vliet" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.