Two major WWE exits led to John Cena's big break, Sgt. Slaughter says (Exclusive)

Sgt. Slaughter worked as a WWE producer when John Cena became the company's top babyface star in the mid-2000s. In an exclusive interview, the Hall of Famer discussed how the 17-time World Champion's rise to the main-event picture began.

In the late 1990s, The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin emerged as WWE's marquee attractions during the peak of the Attitude Era. By 2003, The Rock had drastically reduced his in-ring schedule to become an actor, while Austin retired due to knee and neck injuries.

Slaughter told Sportskeeda Wrestling Senior Editor Bill Apter that former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon earmarked Cena to be the company's next big name.

"John Cena was all by himself at that point because we had lost Stone Cold, Rock was off doing movies, and we really didn't have a star, and I guess that's where Vince saw the future. He said, 'These guys are all leaving. I need to create a new hero.' So, it took a while. The only way you become the best hero is to be the best villain. That's how you do it."

In the video above, Slaughter explained why he initially struggled to believe Cena could be the future of WWE.

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How Sgt. Slaughter viewed John Cena in the early 2000s

In 2002, John Cena lost to Kurt Angle in a memorable debut match on SmackDown. Three years later, he defeated John Bradshaw Layfield (JBL) at WrestleMania 21 to capture his first WWE Championship.

During that time, Sgt. Slaughter changed his opinion of Cena and came to appreciate his strong work ethic.

"Well, when I first started helping John, and we all started helping John, I always called him the workhorse. I said, 'He's a workhorse, he's a workhorse,' and then pretty soon I started saying, 'He's a stallion, he's a stallion,' because he fought through, just as I was saying about Logan Paul, he got comfortable in the ring, and he learned the psychology of the audience, of his fans, of all the fans, the universe."

Slaughter also disclosed details about one thing he taught Cena earlier in his career.

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Edited by Danny Hart