John Cena Reveals He Was Fan of NXT’s Mason Rook Before WWE Signing

John Cena has revealed he was following current NXT talent Mason Rook’s career long before the young star ever signed with WWE, and that his admiration goes back to catching him on UK independent television.

Speaking with Metro while filming his upcoming movie Matchbox in Budapest, Cena explained that during a WWE run through the United Kingdom, limited access to American programming led him to a weekly UK wrestling broadcast airing on his hotel television. It was there he first saw Rook — then wrestling under the name Will Kroos.

“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,” Cena said. “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.”

Cena’s fandom didn’t stay passive for long. He recalled that during a WWE tour stop in Glasgow, he hoped he might cross paths with Kroos among the local talent being used as extras — and got his wish.

“We [WWE] did Glasgow, I think it was, and 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,’ and that’s exactly what happened,” Cena said. “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.”

According to Cena, he didn’t hold back in introducing himself, telling the future NXT star even before his WWE signing: “Yo, dude, I’m a huge fan of yours. The way you tell stories, the way you carry yourself, what you’re doing is appropriate. Anyone can learn to do the physical stuff with enough practice. You have the nuance that very few performers have.”

Rook made his official NXT debut on the April 28 episode of the show earlier this year and has continued building momentum at the Performance Center since. Endorsements from a figure like Cena — who has spent two decades as one of WWE’s most recognizable ambassadors and rarely singles out developmental talent so specifically — carry real weight, especially when they center on storytelling and character work rather than just in-ring ability.

With Grayson Waller currently holding the NXT Championship and the brand’s roster stacked with rising names looking to challenge for it, Rook’s early buzz places him firmly in the conversation for a future title run. Cena’s comments only add to the sense that WWE may be grooming Rook for a quicker-than-usual path to the main roster.

For now, Rook remains focused on NXT, but if Cena’s read on his potential proves accurate, it may not be long before he’s a fixture on Raw or SmackDown. Cena’s new film, Matchbox: The Movie, is set for release on Apple TV on October 9, 2026.