In an interview with the Associated Press mainly to promote the launch of WWE 2K23, 16-time world champ John Cena also discussed his upcoming match at WrestleMania and his relationship with WWE Executive Chairman Vince McMahon.

Asked why he came back to feud with Austin Theory, Cena was pretty blunt in his answer.

“Because that’s what I was told would happen,” he said, noting that he doesn’t have much say in what goes on and he’s not the person who requests to work with this or that person.

“I don’t ever do that. I’ve never done that. I just try and do what I’m told to do and do it to the best of my abilities. Instead of dictating my terms, I often just try to make the performance the best it can be,” Cena continued.

When the topic of Vince McMahon came up and the several sexual misconducts against him, Cena said that while everyone has a right to have their perspective, he has the right to do the same, and when you love somebody, you take them as imperfectly perfect as they are.

“We all make mistakes, we all have poor decisions. Lord knows I’ve made my collection of poor choices,” Cena said. “That doesn’t mean I’m not going to love somebody. There’s no way I can go on record and say I don’t love Vince McMahon.”

Cena added that Vince is everything you could want in a great friend, business partner, father, and mentor.