John Cena Recalls Seeing WWE NXT Star Mason Rook For The First Time: 'I Was Floored'

Mason Rook has taken "WWE NXT" by storm since arriving back in April 2026, and has made a whole host of new fan in a very short space of time. However, one of his biggest supporters just so happens to be one of the greatest WWE Superstars of all time, John Cena, a man who has gone out of his way recently to shine a spotlight on the next generation of performers, with his retirement show being heavily centered around "NXT" wrestlers.

During a recent interview with the Metro, Cena revealed that he was actually exposed to Mason Rook before he joined WWE while wrestling as Will Kroos on the European independent scene. Cena was based in Hungary while filming the upcoming movie "Matchbox" and one of the companies Rook wrestled for at the time was on Hungarian television, and when Cena laid his eyes on Rook for the first time, he was an instant fan.

"I was floored," Cena said. "I didn't have access to a lot of sports entertainment live, especially with the time change, and the only stuff I would watch is, they ran a UK wrestling program on broadcast television, on my hotel TV. I think it was every Wednesday night, and I would consistently see Will Kroos do his thing, and the promotion he was working with. I was floored. And here's the thing: he's known for the moves. I was floored by his storytelling."

It got to a point where Cena was so excited to watch Rook wrestle every Wednesday night that he even told his wife about him. "I would tell my wife, like, 'I've got to watch this kid.' She's like 'What are you doing watching this English UK indie broadcast?' I'm like 'This kid is good. He can tell stories, and he moves great!"'

In the middle of Cena's stint in Hungary filming his movie, WWE embarked on a European tour that saw the company air an episode of "WWE Raw" in Glasgow, Scotland. It was here where Rook was not only brought in as an extra, but also got the chance to meet Cena in person, something that Cena himself was secretly hoping for.

"I was hoping, 'Man, I know we have UK extras here. What if we walk into the room and Will Kroos is there? I will like lose my mind.' 'All the additional talent was kind of being shepherded into taking their physicals and stuff, and Will Kroos is one of them. And I stopped dead." Cena went on to express how much of a fan he was of Rook and his work, stating that he has nuances that many other wrestlers his age simply don't have.

Rook would eventually debut in "NXT" in April 2026, a move that both pleased and surprised Cena, and he has kept tabs on the Englishman since he's arrived. "I watched him get himself counted out in a match against a Rey Mysterio-like opponent, and everything he did made sense. I watched him in a further match; it was like a championship match, and he somehow made himself this big unstoppable force, but also somehow was able to get defeated with dignity. He's a very intelligent performer, and a lot of times you see at a younger age aspirational performers who want to do crazy stuff, but their in-ring intelligence, they just don't have enough time or attention. I was floored by his storytelling, NXT is just the next step in what could be. The sky's the limit for him.'"

If Cena has his way, Rook could be part of the upcoming John Cena Classic that takes place later this year. While no details have been confirmed about this competition, what is known is that Cena wants as many "NXT" stars involved as humanly possible, and given how much of a fan he is of Rook, the Englishman could very well be involved.

Please credit "Metro" when using quotes from this article, and give a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.