Wrestling veteran Dutch Mantell has voiced his respect for John Cena’s recent public statements supporting Vince McMahon. Speaking on his Story Time with Dutch Mantell podcast, Mantell highlighted Cena’s comment that he “loves the man,” comparing their relationship to that of a father and son.
Mantell’s comments came after Cena has continued to stand by McMahon, even attending the former CEO’s 80th birthday party last week. The podcast host explained his view that personal feelings can be separated from a person’s actions. “I respected John Cena more after that statement than I did before. Because he said he loves the man,” Mantell stated. “When he said, ‘I love the man, I don’t care what he does.’ He still loves him… that doesn’t affect the way you feel about him personally.”
Cena’s public stance comes during a significant period in his career, as he is currently on his 2025 farewell tour. Tonight, he is scheduled to compete in the main event of Clash in Paris against Logan Paul. The event, held at the Paris La Défense Arena, marks Cena’s only pay-per-view performance in France before his planned retirement at the end of the year.
The match against Paul is a key part of Cena’s final run. Their rivalry escalated over the past several weeks on SmackDown, beginning with Paul’s challenge after SummerSlam. The build-up included a disqualification finish in a tag team match, a brawl on the August 8 broadcast from Montreal, and a final face-to-face confrontation on this past Friday’s episode.