The animosity between Cena and Johnson, while no longer active, dates back more than a decade. Cena stated that, during his 2011-2012 feud against The Rock, he made comments about his opponent in an attempt to heighten their rivalry. However, Cena now regrets the comments and was happy to be able to speak to Johnson about the issue in person.

“That’s the first time we’d seen each other since publicly apologizing for that,” Cena continued. “And I just wanted to make sure he heard it from me face-to-face as well, and it was really nice to see a friend.”

The comments Cena is referring to saw him tearing down The Rock in interviews and on TV, questioning his work ethic after leaving WWE for Hollywood. Cena would later go on to become a Hollywood star himself, returning to WWE for part-time stints, like Johnson. Cena would then go on to explain why it was so important to make things right with Johnson.

“Respect is something that’s one of my core values,” Cena said. “It’s on every hat. It’s on every shirt. It’s on every towel. But I believe respect is earned, and I think mutual respect for your peers — it needs to be reciprocal.”